pr/icbc

[rush fan]

hello all, so thanks to people on this site i have now got a good understanding of where i stand...i am a PR without a PR card and have not yet met RO.
I NEED to get a drivers license for work but have been refused everytime because i have not got a PR card. CIC have told me that issuing a license is completely at ICBCs discression. the only form i have that proves in any way im a resident is my IMM5292 which ICBC say clearly on the website is not sufficiant identification...
any thoughts on how i can get a drivers license? i have not held one in any country before only a uk learners permit.

 

[dpenabill]

hello all, so thanks to people on this site i have now got a good understanding of where i stand...i am a PR without a PR card and have not yet met RO.
I NEED to get a drivers license for work but have been refused everytime because i have not got a PR card. CIC have told me that issuing a license is completely at ICBCs discression. the only form i have that proves in any way im a resident is my IMM5292 which ICBC say clearly on the website is not sufficiant identification...
any thoughts on how i can get a drivers license? i have not held one in any country before only a uk learners permit.

Difficult situation.

May have to wait until you are in compliance with PR RO and then get a PR card and then the drivers license. Inconvenient, yes. Impact on range of employment available, yes indeed.

If you have H&C reasons for not meeting the PR RO, you might be able to accelerate getting a PR card, but that could be a risky approach.

 

[rush fan]

So after speaking to ICBC, following their response to a letter i wrote them, the lady on the phone told me i needed to have an imm5688 form as confirmation of permanent residence, i have a imm5292 form as i landed in 2006, after doing some research on the forum im aware of the difference in the form and really it is just an updated version of the same form...i will send another letter to icbc/speak to someone on the phone and plea this.
however, is there anyway that i can obtain an imm5688 form? by trading in my imm5292, perhaps? would this be to risky as i haven't met my RO to even make contact with CIC? also there seems to be a verifaction of status form i can apply for (VOS), from what i understand it will just stipulate things on my confirmation of residency, however it might give me something from CIC with a recent date on it...would applying for this be risky in the same respect? is opening up a dialouge with CIC too risky considering i haven't yet met my RO?

 

[rush fan]

After lengthy dealings with ICBC, it has boiled down to me needing a correspondence from CIC to 'imply' my status, does anyone know a way of doing this without putting myself in the firing line as I have not yet met my RO?

 

[scylla]

After lengthy dealings with ICBC, it has boiled down to me needing a correspondence from CIC to 'imply' my status, does anyone know a way of doing this without putting myself in the firing line as I have not yet met my RO?

CIC doesn't provide correspondence or statements to confirm someone has implied status. You're not going to get anything from CIC in writing.

Do you have your COPR?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

After lengthy dealings with ICBC, it has boiled down to me needing a correspondence from CIC to 'imply' my status, does anyone know a way of doing this without putting myself in the firing line as I have not yet met my RO?

If you don't meet the RO, you should be doing everything you can to stay away from CIC.

Having dealt with ICBC on this before, you will not be able to get a proper license until you have a PR card. My partner and I fought them on it but lost. They will only issue paper licenses based on the COPR and put a hold on the proper license until the PR card is shown.

However, you've said that you only ever held a learner's permit in the UK. This would mean you don't qualify for a full license in BC. You would need to start the graduated licensing program from the beginning, with a learner's license.

 

[rush fan]

CIC doesn't provide correspondence or statements to confirm someone has implied status. You're not going to get anything from CIC in writing.

Do you have your COPR?

I do have COPR imm 5292 that was issued in 2006, but icbc told me I needed the updated imm5688..which it's not possible to get...I did read of this verification of status VOS document I can apply for but I'm not sure if that would do any good...and again I don't really want CIC aware of me

 

[rush fan]

If you don't meet the RO, you should be doing everything you can to stay away from CIC.

Having dealt with ICBC on this before, you will not be able to get a proper license until you have a PR card. My partner and I fought them on it but lost. They will only issue paper licenses based on the COPR and put a hold on the proper license until the PR card is shown.

However, you've said that you only ever held a learner's permit in the UK. This would mean you don't qualify for a full license in BC. You would need to start the graduated licensing program from the beginning, with a learner's license.

Yeah I don't in fact even qualify for a paper license, they say I need to have something from CIC that implies status such as a receipt for a PR card renewal... So the CIC stuff is what scares me...but on the CIC website it talks about visa officers OUTSIDE of Canada that determine whether or not to review your residency..do I have some sort of sanctuary here? Can I be made to leave even though I've been here a year and have a life and work etc? I've got no real h&c grounds

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Yeah I don't in fact even qualify for a paper license, they say I need to have something from CIC that implies status such as a receipt for a PR card renewal... So the CIC stuff is what scares me...but on the CIC website it talks about visa officers OUTSIDE of Canada that determine whether or not to review your residency..do I have some sort of sanctuary here? Can I be made to leave even though I've been here a year and have a life and work etc? I've got no real h&c grounds

No, there is no sanctuary and yes, you can most definitely lose your PR status even though you are here in Canada.

It looks like you are out of luck in getting a driver's license until you once again meet the RO.

 

[scylla]

I do have COPR imm 5292 that was issued in 2006, but icbc told me I needed the updated imm5688..which it's not possible to get...I did read of this verification of status VOS document I can apply for but I'm not sure if that would do any good...and again I don't really want CIC aware of me

In that case you're unfortunately SOL until you have met the PR residency requirement and renewed your PR card. You'll have to find a way of managing without driving until then.

 

[spyfy]

It's interesting how different the ID requirements are for drivers licences depending on the province.

Back when I got my Ontario licence, I wasn't a permanent resident. All they wanted to see is my (foreign) passport. They didn't want to see my study permit. I know for sure that I didn't have my study permit with me that day.

I just checked with drivetest (= "Ontario ICBC") and this is still their policy:
http://www.drivetest.ca/EN/licencing/Pages/How-to-Apply.aspx
All you need is a (valid) foreign passport.

Just wanted to throw it out there. Obviously, this is not that relevant if you live in BC. But in case it'll take you years before you get your PR card and having a drivers licence is absolutely essential for your job/life, moving to Ontario for some time would be an (admittedly a bit crazy) option. You could then keep your Ontario licence and use it in BC until you have your PR card.

Most likely this is not an option for you, but maybe the difference is interesting for other readers of this thread.