Quebec Investor Program : Current Timeline (6 years 4 Months)

[fromdubai]

By the Grace of Allah Almighty, I have received my Passports and COPR today ... therefore completing PPR2 stage. (on 1st day of 2015) ;D .

I am so much happy & relieved ... and most of all.... thankful to all the people who have assisted me with this process. I wish them all the best of luck for their immigration process.

CONGRATS!!

 

[XpressEnterprise]

CONGRATS!!

Thanks Man!

 

[Songsort]

Congratulations.
I have just submited my application under the Quebec investor Program. It's now forwarded to the financial broker who will make an analysis report.
It is a really long journey and again congratuations for getting that far. I learn from your posts that lot of patience is required.

 

[XpressEnterprise]

Congratulations.
I have just submited my application under the Quebec investor Program. It's now forwarded to the financial broker who will make an analysis report.
It is a really long journey and again congratuations for getting that far. I learn from your posts that lot of patience is required.

Thanks Songsort

I wish you all the best of luck! Actually, you may get your results earlier (depending upon your choice of VO) because a lot of changes have been made in CIC to decrease processing time. Just make sure you keep a followup!

 

[Songsort]

Thank you ExpressEnterprise, wishing you and family a smooth transition to good new life ahead. I am hopeful after reading your response that things would progress a bit faster

Sorry for my ignorance but I could not find what VO means in a post with a long list of immigration acronyms. And my next question is do I (or any other applicant) have a choice for VO?

 

[XpressEnterprise]

Thank you ExpressEnterprise, wishing you and family a smooth transition to good new life ahead. I am hopeful after reading your response that things would progress a bit faster

Sorry for my ignorance but I could not find what VO means in a post with a long list of immigration acronyms. And my next question is do I (or any other applicant) have a choice for VO?

Thanks Songsort! Just keep having positive attitude.

VO = Visa Office

It depends on your visa office. For example, for Quebec Investor Applications, Paris VO process in the least amount of time (12 months.... at least it was ... the last time I checked!). London VO processing time was 38 months. You choose VO according to your situation and country you apply from (not according to your choice).

For processing time, kindly refer to this post : http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/quebec-investors-after-getting-csq-to-get-visa-t121841.0.html;msg3431854#msg3431854

 

[XpressEnterprise]

By the Grace of Allah Almighty, I have finally landed in Montreal. The experience was very nice, however flight was very very tiring (12h 45m from Doha).

The first thing you need to do is (before you even fly) ... Make list of TWO things
1) Goods With You
2) Goods Following You

You will be asked about the total cost of things in your bags ... and the list and cost of goods you will bring later.

In plane, you will find a Declaration Card in front of your seat pocket. You need to fill it with details of yourself and family members. If you have more than 4 family members, put remaining on next card. You are suppose to leave PART B & C blank. Immigration Officer will do that for you. You must declare how much currency + Gold value you are bringing. Also try to bring as much cash as you can (instead of Bank Draft). As long as you declare, it's fine.

Once I arrived at Montreal Airport, I simply followed "Arrivals / Arrivées" signs. Later on, I reached immigration hall (you come down the stairs to your left and there are lanes and immigration officers' desks), and found TWO lanes. Choose VISITORS lane going on the left side (don't go to CANADIAN RESIDENTS lane as line is very long and moving slowly.)

Once I reached Immigration desk (took us 45 minutes to reach desk), Officer asked for Passports, Declaration Cards and CoPR's. Your Declaration card will have "IMM" written by immigration official on duration of stay. We were then asked to collect our Luggage and proceed to the Exit/Customs. Over there, another officer collected our Declaration Cards and asked us to go to the left side (towards Secondary Inspection) way. While standing in queue, a lady officer asked us if we were new immigrants and asked for Passports, CoPR and CSQ. Once she collected all of these, we were told to park our luggage to one side of the room and have a seat. After around 1 hour, a different officer came back with our documents (Date Stamped and Signed) and told us that we are Permanent Residents now. She also asked us to follow 2/5 years rule or risk losing PR. Do give her list of Goods you are bringing and list of goods which are going to follow (have two copies, one copy will be retained and another copy will be stamped and returned back to you). You must know an estimated value of goods in Canadian Dollars. We were then asked to go to the Quebec's Office (located at the far right side of the hall ... you will see Quebec's flag). Take a number outside the door and wait for your turn (only take number if it's busy... otherwise go straight in), Quebec immigration representative welcomed us and provided us with various flyers and brochures. She also booked an appointment for our medicals. (she will ask for a phone number and address). We then took our luggage and followed EXIT / SORTIE signs. My flight arrived at 2:30pm and came out of Airport at 5:30pm (I also saw one officer who make appearances in TV series Border Security : Canada's Frontline)


We actually had 15 bags and it is NOT advisable to take metro and bus train in such circumstances and cost is $10/daypass/each. I later on found out about Private Taxi Cabs and asked for a van. Charges were just around 15 Dollars from nearest Metro station from Airport to Downtown.
Next day, I went to Service Canada office in Montreal Downtown. Make sure you go at 8am and you will be the first one to serve. Otherwise, you may have to wait for 1 hour or more. At information desk, receptionist will register your name and ask you to wait in area behind her desk. Once you are called, all family members must go together, however, only two at a time will be served accordingly. I was asked to read some Data Protection thing and say “I understand”. Then, I was asked for Passports and CoPR. After a while, we were issued SIN's on Paper and were told to protect this number and do not share it. No cards are issued now and memorizing this number is the best way to protect it and this will always remain the same.
Then, we came out of Service Canada Office and went straight to Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch ... right across the street. Do not be surprised by the high influence of Chinese people. Without SIN, banks will not open bank account. It took us two hours to open bank accounts and get out debit cards. (yes, you will get your debit card and account same date).
Then, we went to get mobile phone connections. Mobile Internet is DAMN expensive over here. We went to Rogers and Bell. If you have a Canadian Credit Card, it would be easy to get monthly lines with phones, otherwise you will have to deposit $200 per handset. If you bring your own phone, difference is only of $10/month. Even if you have Canadian Credit Card, if you take 3 handsets or more, deposit is necessary (some cellular company rules). $200 deposit will be returned back after 6 successful and timely bill payments.

I'll also share some more things later on.

 

[Songsort]

Congratulations to XpressEnterprise and Family. Wishing you all a new exciting life.

 

[vizsagar]

Hi XpressEnterprise,

Congratulations bro and wishing you all the very best for coming time.

Pleeeeeease do keep sharing further info. as and when you can for benefit
of others.

Looking forward to further update in coming days!!

God bless!!

Viz

 

[MA Mirza]

Congratulation to Xpress enterprise and Family,have a good time and blessed stay.
Can you share some English speaking location in Quebec, to buy a house.
Or where you would prefer to live?
Thanks
Regards
Mirza

 

[vizsagar]

Hi Express Bro,

Hope you are settling down well !!

Please do share further details when you can and also advise where did you
initially stay like at hotel or with some friends etc.

Please do let us know what are things normally to carry along as per your
current experience after landing. Its like maybe you have taken things with
you and which might not be suitable to carry with us but rather bring it in
our cargo rather than our luggage etc.

Appreciate if you can share some more info.

Take care and all the best !!

God bless
Viz

 

[XpressEnterprise]

Dear Vizsagar, Songsort, MA Mirza and all members on this forum,

Thank you so much for your kind and warm gesture. I truly appreciate if from the bottom of my heart.

First of all, my apologies for being away from this forum for almost two weeks. However, I was trying to get settled and working around my way of understanding this new city. I'll try to explain the ground realities to you in detail. You must understand that this is a new city and you have to give yourself some time before you go into a psychotic episode and want to go back.

- Renting Property-
In Montreal, if you are looking for a good property, there are few things you need to take into account:
- Location : it is vital as you are new and it will take time for you to settle, so my advice is to take anything which is available near Metro train station. If you are looking for a place where 'Desi' people live, there are places where you can easily find them. There are many places where you can rent and I would be happy to tell you according to your location.
- Lease : Most good premises have their leasing period starting on 1st of July and ending on 30th Jun next year. This is quite strange but that's how most of the properties work here. Good Properties have minimum lease of 1 year. You may also find premises such as vacational apartments, short term rentals or sublets where you can get a good deal if you look a bit harder.
- Credit Check : This is done by landlord/agency who are going to rent you the place. This would basically tell landlord if you are financially stable and are able to pay rent on time. For more detailed information, CLICK HERE
- Walkscore : Walk Score helps you find a walkable place to live. Walk Score is a number between 0 and 100 that measures the walkability of any address. This is very helpful if you are looking for a place. For more information, CLICK HERE
- Safety : Since most of the houses are made of wood, you must understand the fact that there has to be proper safety management procedures set in place where you live. Stoves are mostly electric, however in my less than a month of stay, I have seen so many premises being burnt and cordoned off. So, you must also keep this in mind when looking for a new place.
- Size : Quebec is a French dominant area. Here, properties are listed as 4 ½ which is equal to 2 Bedroom House/Apartment. MORE INFO would give you are better understanding of size and description of apartment.

My View : For a family of 4, go for vacational apartment in downtown (for a month). Once you are here, look for a nice unfurnished, 4 ½ (2 bedroom) apartment with a min. 1 year lease. If you are looking for anything cheap, you can get a 5 ½ (3 bedroom) apartment for $700 - $800 however it would be away from Metro train stations. If you want near stations, you can find Flats for $850 and above. Short-term rentals do not require credit checks however they can be expensive.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Jobs -

- French : You must, MUST learn French if you want a job anywhere in Quebec region. Being bilingual (French and English) is vital.
- Location : Being a permanent resident of Quebec, you must acknowledge the fact that you are free to study and work anywhere in Canada. However other permanent residents who wish to settle in Quebec, they have to apply for CSQ and have an interview.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
- Transport -

- Metro Trains have 5 lines. I would advise taking a weekly pass (Opus Card $6, with Weekly pass $25.50, but it only works from Monday to Sunday, regardless of when you had bought it). Daypass is $10 and is way too expensive. Single journeys are also expensive. Monthly pass is $82 however it's very confusing. You have to get monthly pass on 1st of every month. Ticket Office only accept cash, however there are vending machines which accept cards (I think!). You only have to touch at entry point (on top of the panel). There is no need to touch at exit point, just come out of where it says "SORTIE".

- Private Taxis are very common. However you have to call them. They don't charge that much. You must know their numbers to call them. I'll update you more over here later on.

- Driving in Quebec - Société de l'assurance automobile du Québec or SAAQ (English: Quebec Automobile Insurance Corporation), is a Quebec crown corporation responsible for licensing drivers and vehicles in the province. They also have a license exchange program where you can just exchange your foreign country's full (Class 5) license with Quebec's License (but only with 12 countries listed under Quebec Foreign License Exchange Program). If not, you can drive for 6 months on foreign license, and then you have to apply for Quebec's License.

- Virtual Address - If you really are not sure if you have an address in Canada, there are two types of addresses which are available here. One is a Canada Post's POSTAL BOXES. The other is UPS Mailbox Services. Your PR Card cannot be delivered to Canada Post's Postal Boxes. However, I have spoken to UPS and they have told me that unlike Canada Post, UPS issue mailboxes in form of Apartment numbers and many people use it for receiving government ID's and PR cards. Since, it is generally taking PR cards 43 days to process, you will need to give an address in Quebec to Visa Officer which you have available for more than that date. You can also give a friend's or relative's address in Quebec.

I am still discovering many places in Montreal. So, keep looking out for my posts.

 

[vizsagar]

Express Sir,

Thank you very much for sharing such a detailed response and I am sure it will help
lot of people in this regard.

Please do keep sharing your experiences for sake of all.

God bless!!!

Viz

 

[XpressEnterprise]

Express Sir,

Thank you very much for sharing such a detailed response and I am sure it will help
lot of people in this regard.

Please do keep sharing your experiences for sake of all.

God bless!!!

Viz

My pleasure ... as always! I surely will!

 

[fromdubai]

By the Grace of Allah Almighty, I have finally landed in Montreal. The experience was very nice, however flight was very very tiring (12h 45m from Doha).

The first thing you need to do is (before you even fly) ... Make list of TWO things
1) Goods With You
2) Goods Following You

You will be asked about the total cost of things in your bags ... and the list and cost of goods you will bring later.

In plane, you will find a Declaration Card in front of your seat pocket. You need to fill it with details of yourself and family members. If you have more than 4 family members, put remaining on next card. You are suppose to leave PART B & C blank. Immigration Officer will do that for you. You must declare how much currency + Gold value you are bringing. Also try to bring as much cash as you can (instead of Bank Draft). As long as you declare, it's fine.

Once I arrived at Montreal Airport, I simply followed "Arrivals / Arrivées" signs. Later on, I reached immigration hall (you come down the stairs to your left and there are lanes and immigration officers' desks), and found TWO lanes. Choose VISITORS lane going on the left side (don't go to CANADIAN RESIDENTS lane as line is very long and moving slowly.)

Once I reached Immigration desk (took us 45 minutes to reach desk), Officer asked for Passports, Declaration Cards and CoPR's. Your Declaration card will have "IMM" written by immigration official on duration of stay. We were then asked to collect our Luggage and proceed to the Exit/Customs. Over there, another officer collected our Declaration Cards and asked us to go to the left side (towards Secondary Inspection) way. While standing in queue, a lady officer asked us if we were new immigrants and asked for Passports, CoPR and CSQ. Once she collected all of these, we were told to park our luggage to one side of the room and have a seat. After around 1 hour, a different officer came back with our documents (Date Stamped and Signed) and told us that we are Permanent Residents now. She also asked us to follow 2/5 years rule or risk losing PR. Do give her list of Goods you are bringing and list of goods which are going to follow (have two copies, one copy will be retained and another copy will be stamped and returned back to you). You must know an estimated value of goods in Canadian Dollars. We were then asked to go to the Quebec's Office (located at the far right side of the hall ... you will see Quebec's flag). Take a number outside the door and wait for your turn (only take number if it's busy... otherwise go straight in), Quebec immigration representative welcomed us and provided us with various flyers and brochures. She also booked an appointment for our medicals. (she will ask for a phone number and address). We then took our luggage and followed EXIT / SORTIE signs. My flight arrived at 2:30pm and came out of Airport at 5:30pm (I also saw one officer who make appearances in TV series Border Security : Canada's Frontline)


We actually had 15 bags and it is NOT advisable to take metro and bus train in such circumstances and cost is $10/daypass/each. I later on found out about Private Taxi Cabs and asked for a van. Charges were just around 15 Dollars from nearest Metro station from Airport to Downtown.
Next day, I went to Service Canada office in Montreal Downtown. Make sure you go at 8am and you will be the first one to serve. Otherwise, you may have to wait for 1 hour or more. At information desk, receptionist will register your name and ask you to wait in area behind her desk. Once you are called, all family members must go together, however, only two at a time will be served accordingly. I was asked to read some Data Protection thing and say “I understand”. Then, I was asked for Passports and CoPR. After a while, we were issued SIN's on Paper and were told to protect this number and do not share it. No cards are issued now and memorizing this number is the best way to protect it and this will always remain the same.
Then, we came out of Service Canada Office and went straight to Bank of Montreal (BMO) branch ... right across the street. Do not be surprised by the high influence of Chinese people. Without SIN, banks will not open bank account. It took us two hours to open bank accounts and get out debit cards. (yes, you will get your debit card and account same date).
Then, we went to get mobile phone connections. Mobile Internet is DAMN expensive over here. We went to Rogers and Bell. If you have a Canadian Credit Card, it would be easy to get monthly lines with phones, otherwise you will have to deposit $200 per handset. If you bring your own phone, difference is only of $10/month. Even if you have Canadian Credit Card, if you take 3 handsets or more, deposit is necessary (some cellular company rules). $200 deposit will be returned back after 6 successful and timely bill payments.

I'll also share some more things later on.

Congrats and thank you for the detailed explanation. We really appreciate it!!

I have been asked to submit my passport now, so see you soon in Montreal