Singaporean applicants under FSW
- Thread starter tran
- Start date
lovebug,
CONGRATS!!!!
I also applied sent my full application to Singapore and today they requested me for Medical Test and Right of Permanent Fees. Cud u answer my following questions:
1. Did they inquired about ur jobs or other details after asking for Medical n RPRF?
2. How long did they take to ask for Passport after sending them Medical Test n RPRF?
Please answer my questions...
CONGRATS!!!!
I also applied sent my full application to Singapore and today they requested me for Medical Test and Right of Permanent Fees. Cud u answer my following questions:
1. Did they inquired about ur jobs or other details after asking for Medical n RPRF?
2. How long did they take to ask for Passport after sending them Medical Test n RPRF?
Please answer my questions...
Hi Tran,
I just sent my whole package with reference letters, bank statements and all the required in Appendix A of the Visa office requirements, however, i couldnt get some reference letters from employers because they closed down or have reshuffled staff or those with more than 5 yrs do not have past employee records. Was wondering if that matters and will affect the process?
Anyhow, whats the next step or stage? do i just wait for the medicals and letters for getting police reports?
I just sent my whole package with reference letters, bank statements and all the required in Appendix A of the Visa office requirements, however, i couldnt get some reference letters from employers because they closed down or have reshuffled staff or those with more than 5 yrs do not have past employee records. Was wondering if that matters and will affect the process?
Anyhow, whats the next step or stage? do i just wait for the medicals and letters for getting police reports?
Hi Guys!
Just landed in Toronto today. A little jet lagged and can't sleep, having to wait in Seoul for 15 hours for a transit plays a big factor in that. Just thought I'd share my landing experience.
I presented my COPR and passport and the customs declaration form to the customs official, he directed me to a separate immigration queue. There was no line there and I got through really fast. I was told that I would receive my PR card in 6-8 weeks. From what I've read in these forums it'll probably take closer to 8 weeks, especially with the Christmas holidays coming up. They stapled a copy of my completed COPR in my passport and told me to keep it in there until I've received my PR card.
After I was done with immigration, some people at the end of the queue handed me tons of leaflets, including forms on how to get my SIN card and health insurance card, as well as other info about settling in Canada. And a free bright red recyclable grocery bag =)
I didn't have any Goods to Follow (stuff you shipped before landing), so that sped things up a bit. If you have Goods to Follow, you will need to fill up a separate form. They will be tax exempt. FYI, if you send your Goods to Follow through courier or by mail, you cannot get those goods Tax Exempt and the courier/Canada Post will charge you taxes on the value of goods upon delivery. The only way is to find a moving/relocation company that will help you handle the Tax Exempt paperwork. When my parents moved over 2 years ago they paid for a small container (S$1200+) to ship their furniture, piano, etc. and took about 3 months to arrive. If anyone needs to know anything about the relocation company I can ask my parents for the name. They saw me with only 2 suitcases so I didn't even have to declare "Goods Accompanying".
The immigration officer asked me about what kind of line I was in, etc. and the reason for coming to Canada. And he asked why I was coming alone, I guess most immigrants would come with at least their family or spouse. I told them the rest of my family was already in Canada and I just wanted to join them.
Other than that the landing process was pretty fast. I'm happy to see my parents again. It was 11 degrees C in Toronto when I landed and I was disappointed it wasn't colder, afterall I came to Canada to escape from the sweltering heat in Singapore.
It's friday night here so I'll be applying for my Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Health Insurance card on Monday. Just FYI for people who land, you do not qualify for health insurance until after 3 months of residence, so you might want to buy some private insurance coverage to cover that gap in the meantime, especially if you and your family are prone to illness.
Just landed in Toronto today. A little jet lagged and can't sleep, having to wait in Seoul for 15 hours for a transit plays a big factor in that. Just thought I'd share my landing experience.
I presented my COPR and passport and the customs declaration form to the customs official, he directed me to a separate immigration queue. There was no line there and I got through really fast. I was told that I would receive my PR card in 6-8 weeks. From what I've read in these forums it'll probably take closer to 8 weeks, especially with the Christmas holidays coming up. They stapled a copy of my completed COPR in my passport and told me to keep it in there until I've received my PR card.
After I was done with immigration, some people at the end of the queue handed me tons of leaflets, including forms on how to get my SIN card and health insurance card, as well as other info about settling in Canada. And a free bright red recyclable grocery bag =)
I didn't have any Goods to Follow (stuff you shipped before landing), so that sped things up a bit. If you have Goods to Follow, you will need to fill up a separate form. They will be tax exempt. FYI, if you send your Goods to Follow through courier or by mail, you cannot get those goods Tax Exempt and the courier/Canada Post will charge you taxes on the value of goods upon delivery. The only way is to find a moving/relocation company that will help you handle the Tax Exempt paperwork. When my parents moved over 2 years ago they paid for a small container (S$1200+) to ship their furniture, piano, etc. and took about 3 months to arrive. If anyone needs to know anything about the relocation company I can ask my parents for the name. They saw me with only 2 suitcases so I didn't even have to declare "Goods Accompanying".
The immigration officer asked me about what kind of line I was in, etc. and the reason for coming to Canada. And he asked why I was coming alone, I guess most immigrants would come with at least their family or spouse. I told them the rest of my family was already in Canada and I just wanted to join them.
Other than that the landing process was pretty fast. I'm happy to see my parents again. It was 11 degrees C in Toronto when I landed and I was disappointed it wasn't colder, afterall I came to Canada to escape from the sweltering heat in Singapore.
It's friday night here so I'll be applying for my Social Insurance Number (SIN) and Health Insurance card on Monday. Just FYI for people who land, you do not qualify for health insurance until after 3 months of residence, so you might want to buy some private insurance coverage to cover that gap in the meantime, especially if you and your family are prone to illness.
If you don't have employers letters, sending in your tax statements or paystubs would work as well. I'm pretty sure my work record was incomplete and I didn't have paystubs for every single month nor letter from every employer and still got it done. As long as you have something to show that you worked for XXX employer during XXX period.abelkwh said:Hi Tran,
I just sent my whole package with reference letters, bank statements and all the required in Appendix A of the Visa office requirements, however, i couldnt get some reference letters from employers because they closed down or have reshuffled staff or those with more than 5 yrs do not have past employee records. Was wondering if that matters and will affect the process?
Anyhow, whats the next step or stage? do i just wait for the medicals and letters for getting police reports?
You don't need to get stuff notarized either, especially if you have too many documents. I think the notary at the courts charge $10 per page for notarization and I had over 100+ pages of pay stubs and tax statements. As long as you have the originals on hand in case they call you in for an interview.
Hi Mediajunkie,
Thanks for taking the time and effort to share
with us about your landing experience. I'm sure
it's useful for those who intend to land in Toronto.
It looks like the property prices in Toronto are
similar to Vancouver; sky high. Are the suburbs
of Toronto any cheaper?
Thanks for taking the time and effort to share
with us about your landing experience. I'm sure
it's useful for those who intend to land in Toronto.
It looks like the property prices in Toronto are
similar to Vancouver; sky high. Are the suburbs
of Toronto any cheaper?
If you are looking at downtown Toronto, I think the prices would be very similar to Vancouver. My parents just purchased a one-bedroom condo there for investment for CA$250,000. They are hoping to resell it for about $350K after collecting some rent income for a few years. It is brand new but won't be built until 2012, so obviously it's a long-term investment. You cannot expect the prices in Canada to skyrocket like Singapore because all they have is space down here. And you also have to remember to factor in the 7% realtor's commission, sales tax, and property tax into it as well.
The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) consists of over 50+ suburbs. There are suburbs that are directly adjacent to downtown Toronto, such as Markham, Richmond Hill, and Missisuagua (6th largest city in Canada, despite being part of the GTA). The prices in these areas are also pretty high, approximately $300k for a 2-bedroom condo to about $400-500k for a townhouse or a semi, and $600-800k for a standalone house. These suburbs are very crowded and very few new landed properties are being built, unless you want to buy resale. Needless to say, these are also very highly-Cantonese populated suburbs because the Chinese like to cluster. There are some condos that are still being built though, but they tend to be very small and not have more than 2 bedrooms, so if you have at least 2 kids you might not want to live in a condo. Most condos also tend to only provide 1 parking lot, so if you are a 2-car family it will be a problem.
The further out of the GTA you go, the cheaper it is. My parents settled in Brampton, which is about 35 minutes from downtown Toronto and their brand-new 4-bedroom, 3000 sq. ft. house cost $350k, about $400k including all the expenses. They paid a bit more because it was a corner house with a big garden. The semi-D across the street cost about $250k.
When my parents first landed in 2005, they purchased a 2-bedroom condo in Mississauga for $280k. Their intention was to settle in it when they made the move in 2007, but it wasn't built until 2008. They take 4-5 years to build up projects here because they can't do much work during the winters. It was in a good location, right next to highway exit, adjacent to train station, and next to a big shopping mall. However they decided that it was too small and are currently renting it out for $1800 a month which basically covers the mortgage and they intend to sell it when the lease expires. They tried looking for houses in the Mississauga and Markham areas too but all they could find were resale houses and none of them seemed to be in good shape.
All in all, the housing is definitely more affordable than Singapore and the price you pay for a condo in Singapore you can buy 2-3 condos here depending on price or location. But do not expect the property prices to double like in Singapore, you'll be lucky to get 20% above what you paid after 5 years. If you do not intend to resell or resettle for a while, buy a place in a new estate. The price will increase when amenities such as schools or strip malls and community centers and parks get built. The price of my parents' property jumped 10% when a middle-school was built right in their estate. The further outside the city you go, the cheaper it will be. When I get a job and get settled I'll probably move out and get a one-bedroom or a studio (the smaller it is, the less I have to clean) in a downtown area (not necessarily Toronto, i'm open to moving anywhere).
Can't sleep 'cos I'm worried about getting a job here. I'll probably flip burgers for a while until something in my field comes along. Big step down but I guess all immigrants must start somewhere.
The GTA (Greater Toronto Area) consists of over 50+ suburbs. There are suburbs that are directly adjacent to downtown Toronto, such as Markham, Richmond Hill, and Missisuagua (6th largest city in Canada, despite being part of the GTA). The prices in these areas are also pretty high, approximately $300k for a 2-bedroom condo to about $400-500k for a townhouse or a semi, and $600-800k for a standalone house. These suburbs are very crowded and very few new landed properties are being built, unless you want to buy resale. Needless to say, these are also very highly-Cantonese populated suburbs because the Chinese like to cluster. There are some condos that are still being built though, but they tend to be very small and not have more than 2 bedrooms, so if you have at least 2 kids you might not want to live in a condo. Most condos also tend to only provide 1 parking lot, so if you are a 2-car family it will be a problem.
The further out of the GTA you go, the cheaper it is. My parents settled in Brampton, which is about 35 minutes from downtown Toronto and their brand-new 4-bedroom, 3000 sq. ft. house cost $350k, about $400k including all the expenses. They paid a bit more because it was a corner house with a big garden. The semi-D across the street cost about $250k.
When my parents first landed in 2005, they purchased a 2-bedroom condo in Mississauga for $280k. Their intention was to settle in it when they made the move in 2007, but it wasn't built until 2008. They take 4-5 years to build up projects here because they can't do much work during the winters. It was in a good location, right next to highway exit, adjacent to train station, and next to a big shopping mall. However they decided that it was too small and are currently renting it out for $1800 a month which basically covers the mortgage and they intend to sell it when the lease expires. They tried looking for houses in the Mississauga and Markham areas too but all they could find were resale houses and none of them seemed to be in good shape.
All in all, the housing is definitely more affordable than Singapore and the price you pay for a condo in Singapore you can buy 2-3 condos here depending on price or location. But do not expect the property prices to double like in Singapore, you'll be lucky to get 20% above what you paid after 5 years. If you do not intend to resell or resettle for a while, buy a place in a new estate. The price will increase when amenities such as schools or strip malls and community centers and parks get built. The price of my parents' property jumped 10% when a middle-school was built right in their estate. The further outside the city you go, the cheaper it will be. When I get a job and get settled I'll probably move out and get a one-bedroom or a studio (the smaller it is, the less I have to clean) in a downtown area (not necessarily Toronto, i'm open to moving anywhere).
Can't sleep 'cos I'm worried about getting a job here. I'll probably flip burgers for a while until something in my field comes along. Big step down but I guess all immigrants must start somewhere.
Hi mediajunkie,
Thanks for your comprehensive post on GTA property. I hope you have recovered
from your jet lag. Brampton sounds like a good city; near to Toronto's Pearson
Intl. airport, and not too far away from downtown Toronto.
One peculiar thing about resale houses in Canada is that most of them are quite
old; some even built during WWI, and still standing - it's amazing. Is it expensive
to build a new house?
Is Canada's Technology Triangle(Waterloo, Kitchener & Cambridge)a good area?
It's about 100km west of Toronto. GTA is one of my options for my first landing;
the other two are Calgary and Vancouver.
Thanks for your comprehensive post on GTA property. I hope you have recovered
from your jet lag. Brampton sounds like a good city; near to Toronto's Pearson
Intl. airport, and not too far away from downtown Toronto.
One peculiar thing about resale houses in Canada is that most of them are quite
old; some even built during WWI, and still standing - it's amazing. Is it expensive
to build a new house?
Is Canada's Technology Triangle(Waterloo, Kitchener & Cambridge)a good area?
It's about 100km west of Toronto. GTA is one of my options for my first landing;
the other two are Calgary and Vancouver.
Waterloo/Kitcherner/Cambridge area is okay, but if you plan on traveling by plane a lot it's quite inconvenient. Imagine having to drive for about an hour after getting off 20+ hours of flying. There is a small regional airport in that area too but I don't think many people use it, they would just rather drive from Toronto Pearson Airport since waiting for a transit plane would take 2-3 hours as opposed to driving just 1.
It is definitely more costly to build a house, the house itself doesn't cost too much, but hiring the architects, builders, etc. does. and it may take 3-4 years to build because there are probably only 6 good construction months out of the year. You pay for the land more than the house really. I had to go through the whole tour with my parents while they were house hunting and from what I've seen most people don't try to build houses on their own unless they own their own farmland.
Personally I think it's easier to get a job in the GTA just because of the sheer size and population on the area. But since you've lived in Calgary before you might be more familiar with the place and have friends there. Calgary is definitely the booming town in Canada right now.
It is definitely more costly to build a house, the house itself doesn't cost too much, but hiring the architects, builders, etc. does. and it may take 3-4 years to build because there are probably only 6 good construction months out of the year. You pay for the land more than the house really. I had to go through the whole tour with my parents while they were house hunting and from what I've seen most people don't try to build houses on their own unless they own their own farmland.
Personally I think it's easier to get a job in the GTA just because of the sheer size and population on the area. But since you've lived in Calgary before you might be more familiar with the place and have friends there. Calgary is definitely the booming town in Canada right now.
Hi Tran & Mediajunkie
Tran, i was not exempted from ILETS, so i took it and had my full 16 pts for english language proficiency cause all my sections were more than 8, so that should not be a problem.
Mediajunkie, it was really insightful on yr settling down in Toronto, really glad that u r there now, at least the weather is much much better than in Singapore, i was back last week for 3 days and i really cant stand the sweat and stickyness there! At least, its better for me cause i am in Shanghai and its cold here now.
Really glad to get to understand so much abt the property mkt in GTA.
Thanks again for the insightful thoughts and info.
Tran, i was not exempted from ILETS, so i took it and had my full 16 pts for english language proficiency cause all my sections were more than 8, so that should not be a problem.
Mediajunkie, it was really insightful on yr settling down in Toronto, really glad that u r there now, at least the weather is much much better than in Singapore, i was back last week for 3 days and i really cant stand the sweat and stickyness there! At least, its better for me cause i am in Shanghai and its cold here now.
Really glad to get to understand so much abt the property mkt in GTA.
Thanks again for the insightful thoughts and info.
Hi Media junkie
I used to live in Calgary but that was many years back when i was doing my undergrad, Calgary is indeed booming now but as i heard from a friend of mine, the major industry that is really driving Calgary is the commodities and oil industry. So perhaps if u are considering these, u can then try it out, or u want to teach at community colleges there, there are a couple of them there for u to try.
Calgary is really cold in winter, its really not a joke! I had to endure minus 20 to 50 degrees when i was there for that couple of years and even though i like cold places, its too much of the cold with that kind of temperature! So just get ready if u really want to go to Calgary!
I used to live in Calgary but that was many years back when i was doing my undergrad, Calgary is indeed booming now but as i heard from a friend of mine, the major industry that is really driving Calgary is the commodities and oil industry. So perhaps if u are considering these, u can then try it out, or u want to teach at community colleges there, there are a couple of them there for u to try.
Calgary is really cold in winter, its really not a joke! I had to endure minus 20 to 50 degrees when i was there for that couple of years and even though i like cold places, its too much of the cold with that kind of temperature! So just get ready if u really want to go to Calgary!
Got my Social Insurance Number earlier this week. The line was long because it is also the same place that people file for unemployment. But basically I got my SIN immediately and was told I would get my actual card in 3 working days. Will be trying to get my Ontario health insurance sometime next week because the place I went to only dealt with drivers' licenses even though they indicated they did health insurance online.
Still looking for work in the Toronto area for now since I can stay with my parents and not have to pay rent or cook meals for a couple of years. I'm actually trying to figure out what to do in life right now. I don't really want to go back to teaching but at the same time the jobs out there are scarce and I can't be choosy. I don't mind the cold in Calgary actually, maybe there'll be lots of snow days so there's an excuse from work haha.
Still looking for work in the Toronto area for now since I can stay with my parents and not have to pay rent or cook meals for a couple of years. I'm actually trying to figure out what to do in life right now. I don't really want to go back to teaching but at the same time the jobs out there are scarce and I can't be choosy. I don't mind the cold in Calgary actually, maybe there'll be lots of snow days so there's an excuse from work haha.