Thread For applications Through SYDNEY (AUSTRALIA) Office

[Sweden]

Congratulations Canstralian/Oznadian!

I got the PPR email today. It was just two hours after I got a reply to an email saying they could not confirm if they had received the additional police checks they requested.

I am trying to work out the best way to have the COPR sent to Canada. Does anyone have any tips? I think we may just go to the UPS store and get them to help us.

If they only need to send the COPR to you, they usually send by normal post. No need to do anything else. You only need to make sure that your mailing address on ecas is updated to your canadian address, and it should be good.

Is your husband in Canada with you? If so, then you want the CoPR sent to your Canadian address. If he's not, then you want the CoPR to go to whatever you have listed as your mailing address. I'm pretty sure that the CoPR itself will have your Canadian address on it so they can send the PR card there once your husband lands. I hope this makes sense.

THe PR card is sent to whichever address you indicate when you land. So if you want the PR card to be sent to a different address, just bring the address with you when you land, the officer will ask for it, and the PR card gets there about 50 days later ( the time varies you can check on CIC website - and it's usually pretty accurate).

Sweden

 

[crassy]

THe PR card is sent to whichever address you indicate when you land.

Sweden

That is all I needed to know, thanks!

 

[Robhi]

Finally got some activity guys - we got an email saying we are in the final stages along with a request for our passport copies just today! As expected, ECAS still says "Application Received" --> so much for me checking it every day for the past 7 months with no change!

A few questions:

1) From other people's posts on this forum, I realize the passport copies can be scanned and emailed back to the address that the email came from (re-sydney.immigration@international.gc.ca). But it doesn't say this in the form anywhere. So I was thinking the best thing would be to mail the copies along with the forms by courier. What has your experience been -- does email do the trick?
2) I've been hearing a lot of people saying they wish they had gone for the return courier service as opposed to regular mail. Did anyone here go for the return courier service? I've never setup an account with Fedex/UPS/DHL, but according to the letter we received, that seems to be the only way to arrange return service. How much of a time savings is incurred by using courier vs. regular mail?
3) Which courier service would be recommended for this stuff -- Fedex, UPS, DHL? I've never heard of TNT but that was the other one they cited. Any anecdotes on positive/negative experiences with any of the above compaines or advice would be appreciated.
4) Landing -- once we receive our COPR, we can land with this document, yes? We live in Toronto and were planning to do this by driving to Buffalo/Niagara and driving back in.
5) OHIP and SIN, and driver's license -- I read in one of the previous messages that the process of applying for these can begin now, even without the actual PR card. So is it sufficient to show the Service Ontario office the email we received to get these applications started? Or do we need to get the COPR first?
6) Any other tips?

Thanks guys...so happy!
Robhi

PS: Spreadsheet has been updated!

 

[thedreadedpiper]

Yay!! Congrats Robhi! ;D ;D

 

[2313]

Hello Robhi

We got our email and I just sent the pictures and form via regular post airmail. The post office said we could send it by fedex etc but that would cost us over 100 one way so we opted to send airmail at 22.00 (we're in canada) for CIC in sydney to receive, process and send back via airmail it took about 15 business days! we just received the package back today and will have to make a trip to the border soon.

 

[freezing_aussie]

Just checking in to update - We received the COPR last week and I landed today in BC. Yippee! Even though we paid for a courier there and back it still took a long time from the time everything arrived in Sydney. About 3 weeks I believe.

To answer some of Robhi's queries:

As I mentioned before, I wouldn't have organized a courier if timing wasn't so crucial around our travel dates. I went with UPS simply because it was the easiest to deal with. I first tried FedEx but the required the setting up of a business account which also required a Canadian credit card which I don't have. Aargh!

I only emailed the passport pages. I thought about sending in a hard copy with the ID photos, but I didn't do it. I thought it might confuse the issue an they may waste time comparing the 2 versions.

Yes, you land with the COPR document and your passport. After going through some questions confirming what is on the document, they will sign it, you will sign it, and they will attach one copy to your passport. You keep this there until the PR card arrives in the mail.

Don't forget to fill out and bring the goods to follow form (B4) x 2 copies. I almost forgot this. This needs to also be signed and stamped during the landing process.

 

[Canstralian/Oznadian]

Congrats Robhi and welcome to Canada freezing aussie!!

Robhi, like freezing aussie we emailed the passport back and mailed the pics in. We sent the photos express post and they arrived on the same day the courier said it would. We just had them send it back regular post and it took 13 days to get to us after being issued. It was 3 weeks from PPR to visa issued for us.

Not sure about OHIP or driver's license in Ontario. My husband has had Alberta Health Care for months now, but can't apply for his driver's license until he lands. My understanding about the SIN is that you can walk in with your COPR and receive your number there and then.

 

[bluemolly]

Hi all,

I am currently compiling an email to immigration with A PDF of my passport, Appendix B and copies of receipts for UPS shipping. Does anyone know what the maximum size of the email should be? I have reduced the passport to 3mb is that too big?

 

[Robhi]

Thanks everyone! Great to have your support and to finally see the light at the end of the tunnel.

So after reading over all of your tips and previous messages in this forum, I noticed some people (e.g. Matthew_Fitzy) got their docs by sending everything as a PDF, no mailing whatsoever, while others sent their docs by Fedex, and still others sent only photos + Appendix B by Fedex but the passport as a PDF. With all of these different ways of sending things all being successful, we decided to play it safe and send everything (i.e. Appendix B + Passport Copy) by email as a soft copy as well as by Fedex in hard copy. I should point out that we weren't asked for new photos, which obviously would necessitate Fedex or some other courier service. We setup a personal (not business) Fedex account online, and filled out two waybills, one with the recipient being the Consulate General of Canada in Sydney and the sender being us, and the second one (return waybill) with the recipient and sender switched. We also included a return envelope inside the Fedex Envelope. The one-way Fedex charge was $63+tax. I assume the return envelope will be the same charge. I realize sending everything as electronic + hardcopy is somewhat redundant, but this way we cover all of our bases in case one of the methods didn't work for us. We just want our PR as fast as possible because the wait has been so long and we'd like to get several other things in place like OHIP, SIN, and Driver's license.

On that note, it turns out OHIP and Driver's License are both handled by Service Ontario and all I'd have to do is bring in her COPR to start the process. The driver's license may require that she surrender her Australian driver's license. I still have to look into this. The SIN, however, is handled by Service Canada -- as, Canstralian/Oznadian says, the COPR will allow us to get this started.

Also, e-CAS is now saying "In Process", albeit after receiving the PPR email. Better late than never, I guess, eh?

Congrats Robhi and welcome to Canada freezing aussie!!

Robhi, like freezing aussie we emailed the passport back and mailed the pics in. We sent the photos express post and they arrived on the same day the courier said it would. We just had them send it back regular post and it took 13 days to get to us after being issued. It was 3 weeks from PPR to visa issued for us.

Not sure about OHIP or driver's license in Ontario. My husband has had Alberta Health Care for months now, but can't apply for his driver's license until he lands. My understanding about the SIN is that you can walk in with your COPR and receive your number there and then.

 

[freezing_aussie]

I received provincial health care from the moment we paid for the PR application. That was all at was required in Nova Scotia.

 

[nzandcanada]

Congrats Robhi!!
Thanks for posting these questions. Its great info for the rest of us who are also eagerly awaiting the good word from Sydney to be prepared for next steps.

I just visited my partner in NZ for two weeks. Its been over 3 months since we've seen each other. He comes here next in August for my bro's wedding... REALLY hoping to have everything ready for him to land by then!!

 

[nzandcanada]

Hi nzandcanada,

I would say don't send it until they ask for it. The reason I say this is that you don't have to send the entire thing with your application. I think they will ask you for it again at the end of the process as they may want to know where else your partner has travelled during processing, therefore they would want a most recent copy of it. Just my thoughts though.

Thanks for your reply! Yes I'm leaning the way of waiting until they ask. It just seems to make sense not to give them any extra info that might delay processing.

 

[coldwater]

Just a quick question guys...

Does the Sydney Office notify you by sending you a letter once the application is "In Process"

Thanks!

 

[Canstralian/Oznadian]

Just a quick question guys...

Does the Sydney Office notify you by sending you a letter once the application is "In Process"

Thanks!

Nope! One day you'll be checking ecas, and it will say "In Process"

 

[canada29]

sydney office will be really fast in processing .. my file was processed through sydney - they only took about a week or so.. ;D :-X