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Aquakitty said:
This is good advice, but OP should take in their AOR email to prove it's been sent since they don't have SA yet.

For sure bring a copy of your AOR, I always bring copies of everything just in case, I keep it all in a file bag and just grab that whenever I am crossing. Of course I cross a bit more than most as I'm living in Windsor so now that I have VR we cross into Detroit to do grocery shopping and visit friends.
 
I just replied to you on my thread but I'm writing here too in case you do not check the comment on my thread.
I'm Canadian and my husband is American. We got married 2 years ago and lived in the US following marriage. In September, we came to Canada and we're staying here. I will sponsor my husband as soon as my proof of citizenship comes in mail because I lost it (who knows when that's gonna be, it's been 3 months. sigh!). Anyway, we both had return tickets but at the airport, they didn't ask us when are we going back to the US or how long we're going to stay or purpose of the trip. No questions at all.
Hopefully that's the case with you too. If they don't ask, you don't have to say anything :)
 
canusa13 said:
I just replied to you on my thread but I'm writing here too in case you do not check the comment on my thread.
I'm Canadian and my husband is American. We got married 2 years ago and lived in the US following marriage. In September, we came to Canada and we're staying here. I will sponsor my husband as soon as my proof of citizenship comes in mail because I lost it (who knows when that's gonna be, it's been 3 months. sigh!). Anyway, we both had return tickets but at the airport, they didn't ask us when are we going back to the US or how long we're going to stay or purpose of the trip. No questions at all.
Hopefully that's the case with you too. If they don't ask, you don't have to say anything :)

You must have a passport since you went through the airport, so I'm pretty sure proof of citizenship isn't necessary. I just sent in my birth certificate and passport photocopies. I think you really only need one or the other.
 
Aquakitty said:
They do have the exchange in BC, (he doesn't need a driver's record because he's had his US license for more than 2 years and it shows on the licence) but for some godforsaken reason they would not give him his picture license without the PR card.

Maybe the woman was just confused but she was adamant.

He just has to go in and show his PR card now. It was pretty stupid though, he had to give up his California license for an interim licence, a piece of paper good for 2 months.

This is good advice, but OP should take in their AOR email to prove it's been sent since they don't have SA yet.

Pardon my French, but you probably just ran into another incompetent idiot working for the government of Canada. We have experienced this many times and the most recent one was just a few days ago when they refused us a health card. Basically, they did not know what COPR is, and were not even aware that you have to be a PR to get a Health Card! All the required information was presented (ON driver's license, COPR, Passports, Mail) to which they said - we can ask for any additional info that we can think of! In that case for some reason they wanted my utility bills(which are paperless and they should have been in my wife's name?!)

Long story short, we went to a main downtown Ontario Service location right after and got a health card in about 15 minutes, with no 3 month wait time! (since she has been living here)
I took names of those two rude ladies who refused to do their job, and there will be a very nice registered letter with the hole story coming to their bosses soon...
An eye for an eye right ? ;D (and no it doesn't make the whole world blind, it makes them think next time)
 
o6ocpaka said:
Pardon my French, but you probably just ran into another incompetent idiot working for the government of Canada. We have experienced this many times and the most recent one was just a few days ago when they refused us a health card. Basically, they did not know what COPR is, and were not even aware that you have to be a PR to get a Health Card! All the required information was presented (ON driver's license, COPR, Passports, Mail) to which they said - we can ask for any additional info that we can think of! In that case for some reason they wanted my utility bills(which are paperless and they should have been in my wife's name?!)

Long story short, we went to a main downtown Ontario Service location right after and got a health card in about 15 minutes, with no 3 month wait time! (since she has been living here)
I took names of those two rude ladies who refused to do their job, and there will be a very nice registered letter with the hole story coming to their bosses soon...
An eye for an eye right ? ;D (and no it doesn't make the whole world blind, it makes them think next time)

Ug, I can relate. My husband was in the driver's license office for over 2 hours just to not get a real license.

To top it off, we thought he's been covered for health care since Oct. 1 which is the end of the waiting period date. So, end of Oct. he went to the doctor and only there they informed him he's not covered - they didn't approve it! So we had to pay.

After 3 hours of phone calls to various places we finally got someone who knew what they were talking about. We found out that the fax they got of his COPR was cut off at the bottom so they denied his coverage without letting us know, no letter, phone call, nothing. He could have been in an accident or had some kind of emergency in that time and we'd have had no idea!
 
o6ocpaka said:
Pardon my French, but you probably just ran into another incompetent idiot working for the government of Canada. We have experienced this many times and the most recent one was just a few days ago when they refused us a health card. Basically, they did not know what COPR is, and were not even aware that you have to be a PR to get a Health Card! All the required information was presented (ON driver's license, COPR, Passports, Mail) to which they said - we can ask for any additional info that we can think of! In that case for some reason they wanted my utility bills(which are paperless and they should have been in my wife's name?!)

Long story short, we went to a main downtown Ontario Service location right after and got a health card in about 15 minutes, with no 3 month wait time! (since she has been living here)
I took names of those two rude ladies who refused to do their job, and there will be a very nice registered letter with the hole story coming to their bosses soon...
An eye for an eye right ? ;D (and no it doesn't make the whole world blind, it makes them think next time)

Oh! I really hope I can also get OHIP right away. I have lived in Ontario since December 2013 and I got my Ontario driver's license in September 2014, so I have proof I've been here. What proof did you use to show she had been living here for more than three months? The driver's license? I made an appeal with OHIP back in April, but it was too soon and CIC hadn't done the eligibility check yet, so I was rejected. I sent another letter to them yesterday asking them to check again since I have DM. But, I know they will take forever. If I could just go to Service Ontario and get OHIP right away, I'll do that instead of waiting. I REALLY need OHIP. I owe $1800 in medical bills already and I have a 4 cm mass on my lung that needs checking out!
 
You should be able to, all they did ask is to show extended stay and some random mail that was sent to her name(on top of required info). Unfortunately they don't follow guidelines. We have waited for an actual PR before attempting, worst case you may need to wait 3 months, but you should get it.
Best of luck.
 
o6ocpaka said:
You should be able to, all they did ask is to show extended stay and some random mail that was sent to her name(on top of required info). Unfortunately they don't follow guidelines. We have waited for an actual PR before attempting, worst case you may need to wait 3 months, but you should get it.
Best of luck.

Oh yes, of course I meant I'd go once I got my COPR (got a little excited and didn't make that clear). I know they won't give it to me now. I really don't want to have to wait the three months, though, since I've basically lived here for 2 years already. :)
 
o6ocpaka said:
You should be able to, all they did ask is to show extended stay and some random mail that was sent to her name(on top of required info). Unfortunately they don't follow guidelines. We have waited for an actual PR before attempting, worst case you may need to wait 3 months, but you should get it.
Best of luck.


Unless they screw up your PR card like they did my husbands, and send the same letter 2x even though you sent faxes the first time which they lost mysteriously, then it might be more like 6 months to get your card :P
 
Hmm, OP, I might do what a couple others suggested and buy a (refundable) return ticket and say he's just visiting. Plans do change :P

And I wish switching over a license was as easy as everyone is saying! I went to get an Ontario one from my Florida license, I passed the eye test and filled out all the paperwork, and at the last minute she checked with a coworker and told me I need a driver's abstract before they can switch it. Which makes no sense because my license was issued over 2 years ago and states so. But I still need to "prove" that I have over 2 years experience, which requires me to snail mail a request to the Florida DMV and wait a couple weeks for the report, so I'm looking at at least another month before I can do the swap. >:[
 
ChellyCat said:
Hmm, OP, I might do what a couple others suggested and buy a (refundable) return ticket and say he's just visiting. Plans do change :P

And I wish switching over a license was as easy as everyone is saying! I went to get an Ontario one from my Florida license, I passed the eye test and filled out all the paperwork, and at the last minute she checked with a coworker and told me I need a driver's abstract before they can switch it. Which makes no sense because my license was issued over 2 years ago and states so. But I still need to "prove" that I have over 2 years experience, which requires me to snail mail a request to the Florida DMV and wait a couple weeks for the report, so I'm looking at at least another month before I can do the swap. >:[

I got lucky with the whole driver's abstract thing. I was able to phone the Arkansas DMV and they sent it to me as an email attachment right away. I then printed it off and took it over to the Drivetest Centre and they accepted it without issue. Problem for me is that I have a car still registered in Arkansas that I can't import until I land and with a foreign driver's license, I keep getting my insurance cancelled on me. :p
 
Panamai said:
I got lucky with the whole driver's abstract thing. I was able to phone the Arkansas DMV and they sent it to me as an email attachment right away. I then printed it off and took it over to the Drivetest Centre and they accepted it without issue. Problem for me is that I have a car still registered in Arkansas that I can't import until I land and with a foreign driver's license, I keep getting my insurance cancelled on me. :p

I asked them about an online copy but they said it has to be an original. Ugh.

I've already imported (minus the final federal inspection), just need to change my license to Ontario before I can get Ontario insurance.