To PR or not to PR. That is the Question.

[RR81]

I am up in the air on wether or not it is worth the money and time investment to apply for PR under CEC. It is completely feasible, just not sure if it is a good investment. I welcome any input, positive and negative.

My CL Spouse and I are US Citizens (Born in USA)
We have work permits (NAFTA) through 2015 and can renew under the current rules, forever.

We have lived in Vancouver, BC for 2 years now and satisfy the CEC (Experience Class) requirements.
We have considered the possibility of applying for PR, but we don't see the point considering the hoops and cost.

$550 x 2 - Applications
$490 x 2 - Right to PR
$70 x 2 - Finger printing & FBI Reports
$185 USD or (285 CAD) x 2 - IELTS Exam for to prove we speak our native language
$130 x 2 - Medical Exams
$100 x 1 - (Australian and Singaporean Police Checks as I lived here for prior jobs)

So it would cost us $3000+ for the two of us to obtain PR in Canada.

If we wanted citizenship, add ~$500 more after 2 years, post PR.

I am curious if anyone has any advice on why we should or should not go down this path. To be honest the paperwork was easy (I completed it over the weekend).

Other than the cost of this process the only road block is the IELTS (scheduling and cost) and overall usefulness of even doing all of this. What I find offensive/frustrating is the fact I graduated from a USA High School and University, and I have to prove I speak english, $185 in USA or $285 in Canada.

Currently we pay $150x2 for 3 years of our NAFTA work permit. PR works out to $1500x2 for 5 years. 10x the cost.

So if we say we want to stay here for 10 years (just a guess, no significant plans)
$50 a year for Work permit @ 10 years
$150 a year for PR @ 10 years

Any advice or similar situations?
What would be the benefit to going through all this, considering the above.

 

[SenoritaBella]

The decision to immigrate to another country is a personal choice. Here's a few points I thought of:
permanent resident status:
1. no more work permits ever
2. provincial insurance coverage valid for 5yrs at a time
3. can apply for welfare/social assistance benefits if needed
4. can live and work anywhere(except high clearance jobs), but possible with citizenship
5. eligible for canadian citizenship after living in Canada for at least three of the four years preceding the date of application
6. children go to public school for free(if they have PR status or canadian citizenship)
7. eligible for gov't student loans if needed
8. university tuition at local student rate, no differential fees
9. study permits not required for school

Work permit:
1. renewals required to avoid falling out of status, fees may increase
2. conditions for eligibility may change
3. provincial insurance card renewed more frequently
4. preference given to canadian citizens & permanent residents in the job market
5. not eligible for social assistance/welfare
6. not eligible for gov't student loans
7. differential fees for foreign students
8. medical exams may be required for some jobs
9. in case of labor dispute/laying off employees, foreign workers will be let go first before canadian citizens & permanent residents

Just a few things I could think of.

There's no way around the IELTS test and having written it, I can tell you that it's pretty easy to fail it if you don't practice. Things like spelling errors, not obeying intruuctions, etc can all contribute.

 

[RR81]

Thanks for your help SraBella.

I am so conflicted about this, and it all comes down to finances. (I don't see why the IELTS is $100 less if I take it in USA)

Correct me if I am wrong I think I could take the IELTS without preparation, not bragging, but I write docs for work all day and converse in English 100% of the day, I am not too concerned. My NOC is Type B, so I don't need to score all that high.

Is PR renewable if I leave Canada down the road? Say I move in 5 years, will I be able to renew my PR if I am not living in Canada?

 

[SenoritaBella]

Yes, you can renew the pr card provided you show that you have spent 730 days in canada in the 5 yr period preceeding your application for renewal. In 5 yrs, you may be eligible for canadian citienship and will not need to renew the card anymore.

 

[calgarylady]

Thanks for your help SraBella.

I am so conflicted about this, and it all comes down to finances. (I don't see why the IELTS is $100 less if I take it in USA)

Correct me if I am wrong I think I could take the IELTS without preparation, not bragging, but I write docs for work all day and converse in English 100% of the day, I am not too concerned. My NOC is Type B, so I don't need to score all that high.

Is PR renewable if I leave Canada down the road? Say I move in 5 years, will I be able to renew my PR if I am not living in Canada?

Regarding the IELTS, it is not about knowing the language, its is very easy to pass it as it is to fail it, you just need to practice once to understand the instructions, otherwise, ull waste time during the exam trying to understand what needs to be done rather than answering the questions (I did the practice exam one time, made sure i understood the questions before the exam and i scored 8.0) 'English is my 2nd language', so u should be fine, and i believe there is an option to submit some sort of documentation to prove you speak the language if u decided nt to do the IELTS...

Regarding the decision (To Apply or not To Apply), Finances shouldnt be in the equation, to give urself & ur family an option is priceless, u don’t know what the future holds, so if u have the opportunity to secure urself a second option, then u should go for it ....and u dont have to apply to Citizenship, u can remain as a PR if u wish

 

[SenoritaBella]

As of June 2010, CIC only accepts language test results. http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/backgrounders/2010/2010-06-26a.asp