Totally lost and overwhelmed with application

[scylla]

There's no requirement to show funds to support yourself for six months. You're confusing spousal sponsorship with economic immigration.

 

[pricklypunter]

Thanks for the quick reply, that's good news
I was just a little worried. I have been unable to work since this all began and have now completely depleted my funds. I was sure I read it on the CIC website, where they describe the landing process.

 

[pricklypunter]

I have finally received my COPR!!!

My thanks go to everyone for their help/ hand holding thus far

So, we are on the final leg of our journey, all I need to do now is go back to the UK, tie up the last loose ends and come back to go through the official landing procedure. I will be bringing back my personal goods this time, some hobby tools and equipment etc, that I currently have stored in a friends attic. So I have a couple of final questions regarding that...

Can someone confirm that I need the form BSF186 and possibly BSF186A? What did you put for categories, how inclusive can these be? For example, I have some motorcycle clothing/ helmets etc, can these items simply be listed under a general heading of "clothing" or would something like that need to be specifically listed? Any and all pointers are welcome

 

[jmsd2017]

Congrats, I read the whole 4 pages and your adventure sure has been impressive, I wish you all the best in this new beginning.

 

[pricklypunter]

My last update on this. I went back to Scotland for a wee trip to tie up some loose ends, see family and friends etc and came back through Halifax NS airport. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, maybe a wee fanfare, or at least some happy music or something along with a couple of skimpy dressed cheerleaders to do the walk with, not forgetting Justin Trudeau sneaking out a wee side door to shake my hand and welcome me to Canada, or at least photobomb me with the cheerleaders

Of course, that's not what actually happened. Instead I was greeted by a nice young female immigration officer at the desk, who was very pleasant, asked me a couple of questions and got me to sign my COPR paperwork. Afterwards, I asked her if that was me done, and she said yes, welcome to Canada. I then proceeded round the corner to the customs area to hand in my B4(BSF186) form and attached notes for the goods I brought back with me. The young bloke at customs was also very pleasant. He was very obviously relieved when I handed him a full inventory of my goods, priced in $CDN, plus the correct forms all completed as far as I had to. He simply asked me if I could think of anything missing from my lists and if I was sure I did not have goods to follow on, before disappearing into a side office for 5 minutes. He came back and handed me my copy of the forms and said, with a smile, welcome to Canada, oh and your Westjet baggage check is just around the corner, so you can drop your cases there rather than carting them around till your next flight boards.

That was it, I was officially a Scotadian. Although not an unpleasant experience by any means, it just felt like a real anti-climax, considering what it took to get there in the first place. So here's a tip for CIC, if anyone is reading, install a wee button behind the immigration desk that rolls out some music and instigates a wee dance with some cheerleaders or something, so that folks in the future actually feel like it was an achievement getting there rather than a box filling exercise that stole several years of their lives

Anyway, if I had to do it all over again, here's my tips. Fill out your own forms, gather your own evidence and ask lots of questions. Join forums like this one and get help when needed, from those that have already came through the same experience. Something as simple as not feeling like you are alone in the journey, can make all the difference to you when you feel overwhelmed.

Find a good reliable immigration consultant, one that charges you by the hour for real advise and who can look over all your forms and help you correct any silly mistakes or omissions you might have made. Worth every penny just for the peace of mind and takes loads of the stress out of the situation. Be prepared for your visits with any consultant, things like having your questions written down etc, not only saves time, it saves you some money in fees, and helps keep you on track. Be methodical and steadfast in your approach and it will all come right for you.

My last advise would be this, do not ever lie or attempt to hide information on the forms. Be straight up and honest, the worst case is that you have some explaining to do. Remember that whatever you put on your forms, you must be able to provide information on, along with any evidence if required. Even if it is not necessarily something you think they need to know about, tell em anyway, be completely transparent and you won't go far wrong. If you get caught telling porky's on your forms, you may as well forget about any dreams of living in Canada, at least legally anyway.

So a last thanks to all here that helped me along my journey, I'll toast a beer to you when I am allowed out to play

 

[sp121212]

My last update on this. I went back to Scotland for a wee trip to tie up some loose ends, see family and friends etc and came back through Halifax NS airport. I'm not quite sure what I was expecting, maybe a wee fanfare, or at least some happy music or something along with a couple of skimpy dressed cheerleaders to do the walk with, not forgetting Justin Trudeau sneaking out a wee side door to shake my hand and welcome me to Canada, or at least photobomb me with the cheerleaders

Of course, that's not what actually happened. Instead I was greeted by a nice young female immigration officer at the desk, who was very pleasant, asked me a couple of questions and got me to sign my COPR paperwork. Afterwards, I asked her if that was me done, and she said yes, welcome to Canada. I then proceeded round the corner to the customs area to hand in my B4(BSF186) form and attached notes for the goods I brought back with me. The young bloke at customs was also very pleasant. He was very obviously relieved when I handed him a full inventory of my goods, priced in $CDN, plus the correct forms all completed as far as I had to. He simply asked me if I could think of anything missing from my lists and if I was sure I did not have goods to follow on, before disappearing into a side office for 5 minutes. He came back and handed me my copy of the forms and said, with a smile, welcome to Canada, oh and your Westjet baggage check is just around the corner, so you can drop your cases there rather than carting them around till your next flight boards.

That was it, I was officially a Scotadian. Although not an unpleasant experience by any means, it just felt like a real anti-climax, considering what it took to get there in the first place. So here's a tip for CIC, if anyone is reading, install a wee button behind the immigration desk that rolls out some music and instigates a wee dance with some cheerleaders or something, so that folks in the future actually feel like it was an achievement getting there rather than a box filling exercise that stole several years of their lives

Anyway, if I had to do it all over again, here's my tips. Fill out your own forms, gather your own evidence and ask lots of questions. Join forums like this one and get help when needed, from those that have already came through the same experience. Something as simple as not feeling like you are alone in the journey, can make all the difference to you when you feel overwhelmed.

Find a good reliable immigration consultant, one that charges you by the hour for real advise and who can look over all your forms and help you correct any silly mistakes or omissions you might have made. Worth every penny just for the peace of mind and takes loads of the stress out of the situation. Be prepared for your visits with any consultant, things like having your questions written down etc, not only saves time, it saves you some money in fees, and helps keep you on track. Be methodical and steadfast in your approach and it will all come right for you.

My last advise would be this, do not ever lie or attempt to hide information on the forms. Be straight up and honest, the worst case is that you have some explaining to do. Remember that whatever you put on your forms, you must be able to provide information on, along with any evidence if required. Even if it is not necessarily something you think they need to know about, tell em anyway, be completely transparent and you won't go far wrong. If you get caught telling porky's on your forms, you may as well forget about any dreams of living in Canada, at least legally anyway.

So a last thanks to all here that helped me along my journey, I'll toast a beer to you when I am allowed out to play

What an adventure of a read this post was! Even at your most frustrating times you maintained your humor through out. Congratulations and have a happy life in Canada