US-based applicants, let's connect here

[moose17]

Welcome to the new thread members!

I finally got the signature card for our TD US account today and called hoping they could set me up with online banking but (not really surprisingly) they need the signature card back first so moving money will be delayed until Monday or Tuesday. The good news is they claim it'll be in the account in plenty of time for us opening the TD Canada account Friday morning. Fingers crossed! I'll put some extra money in my credit union account just in case so we can take that out at an ATM (.8% charge and no ATM fee on their end) and deposit cash if needed.

I'm planning to add Verizon's Unlimited Together – North America plan (the paid version of what @tjsecondtry mentioned since we have a tiny data plan) early next week. For phones once we move, I'm planning to just look up threads on reddit. I already have one or two booked for TV and internet-related decisions (one includes info on getting US stations through indoor antennas!) and they have a lot of reviews and suggestions. I think I've seen a similar one for cell phones before, but either way I'm sure there are at least a couple good ones.

We're now exactly one week from landing and my head is spinning with the logistics! So far one apartment complex let us directly book a tour and another said to check back after Dec. 1 to check availability. I'd really like the latter one to work out as it's cheaper and better located but we'll see how it goes. We're unlikely to put down deposits this trip but would like to at least get somewhere in the search even if that's just ruling some options out. We will hopefully have that money ready just in case though.

[shameless plug for the facebook group - PM me an email for an invite if you want to join, still no idea what's happening with the whatsapp group but I'd love to see that back too]

 

[tjsecondtry]

Congrats on everything. When do you hope to arrive permanently?

Welcome to the new thread members!

I finally got the signature card for our TD US account today and called hoping they could set me up with online banking but (not really surprisingly) they need the signature card back first so moving money will be delayed until Monday or Tuesday. The good news is they claim it'll be in the account in plenty of time for us opening the TD Canada account Friday morning. Fingers crossed! I'll put some extra money in my credit union account just in case so we can take that out at an ATM (.8% charge and no ATM fee on their end) and deposit cash if needed.

I'm planning to add Verizon's Unlimited Together – North America plan (the paid version of what @tjsecondtry mentioned since we have a tiny data plan) early next week. For phones once we move, I'm planning to just look up threads on reddit. I already have one or two booked for TV and internet-related decisions (one includes info on getting US stations through indoor antennas!) and they have a lot of reviews and suggestions. I think I've seen a similar one for cell phones before, but either way I'm sure there are at least a couple good ones.

We're now exactly one week from landing and my head is spinning with the logistics! So far one apartment complex let us directly book a tour and another said to check back after Dec. 1 to check availability. I'd really like the latter one to work out as it's cheaper and better located but we'll see how it goes. We're unlikely to put down deposits this trip but would like to at least get somewhere in the search even if that's just ruling some options out. We will hopefully have that money ready just in case though.

[shameless plug for the facebook group - PM me an email for an invite if you want to join, still no idea what's happening with the whatsapp group but I'd love to see that back too]

 

[moose17]

Congrats on everything. When do you hope to arrive permanently?

We're still aiming for sometime in March. We had said we'd move earlier if one of us got a job but I think, and this is pending seeing how apartment hunting goes when we land, we may modify that and if we find a good apartment just go with whatever our lease date is on that. So if we find something that won't be available until April or even May, if we really like the place we'll just wait on that. I'm thinking if we go based on housing we'll hold off on applying for jobs until about a month before the lease starts. I *may* apply for the rare ones that really fit well with my work (which is nothing fancy, but ones that really stand out are few and far between), but overall having a temp apartment before a permanent lease or picking what we could at the last minute is looking just like too much with a whole household to move plus a toddler and two cats. It also makes house-selling logistics easier if we don't have to rush away for a job starting ASAP (with the demand for our neighborhood, we have a good shot of syncing up a sale with a March-April move). We'll start interviewing realtors as soon as we get back from the landing trip.

I'm not even sure when the seemingly endless to-do lists will end but when it does I'm going to have some sort of celebration!

 

[tjsecondtry]

We're still aiming for sometime in March. We had said we'd move earlier if one of us got a job but I think, and this is pending seeing how apartment hunting goes when we land, we may modify that and if we find a good apartment just go with whatever our lease date is on that. So if we find something that won't be available until April or even May, if we really like the place we'll just wait on that. I'm thinking if we go based on housing we'll hold off on applying for jobs until about a month before the lease starts. I *may* apply for the rare ones that really fit well with my work (which is nothing fancy, but ones that really stand out are few and far between), but overall having a temp apartment before a permanent lease or picking what we could at the last minute is looking just like too much with a whole household to move plus a toddler and two cats. It also makes house-selling logistics easier if we don't have to rush away for a job starting ASAP (with the demand for our neighborhood, we have a good shot of syncing up a sale with a March-April move). We'll start interviewing realtors as soon as we get back from the landing trip.

I'm not even sure when the seemingly endless to-do lists will end but when it does I'm going to have some sort of celebration!

So far, my husband hasn't received any responses to his job hunt even though he has an open work visa. We just added the Toronto address to his resume, so hopefully that will help.

My lease for the studio is 6 months. We'll pretend it's a hotel room if he starts a job before the lease is over. And we'll have time to look for the perfect place.

 

[JERiv]

Should we try to open up a TD bank account during our soft landing, even though we're planning to move later next year (shooting for May/June right now due to school year)? We'll be there for 2 weeks (Christmas vacation), so we'll have time if needed.

It seems like everyone's opening up the accounts asap. Is there a benefit to doing so?

Thanks!

 

[moose17]

Should we try to open up a TD bank account during our soft landing, even though we're planning to move later next year (shooting for May/June right now due to school year)? We'll be there for 2 weeks (Christmas vacation), so we'll have time if needed.

It seems like everyone's opening up the accounts asap. Is there a benefit to doing so?

Thanks!

We want to be able to write a check for an apartment deposit from a Canadian account just in case something good pops up during the landing trip. I also read that there can be an advantage in getting the credit history started ASAP by starting a credit card then, which is part of the newcomer's package at TD (I'm also enjoying that that package has no fees for 6 months so we have time to get the money moved over, since it looks like there's a daily limit for the free, or more accurately fee refunded, transfers).

 

[JERiv]

We want to be able to write a check for an apartment deposit from a Canadian account just in case something good pops up during the landing trip. I also read that there can be an advantage in getting the credit history started ASAP by starting a credit card then, which is part of the newcomer's package at TD (I'm also enjoying that that package has no fees for 6 months so we have time to get the money moved over, since it looks like there's a daily limit for the free, or more accurately fee refunded, transfers).

Ok. Thanks!!! We'll definitely look into it while we're there.

 

[moose17]

Ok. Thanks!!! We'll definitely look into it while we're there.

Cool Just remember the whole thing where they do appointments for all the stuff we're used to walking in for. After posting I remembered another big element for us is just getting as much done as we can before we're there for the big move, since that'll just be chaos (especially if we get jobs quickly) so the less we have to do then, the better.

 

[aamir_s1986]

Hi All, I have just started my journey. All required documents are send to WES. Ielts is schedule for Dec 2.

I have a question here, do we need to apply for PCC USA before we setup our EE account? I am thinking to apply for PCC a month prior before creating EE account. Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you.

 

[noscaf2014]

Hi All, I have just started my journey. All required documents are send to WES. Ielts is schedule for Dec 2.

I have a question here, do we need to apply for PCC USA before we setup our EE account? I am thinking to apply for PCC a month prior before creating EE account. Let me know your thoughts.

Thank you.

Hi,
You do not have to apply for any PCC before creating your EE profile. However, it is recommended for the FBI PCC that you apply as early as possible because processing time is 12-14 weeks now. So, if you think you will have a good CRS and you are likely to get invited in the coming few months, you should consider applying for the PCC soon. Good Luck!

 

[casiopiabiswas]

Hi All,

I just found this thread and it's really helpful. I would like to know what are the sites to check for IT Service management jobs. There's a gap of two years on my profile during which I remained a homemaker. Now that I have received the PPR email, I am thinking to start uploading my resume to various portals. I worked as a project lead in my previous organization. I am PMP & ITIL SO certified. But I am not sure whether I should go for either Toronto or Vancouver to look for jobs. I am very much interested to work as a project lead again. Any advice would be really helpful. Thank you.

 

[canada_dreamer]

I live is texas and there's no TD bank branch over here. Is it possible to open an US account online?

 

[moose17]

I live is texas and there's no TD bank branch over here. Is it possible to open an US account online?

You have to call customer service and they'll set it up for you, then they'll mail you a packet with a paper you have to sign and return to confirm. You can send in a check for the initial deposit then, and they'll send back a debit card (I don't know if I'm getting one because I was like "I'm not actually using this for daily banking but solely as a go-between account so I really don't need that" so the agent may have nixed that, which would be fine by me! Clearly I didn't even care enough to confirm either way ). It wasn't too bad a process. They also may ask you to choose a home branch, so be prepared to pick a random one. Mine is actually right down the street from a relative's house so we'll probably end up there next time we visit her to add my husband to the account!

 

[trumprefugee]

So far, my husband hasn't received any responses to his job hunt even though he has an open work visa. We just added the Toronto address to his resume, so hopefully that will help.

My lease for the studio is 6 months. We'll pretend it's a hotel room if he starts a job before the lease is over. And we'll have time to look for the perfect place.

Make sure his address and especially the zip code are set to a Toronto address and zip code on the job board sites, as well as on linkedin. Employers often search the job board database by zip code for local candidates. Also make sure he logs in daily to update his resume - no need to make an actual modification, just edit resume and submit in order to update last modification time, because the most recently modified resumes appear first in the search results for employers.

 

[trumprefugee]

Hi,
You do not have to apply for any PCC before creating your EE profile. However, it is recommended for the FBI PCC that you apply as early as possible because processing time is 12-14 weeks now. So, if you think you will have a good CRS and you are likely to get invited in the coming few months, you should consider applying for the PCC soon. Good Luck!

@aamir_s1986 if you are a US citizen or permanent resident, you can go through a channeler that can get you the PCC in as little as a few hours up to a week, so it's best to wait until you know you will receive ITA soon or even post ITA. But if you're not a US citizen or PR, you'll have to wait the 3+ months and should apply for the PCC as soon as possible.