Immigration Visa Ready but Husband has Commitment in Nigeria

[RN]

Hello,

Our immigration visa is ready for pick up in Accra. However, my husband, a medical doctor, is completing his one year housemanship ( a one year of clinical practice in Nigeria before residency). He needs to complete it, to get a reference letter required by all medical regulatory bodies in Canada and also to meet the 1 year clinical practice requirement by some provincial regulatory bodies in Canada. He is supposed to finish in February 2011, however, he needs to arrive in Canada before Dec 7,2010. We are thinking of him taking a leave to come to Canada and then going back to complete the 3 month remaining of his residency. My question is, would anyone know how long he has to stay in Canada for before he can leave Canada. How long does it take to get Permanent residence card and social insurance card. Is there a maximum amount of month he can leave Canada.

 

[plumosa]

all he has to do is come to Canada and officially land as an immigrant. Then he can come back and finish his requirements.

As long as he stays in Canada a total of three years out of five his status as a PR remains intact.

 

[bobshynoswife]

I have a better idea. How about my husband takes your husband's visa, and then you can have ours when it comes in?

PR cards take about 6 weeks, but he doesn't need it to re-enter the country later. There is some type of travel document, I'm sorry I don't know what it is called, that he can use in lieu of a PR card.

He should take a leave, land, then return and finish his year.

Also, he can get a SIN number within a few days, the card will take a couple weeks to mail out. I don't think his leave would have to be very long at all. Of course, if he is going back, he wouldn't need a SIN. In theory, he could land, then take the next flight back and he would be okay.

 

[Mon Ami]

I landed last year a day before my PR visa expired (my PR visa was to expire 4 days from the day I received it). Your husband can land in Canada and leave the next day if he wants just as long as he lands prior to the date of the expiry. At the point of entry the officer asks for an address for the PR card to be mailed to. That comes by mail in 6 weeks or more.
Your husband can apply for his SIN at a service Ontario location before he returns to naija . He will be given a print out of his actual SIN immediately and the card itself will arrive in the mail (not sure how long this takes).
I returned to my base in the USA and when my card arrived at my friend's address I had the option of her mailing it to me or having someone bring it to me. I did not trust the mail option cause I have heard many horror stories about people who mailed the PR card outside Canada. I also could not find anyone to bring my PR card to me in person (which is a safer method).
To be able to return to Canada I had to apply for the travel document in Buffalo USA it cost me 50 dollars and took about 4 weeks to arrive. The travel document is basically a multiple or single entry visa affixed to your passport.

I believe there is a consulate in Nigeria that can process CDN visas but I am not sure if they process Travel documents or it has to be done in Accra. But if you can find someone your trust going to naija then send it through them.
Most importantly is the COPR document your husband received with his PR visa. A copy of it will be given back to him at the airport when he lands. He needs to KEEP this document cause it will be the proof for his landing in the absence of the PR card. I have mine stapled to one of my passport pages.

I hope I was helpful.

 

[canadianwoman]

He can land, and then leave. The PR card will be mailed to his Canadian address (you, I suppose). You can then courier it to him, or he can get a travel document to reenter Canada.

 

[RN]

Thanks everyone.

I really appreciate it. My husband will take a leave and come to Canada for two months before it expires and do as Mon Ami says. Hopefully the PR card will arrive within 2 months. If not, we will try to see if we can get an extremely trusted person to take it for him to Nigeria.

Canadian woman, I dont suggest you send anything with value (e.g. important document) my mail or courier to Nigeria. You will simply loose it.

 

[bobshynoswife]

If you don't get the card before he leaves, just have him apply for a Travel Document, then he'll be able to re-enter Canada and get his PR card.

I know what you mean about courier! I had to send my marriage certificate (yikes!) and ended up fed-exing it to his brother in London who is traveling to Nigeria tomorrow. I didn't trust fed-ex or UPS to find him in Lagos.

 

[canadianwoman]

Canadian woman, I dont suggest you send anything with value (e.g. important document) my mail or courier to Nigeria. You will simply loose it.

We haven't had any trouble with couriers - yet - but I certainly wouldn't trust the regular mail service in Nigeria. I find it very amusing that the Canadian embassies just assume the regular mail works in countries such as Nigeria. Just try explaining that you never got a letter they sent you! "But the assumption is that anything mailed has been received." is the official line. It's like they've never even been there, in spite of the fact they work there.