Question on Medical and Visa

[monica_5]

Hello there,

I have applied for Federal Skilled Worker category. I would appreciate if someone could help me on following questions:

1. I just now received my medical letter that I says I need to get medical done within 90 days. My question is - once the medical report is sent, what is the next step - is it Visa and then the PR? How do you get the PR - Is it at the Port of Entry that PR is stamped or issued?

2. How long Visa/PR takes after Medical is sent to them?

3. When the PR is issued, within how many days or months will I have to land in Canada?

Thanks in advance,
Monica

 

[shabab]

Dear Monica

After the medicals are done, they are sent to Ottawa for Health Clearance. Then Ottawa sends the Medical report to CIC (your local Immigration Center).

You might be asked for FBI / RCMP finger-prints, Interview. (If they are not done earlier)

1. First the Immigrant Visa is issued accompanied by a document called COPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence).

2. You had to show the Passport with stamped Immigration Visa to the Immigration Officer at the Port of Entry. Then you’ll be allowed to enter Canada.

3. Immigration Officer will ask the address in Canada where CIC can send you the PR (Permanent Resident) Card. This address could be your address or your friend's or Relative's address in Canada. You'll receive your PR in less than 30-45 days.

4. After medicals are sent it takes around 4-8 weeks or sometimes more CIC to receive your medical results from Ottawa.

5. Everything is OK with your medicals and they don’t ask any other document or request, then normally it takes between 4-6 weeks to send you a PPR (Passport Request) for Visa Stamping.

6. After Visa is issued you may land in Canada before the Expiry of the Visa Validity date OR the Expiry date of your Passport (whichever comes first)

In case you need any other info, please ask PMM

 

[NC]

Please read my thread: Time between Medical and Passport request. (Read 502 times) This will give you a good understanding of how much time it would take from Medical to Passport.

NC

 

[monica_5]

Hi Sahbab and NC,

Thanks for your response.

Shabab- In point 6, you mentioned "After Visa is issued you may land in Canada before the Expiry of the Visa Validity date ...." Is the Visa Validity date same as the "date before Medical results expires" or is it another date. If it's different then usually how long is this (example - 1 yr etc.)?

THanks,

Monica

 

[shabab]

Dear Mona

CIC issues the visa based on your Medical expiry date. The validity on the Visa is slightly more than the expiry date of the medicals.

So, Visa Validity date overrides the Medical dates.

I will explain you as under:
An applicant's medicals are expiring on April 10, 2007 and he is awaiting his Passport Request from the Consulate for Visa Stamping. Thereafter, he is called by the Consulate for Visa on April 1, 2007 and given VISA valid until June 20, 2007. They give you ample time to pack up and proceed for Canada.

Regards

Shabab

 

[shabab]

Sorry, Monica and NOT Mona

 

[monica_5]

Hi Shabab,

Thanks alot your reply. I really appreciate it.

I have some more questions, can you please help me with these:

1. For Visa, do we have to mail our passport to the consulate where the application was filed (example - Buffalo, US)? OR can we get the VISA stamped from the local Canadian office (example the one in Detroit, US)?

3. When one first lands in Canada, is there minimum number of days one MUST stay in canada?
I currently work in US on H1 and I have to take care of my Grand Mother for some time here (as she stay with me currently). So after the first landing in Canada, can I come back here ad continue to live and work here on H1 for some time (say year or so).

3. I also read about "bring forward date" somewhere - what is this and when does this take place?

Thanks,
Monica


Thanks,
Monica

 

[shabab]

Dear Monica

1. The Canadian Consulate where you filed your application will notify you as to when & where to send the passports for visa issuance.

2. When you land in Canada, you can stay there for 24 hrs and return back the second day, but you have to be back within an year.

Do the landing and give a reliable address (your friend/relative in Canada) to the CIC to enable them to mail your PR Card. Thereafter they can mail your PR Card to you on your US Address.

Since your are on H1 visa, you have the privilege to take a week off and go to Canada every six months or so for consecutive 3 years. You have to be in Canada for atleast 2 years out of 5 years to maintain your PR Status.

3. "Bring Forward Date" is a sort of notation for Immigration Officer to take designation action on your file.
Example: BOF Apr20,07 INT
This denotes that on April 20, 2007 they will advise you to appear for an Interview.

Monica, we are lucky that we have an Expert on this forum. He is our dear friend PMM.

PMM , please look into this and guide her on her queries (If I am missing something or mistaken somewhere).

Thanks
Shabab

 

[PMM]

Hi

Dear Monica

1. The Canadian Consulate where you filed your application will notify you as to when & where to send the passports for visa issuance.

2. When you land in Canada, you can stay there for 24 hrs and return back the second day, but you have to be back within an year.

Do the landing and give a reliable address (your friend/relative in Canada) to the CIC to enable them to mail your PR Card. Thereafter they can mail your PR Card to you on your US Address.

Since your are on H1 visa, you have the privilege to take a week off and go to Canada every six months or so for consecutive 3 years. You have to be in Canada for atleast 2 years out of 5 years to maintain your PR Status.

3. "Bring Forward Date" is a sort of notation for Immigration Officer to take designation action on your file.
Example: BOF Apr20,07 INT
This denotes that on April 20, 2007 they will advise you to appear for an Interview.

Monica, we are lucky that we have an Expert on this forum. He is our dear friend PMM.

PMM , please look into this and guide her on her queries (If I am missing something or mistaken somewhere).

Thanks
Shabab

1. Close, but she doesn't have to return within a year of landing. She is required to reside for 2/5 years, so in theory she could leave 15 minutes after landing and return 3 years later, but would have to remain in Canada for the following 2 years without leaving for a day.

PMM

 

[monica_5]

Hi Shabab and PMM,

Thanks alot for all your responses! I really appreciate it. Can you please help me with the following questions:

1. So, if I stay in US for first 2 years (out of 5), do I still have to pay tax for Canada?

2. For PR do I have to open Bank Account in Canada for first 2 years?

3. With US H1 and Canada PR, can you continue to work in US, there should not be any problem?
Bascially, when enter US show - H1? When enter Canada - show PR? Am I right?

4. I have received a letter from CIC, asking for a more doc - one being Police Clearance from my country and it needs to mailed within 90 days. Are they strict about the 90 days period for the police clearance certificate, what if it takes more than 90 days? I have requested my country counslate here at US and they mail the request to my country? Do I have to request for an extension?

5. Ever since I got my US H1, I have not left US thereafter and therefore, I do not have the H1 stamp on my passport. Now if I get a PR and go to canada and when I come back to US, will the US at the bridge stamp my passport with the H1 stamp?

Really apreciate your help,

Thanks,
Monica

 

[shabab]

Hi Mona,

1. Yes, you have to pay taxes in Canada while you are working in the US. But you are eligible for "FOREIGN TAX CREDIT". This is good amount that you get back from Revenue Canada. I did this when I entered Canada for second part of the year and lived there for about 2.5 years. I did showed them my USA earnings. From Canada I did my US taxes. You have to look into this.

2. Not necessarily, not a condition for PR

3. Canadian Residency doesn't have to do anything with working in USA. You need H1 to work in USA. You can enter Canada with your PR but enter USA only with valid H1 visa. Once you become Canadian citizen, you need some other sort of visa to work in the US. But to enter USA as a Canadian Citizen, you only need your passport.

4. They are strict but flexible too, depending on your circumstances. If it takes more than 90 days, fax them the inconvenience you are facing. If it's legitimate, they will give you extension. Not a big deal. They have been very flexible with me. Try to keep a copy and receipt of every document to be furnished in case they need them (to show legitimacy).

5. To get the Visa stamped on your passport, you need to have your H1 approved petition in hand. Before entering USA, you need to go to US Consulate or Embassy in Canada and get the Visa stamped. Find out with USCIS before leaving USA.

Shabab

 

[monica_5]

Hi Shabab,

Thanks for your reply. As always they are very helpful.

Is it ok for a person to start Canadian PR process while his U.S. Green Card is already in process and he's working in U.S. on H1?


Thanks,
Monica

 

[shabab]

No problems, both can be processed simulateneously.
BTW, is it H1 or H1B ?

Shabab

 

[Nouna]

Hi
I am a permanent resident applicant to Canada from Egypt , I have been asked to undergo the medical examination by the Canadian embassy me and my husband and we did so on 15th November 2006 and until now no one has called us in order to proceed , and I was interviewed so I guess I got an interview waiver

When I asked the embassy by email , they informed me that my file is in process and they will contact me when they are in a position to issue the visas and actually I am so worried because it has passed more than 4 months since the medical examination , pls advise if this is normal and when can I expect a call from them to proceed and what are the next steps till they ask for the passport

Thanks alot

 

[NC]

Considering the fact that it takes around 2 to 3 months for the folks satying in the US to hear from the Canadian consulate in Buffalo after their medical test, it does not suprise me at all.
I think it might be a norm for them to take 4 months to process applications from Egypt.

When you went for the medical tests did they give you the reports. Normally they give you a copy of the reports here in the US. If you know the results and all is well , you should not have any issues.

NC.