Thread for Outland LONDON, UK Applications!

[SchnookoLoly]

Spreadsheet update: COPR received 5th April.

Busy planning the move now. Would be nice to get some tips from those who have done it before (Medical cover, driving licences, house/job hunting, schools) I'm assuming there is a site/forum out there too.

Moving Company - we have had a quote from Anglo Pacific, any used them or can recommend an alternative.

Updated, congrats!

There are a few wiki articles on British Expats that should be really useful, here are a few links:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Landing_as_PR-Canada

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Shipping-Canada

Re: medical cover, I am assuming you are headed for Ontario given your username. OHIP doesn't kick in until you've been in Ontario for 90 days, so you need separate cover for that, and travel insurance doesn't cover it. The vast majority use CanadaSure (myself included), their rates are reasonable and they have a good reputation, though there are others as well if you look around.

You should be able to change over your licence as soon as you arrive and have your PR docs in hand.

Job hunting is a totally different beast in Canada than the UK, prepare yourself. http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Category:Job_Hunting-Canada (and a few other articles linked off of that one). My suggestion is find headhunters/recruiters in your field and get in touch with them, and be sure your LinkedIn page is fully up to date, including the location being listed as wherever you are. (You may also consider paying for Premium while you job hunt.) Be prepared to really really hate the job hunting process, it sucks donkey nuts in Canada.

You may find the BE forum helpful as well: http://britishexpats.com/forum/canada-56/

 

[tina19]

Hi can you please update the spreadsheet for me. I received SA today and it's been forwarded to Ottawa. Medical was done upfront. Thank you. I'm just wondering if you know based on average which VO is faster. I know it depends on the case but is it london or Ottawa. I'm not sure where to check Ottawas form.

 

[Abydos]

Hi can you please update the spreadsheet for me. I received SA today and it's been forwarded to Ottawa. Medical was done upfront. Thank you. I'm just wondering if you know based on average which VO is faster. I know it depends on the case but is it london or Ottawa. I'm not sure where to check Ottawas form.

Based on the London spreadsheet Ottawa is moving faster than London. Take a look at the 2015 page on the spreadsheet and you'll see applications sent to Ottawa at the end of 2015 that have already been completed.

There is a CPC-Ottawa thread on the board but I couldn't make much sense of the spreadsheet they have there (it's buried somewhere in the thread if you search but is pretty messy). Most people who are sent to Ottawa are processed pretty quickly though!

Good luck with your application and congrats on the SA!

 

[JamesBox]

Is it totally random for applications to be sent to Ottawa over London? With the way Ottawa are processing them I'd love it if it went there!

 

[SchnookoLoly]

tina - updated!

Yeah, no one has been able to work out how applications go to which office, it seems to be random. There's a theory that it's just based on workload, so something like London saying "okay, we are at max, please hold applications for a week" and then anything from that week gets sent to Ottawa instead. It's only a guess, though, as there doesn't seem to be much rhyme or reason to it otherwise. Who knows.

If you look at the cover sheet (the tab called Home and Statistics) there are some boxes on the left that give an idea of London vs Ottawa.

 

[Abydos]

For what it is worth, I have been out of Canada 3 times since landing, all without a PR card. Two of those has been to the US and one to the UK. The only issues I had were: 1) at the Canadian border they took me to secondary to check the details out on the computer (only done this twice - third time the passport stamp was sufficient, but was with my Canadian wife that time) and 2) Virgin hadn't updated their systems to reflect the relaxing of the eTA date, and so when checking in they had to override their system which took a little longer to check in.

Hope this helps

This reassures me a bit - thank you! So they didn't give you a grilling at secondary? I was under the impression they really don't like it when you enter with just a COPR by air.

I landed at the end of March and was told I would need to send new photos so I preemptively sent them a new set. I'm hoping my PR card arrives before my trip (29th July) as I won't be in the UK long enough to get a PRTD.

Currently debating booking flights now and hoping for the best or holding out until the card arrives and hoping they don't increase in price too much!

 

[BCLimey]

Both added! BCLimey, I assume your location is London? If not let me know and I'll update. (I'm not sure if you wrote London to mean location or office!)

Yes, sorry SchnookoLoly. London based...

Thanks for the add!

 

[tina19]

Thank you everyone. I just wasn't sure why it got sent to Ottawa instead but I guess since it did then it's a good right. Hopefully anyways. Good luck to you all as well

 

[avro1959]

Spreadsheet update:
AOR - March 12
Sponsor approval - March 15
Processing office - London
In process on ECAS - March 16

To the editors of the spreadsheet, thank you for your hard work!!

 

[imran364]

Please add me in spreadsheet:

Application received in Mississauga : 30-03-2016

Common-Law (CL) / Married (M) : M

Location (City, Country) : Abu Dhabi, UAE

PA is Pakistani

Thank you !!

 

[SchnookoLoly]

^ Both updated!

 

[imran364]

Thank you Buddy

 

[F.M]

Does anyone the reason why LVO is slow again?the last decision made is from sept applicant no news after that.r they currently not working on the oct-dec applicants?

 

[SchnookoLoly]

Things often slow down this time of year as other streams re-open and resources get reallocated. There is also resource going towards processing Syrian refugees. It's pretty normal that the first half of the year is slow and the second half things pick up a bit more. Of course this is all guessing, no one actually knows for sure, and don't forget that not everyone who applies is on he spreadsheet either, an incredibly small percentage of people are represented on the spreadsheet.

 

[Lookhout]

Good Morning,
This is a 2 part post
Spreadsheet update please- We have received DM and just this morning received an email requesting for new passport photos and an updated passport as his expires in November.
Need advice- We have been given 30 days to submit the new photos and a copy of the renewed passport. We are thrilled our application is in the final stage however the timing is a bit concerning. We have spent the last 6 months apart, he went back to the UK to find some work while our application was being processed. He has just arrived here in Canada on a visitors visa for 5 weeks. In order for us to comply with the 30 day deadline he will have to leave Canada early to renew his passport.
My question- Does anyone know if they grant extensions to the 30 day deadline? Or has anyone had to renew their UK passport while in Canada? (website is currently quoting 4 weeks processing time for overseas passport renewals so that is not an option)
Thanks in advance.