Google voice is a option for calling US phones. It integrates well on Android phones. This assumes you get a decent data plan or limit using this when on wifi.
US-based applicants, let's connect here
- Thread starter Adrouault
- Start date
Hm. I have Google Voice (got it to call Canada during all this planning) but thought something about it didn't work in Canada? Is it just maybe that you can't get a Canadian number on it? If that's all and using my current Google Voice number (based in a podunk small town in my state) would allow me free calls from Canada to the US, I'm fine with using it on wifi and would just need to check into how much data a call on it used (in case of an emergency while I was away from the apartment or something - granted, Verizon has an easy and cheap option for calling US -> Canada so calling them to have them call right back would be an option too).
@BrittanyElaina, if you won't be driving much could you leave the car in the US with someone, even if that meant having someone drive up with you but drive the car back if you needed it to move? That must be so frustrating having that confusion because of a parts backlog
I hope my officers are as disinterested as yours! Or better yet, that goods accompanying lists don't normally get stamped
I'll have to check out that Verizon plan for the overlap period. I think we'll end up minimizing that as much as we can though. We'll use the same cell phones with each provider so it should just be a matter of switching SIM cards. I'd like to have it be just a week or two between moving and having the Canadian plan start, and I think we can sort out enough logistics from here to get that done quickly on arrival.
Hey everyone,
So good to see that so many of you completed your landing. I did too. Sharing my experience below.
We drove from New Jersey to Scarborough via Peace Bridge in Buffalo using a rental car on 26th December. We stayed at a friends place, who along with her family, drove to US with us 2 days later.
Landing at POE
When we reached Peace Bridge at around 2:00 PM, the office at the POE was very nice, asked us a few questions of what we were there for, whose car it was, etc. No cross questions whatsoever. He did kid around with us a bit - asked if we had hidden anyone in the back of the trunk since he couldn't see it.Then he asked us to park the car in any one of the spots nearby and go into the building behind him. In there, there was no line. We went straight to the officer, presented out COPRs and passports. She was very polite and asked us to be seated. Then an officer called us, asked us some basic questions, took our address and soon enough, made us sign the COPRs and told us we were now officially Canadian PRs.
I had to ask him about the Good Accompanying list and the Goods to Follow list. He directed us back to the officer who we spoke to earlier. There she took a look at what we had (which was very very detailed - B786 form with 7 excels sheets, jewelry pics printed and all). She stamped and signed all of them, printed us a copy and provided it to us. That was it. We were in and out in 25 minutes.
SIN
The next day, we applied and received SIN immediately at a local Service Ontario office. There was line and it took about an hour, probably since it was the day after boxing day.
Bank Account
Out friend took us to CIBC where my wife got her account opened, since she would be moving in February, 2017 and I don't have a solid plan yet.
She got a good deal - opened a checking account, with no minimum balance requirement until a year and a savings account. She also got a credit card.
Address Issue
My friend informed that she had given us the wrong zip code over whatsapp - but only the last 3 digits of the zip code. We called IRCC, stayed on the line for 35 minutes and when we finally reached there, we found that the office had put in another part of the ZIP incorrectly as well. When I gave the correct zip to the agent, she informed that she could not see that apartment in the zip code I gave (Not sure what that meant). She gave us a link to a web form where we could request for address to be changed. I did that on Thursday (12/28) but no reply yet. I cant call the IRCC number since there we are now in US, but hopefully I get a reply over the webform. I still cant search our PR card application online, maybe because processing of the application hasn't started.
Hope this post helps someone out there. Any suggestions on the address change issue is appreciated.
So good to see that so many of you completed your landing. I did too. Sharing my experience below.
We drove from New Jersey to Scarborough via Peace Bridge in Buffalo using a rental car on 26th December. We stayed at a friends place, who along with her family, drove to US with us 2 days later.
Landing at POE
When we reached Peace Bridge at around 2:00 PM, the office at the POE was very nice, asked us a few questions of what we were there for, whose car it was, etc. No cross questions whatsoever. He did kid around with us a bit - asked if we had hidden anyone in the back of the trunk since he couldn't see it.
Then he asked us to park the car in any one of the spots nearby and go into the building behind him. In there, there was no line. We went straight to the officer, presented out COPRs and passports. She was very polite and asked us to be seated. Then an officer called us, asked us some basic questions, took our address and soon enough, made us sign the COPRs and told us we were now officially Canadian PRs.I had to ask him about the Good Accompanying list and the Goods to Follow list. He directed us back to the officer who we spoke to earlier. There she took a look at what we had (which was very very detailed - B786 form with 7 excels sheets, jewelry pics printed and all). She stamped and signed all of them, printed us a copy and provided it to us. That was it. We were in and out in 25 minutes.
SIN
The next day, we applied and received SIN immediately at a local Service Ontario office. There was line and it took about an hour, probably since it was the day after boxing day.
Bank Account
Out friend took us to CIBC where my wife got her account opened, since she would be moving in February, 2017 and I don't have a solid plan yet.
She got a good deal - opened a checking account, with no minimum balance requirement until a year and a savings account. She also got a credit card.
Address Issue
My friend informed that she had given us the wrong zip code over whatsapp - but only the last 3 digits of the zip code. We called IRCC, stayed on the line for 35 minutes and when we finally reached there, we found that the office had put in another part of the ZIP incorrectly as well. When I gave the correct zip to the agent, she informed that she could not see that apartment in the zip code I gave (Not sure what that meant). She gave us a link to a web form where we could request for address to be changed. I did that on Thursday (12/28) but no reply yet. I cant call the IRCC number since there we are now in US, but hopefully I get a reply over the webform. I still cant search our PR card application online, maybe because processing of the application hasn't started.
Hope this post helps someone out there. Any suggestions on the address change issue is appreciated.
Thats correct. From tge authorized panel physicians, it is either 500$, 700, or 1100. I checked with each one, so ill go with 500.
US applicants here. I have a question for you all. Is it true that applicants from the US are processed faster? How long is it generally taking for people in the US to get the PP request? Please share your thoughts and timelines.
Thanks
Thanks
There is no special treatment for US applicants if that is what you are asking. Timings depends on stream and visa office backlogs. You can look at peoples signatures to get idea about timings. But just like stock market past timelines are not indicative of future timelines
The reason I ask is I heard the background checks are dependent on the country of the applicant. I might be wrong, just being hopeful thoughThere is no special treatment for US applicants if that is what you are asking. Timings depends on stream and visa office backlogs. You can look at peoples signatures to get idea about timings. But just like stock market past timelines are not indicative of future timelines
Not trying to be facetious here, but your background check will depend on your backgroundThe reason I ask is I heard the background checks are dependent on the country of the applicant. I might be wrong, just being hopeful though
. For eg. military or government service can cause delays. BTW based on your signature it looks like you are already a PR, so why the question?
Thanks and yes I am already a PR. This is for my fiance who is in the US and just submitted his PR application. So just trying to get an idea.Not trying to be facetious here, but your background check will depend on your background
BTW based on your signature it looks like you are already a PR, so why the question?
Thanks
Ah ok. Look for the stream specific threads or the AOR month threads on the forum to get a idea of current trends. All the best.Thanks and yes I am already a PR. This is for my fiance who is in the US and just submitted his PR application. So just trying to get an idea.
Thanks
Guys I am planning to do soft landing soon from US soon.
I have couple of questions:
1) What should be the classification type in goods to follow form if we are soft landing?
2) Where should we list the car if it is goods to follow? Should it be under description of goods or conveyance section?
Also is it okay to write the total in pen after typing out every item?
I have couple of questions:
1) What should be the classification type in goods to follow form if we are soft landing?
2) Where should we list the car if it is goods to follow? Should it be under description of goods or conveyance section?
Also is it okay to write the total in pen after typing out every item?
Does that include xray and lab work? At those prices, you might want to consider doing your medical exam in Canada if: 1) you have any travel planned in the near future, or 2) if you live close to the border. We did ours during a family trip and it was around $250-350 USD per person total.
CAVEAT: If anyone does go with doing them in Canada, be sure to plan and schedule it well, and to double-check everything! We had to scramble to get a appointments at the last minute because everyone was booked even a week or two in advance. Also, the doctor we saw was curious about our not living in Canada yet, since if they required any follow ups we might have needed to go back to Canada to get them done. So admittedly, it was a bit risky in that sense, but the cost savings were crazy.
Lab work and x-ray work was a breeze. I was impressed by their efficiency, professionalism, and how calm folks were in general. It gave me a fairly positive perspective on the Canadian healthcare system compared to how things work here in the US.
Yeah it did include everything. I'm a resident in the south florida region so a flight to Canada was not in my purview at that time and (agreed riskier if I was temporarily there) I chalked up the $. The turn around time was short also.