What happens once Permanent Residence is granted?

[Huxley1234]

We have been waiting for the second stage approval for a few months. We just received an email saying my fiancee (the applicant) had to send in her passport, along with a few photos.

Here is where it gets complicated for us. First of all, it says she has until March XX, 2013 to fly to Canada, which is when her current passport expires (the same passport which we will be sending in to get the visa stamp). My question here is this: why exactly is she flying to Canada immediately? Is that because with the visa they issue she will come to Canada, and from there she will "land"?

That all makes sense, but I guess we didn't think there would be a deadline on landing. What we need to know is how long this process takes (landing) and what is involved, since she is currently enrolled in school and we don't want to lose the year.

The other side of this is that if we can renew the passport she will have until her medical record expires (next July) to come to Canada instead. A few extra months which would be helpful. Except -- we have only 15 days to send in the required passport, so I guess we need to rush a passport renewal if that's what we want. (The note said they would not re-issue the visa once it was stamped into the passport. So if it's the old one, then we are stuck with the March deadline).

Am I understanding this all correctly and can you please provide info on what the process is like once she comes to Canada?

We were expecting to at least have an interview in Buenos Aires before any of this happened. Which is why I am here with her.

Thank you!!

 

[Huxley1234]

I did some Google work and came up with this: http://www.canadavisa.com/canadian-immigration-faq-landing.html

Seems like this is indeed the Visa she uses to enter Canada and get the PR?! (Woohoo! We didn't even have an interview)

So my only question now is how long does that? Is it given right at the airport?

 

[Sweden]

I did some Google work and came up with this: http://www.canadavisa.com/canadian-immigration-faq-landing.html

Seems like this is indeed the Visa she uses to enter Canada and get the PR?! (Woohoo! We didn't even have an interview)

So my only question now is how long does that? Is it given right at the airport?

Indeed - congrats on completing the process! from now, it's fairly simple... the only thing she has to do is fly to Canada BEFORE the deadline given, and once she arrives at the airport, she can tell the immigration officer that she needs to "land as a PR". She will be taken to a separate office, and she will answer a few questions - nothing tricky... check of ID, which address in Canada should they send the PR card to, etc... in general, it's a 10min process and a very friendly one. If you're travelling with her, you might be allowed in the room with her ( most people are), but sometimes not - but no need to panic, it's really an easy process.

Once that is done - that's it! she is officially a PR of Canada, and can turn around and get back on the plane the next day to Argentina and finish school etc before moving permanently to Canada... a lot of people do that . It's important to respect the deadline, and I would advise NOT to try and change the passport etc as it might complicate things...

After that, the PR card will be sent to the address IN CANADA that she has indicated - so if you are both outside of Canada for now, make sure that you have a Canadian address (family, friends etc) that you can indicate. It takes about 2 months to get the PR card. She will need it to return to Canada later on.

If she needs to go back to Canada before the PR card is issued ( 2 months from the day of landing, more or less, but can take a little more, some people get it in 2.5 months), then she will have to contact the Canadian Embassy in Argentina to get a special travel authorisation ( don't remember the name exactly, but it's basically a visa that allows her to get into Canada as a PR even if she doesn't have her PR card with her yet).

If you stay a little in Canada at the first landing, it might be a good idea to try and register for the administrative things (SIN, healthcare etc), depending on which province you will be living in, it might take a little longer..but nothing is compulsory, and the "landing procedure" itself is done at the airport - and it's easy.

Congrats!
Sweden

 

[OhCanadiana]

If she needs to go back to Canada before the PR card is issued ( 2 months from the day of landing, more or less, but can take a little more, some people get it in 2.5 months), then she will have to contact the Canadian Embassy in Argentina to get a special travel authorisation ( don't remember the name exactly, but it's basically a visa that allows her to get into Canada as a PR even if she doesn't have her PR card with her yet).

Travel Document.

Details at http://www.cic.gc.ca/EnGLIsh/inFORMation/applications/travel.asp

Seems like this is indeed the Visa she uses to enter Canada and get the PR?! (Woohoo! We didn't even have an interview)

It is! She will get a CoPR (2 pieces of paper) at the same time which will be the proof that she landed. CoPR stands for Confirmation of Permanent Residence - she'll need the stamped copy she will get after landing to get the travel document if you end up needing the travel document.

If you don't have an address in Canada now, don't worry about it - she can submit an address to CIC for the PR Card up to 180 days (almost 6 months) after landing with no extra charge. Once you move, she'll just need to input her Canadian address at https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/?app=coanotify&lang=en .

If you can get a new passport quickly, there shouldn't be any issue as long as you submit it to the Embassy for the visa (you just can't change passports after the visa/CoPR are issued until AFTER landing).

Congratulations!

 

[Huxley1234]

She will be taken to a separate office, and she will answer a few questions - nothing tricky... check of ID, which address in Canada should they send the PR card to, etc... in general, it's a 10min process and a very friendly one.

I'm so happy! Just curious... what kind of questions? She shouldn't be practising the national anthem or anything? haha

 

[OhCanadiana]

I'm so happy! Just curious... what kind of questions? She shouldn't be practising the national anthem or anything? haha

Background info on marital status, where she's from, number of dependents, address where PR card should get mailed, etc. She'll have to sign her CoPR at the end of it to indicate all the info on it is true.

They have a right to ask more detailed questions about your relationship, etc. but rarely do (it's the Officer's right if s/he has any questions and they also have random checks for quality assurance). Therefore, I think it's best practice to bring originals of the key documents included in the application (e.g., birth and marriage certificates) and a copy of the evidence (even if it's scanned). You'll almost never need it but you don't want to be the rare person who gets asked for it and not have it.

 

[Robotic]

How long do they give u till the deadline to go to Canada to land??

 

[TSauretBaxter]

How long do they give u till the deadline to go to Canada to land??

Usually when the medicals or the passport expire.. whichever comes first.

 

[Robotic]

Oh wow lol thank god here I'm thinking like 2 weeks or something lol!

 

[Huxley1234]

I forgot to ask... does this mean also that we "skipped" the interview portion? We were expecting for her to be interviewed at VO?

Also, any idea how long it takes to send back the Passport with temp Visa of entry on it... once they receive the visa from us?

 

[Sweden]

I forgot to ask... does this mean also that we "skipped" the interview portion? We were expecting for her to be interviewed at VO?

Also, any idea how long it takes to send back the Passport with temp Visa of entry on it... once they receive the visa from us?

It depends on the VO actually. Some VO ( Manilla, New Delhi) ask for the passport right away, so there is a delay and it doesn't mean that the interview is waived.
Some others ( London for sure, probably others too) only ask for the passport when they are ready to issue the visa, and then it means that the interview has been waived. It can take somewhere between 10 days to 3 weeks to get the passport back...

In your case - what did the letter requesting your passport said? If it said something like " we are now ready to issue your visa, please submit your passport within X number of days" then it means that the interview has been waived.

if I remember correctly, you are staying with your partner in Argentina, which probably helped determine that your relationship is genuine, and together with the rest of the proofs that you have submitted with the original application, convinced the VO that they didn't need to interview you to assert it. Well done!

Good luck on the landing - but that's the easiest part of the whole process!
Sweden

 

[Huxley1234]

Last question on this...

Say we decide to return to Argentina, immediately after landing, to finish a half year of school. By that time her passport will be expired and we'll get a new one that won't have the entry visa on it.

Will she be able to enter Canada with just the PR card and her new visa (which we will have mailed to us from my brother at the address in Canada)?

Thanks again for everything!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Last question on this...

Say we decide to return to Argentina, immediately after landing, to finish a half year of school. By that time her passport will be expired and we'll get a new one that won't have the entry visa on it.

Will she be able to enter Canada with just the PR card and her new visa (which we will have mailed to us from my brother at the address in Canada)?

Thanks again for everything!

Yes, but be careful with mailing the PR Card. Some people have reported taking the risk with no consequences but CIC would tell you they have an agreement with Canada Post and the courier companies to seize any PR cards being mailed abroad and send them back to CIC. The safer option would be to have your brother keep the card and then use a travel document to travel back to Canada with. You can get the travel document at the Embassy once you are back in Buenos Aires and use it as proof of status to travel back to Canada with.

 

[Huxley1234]

I went in today to drop of the photos (the first ones we took were too big, so I had to rush, get new ones, then come back for my SO to drop them off.)

Waited in line behind a couple who decide they would organize their ENTIRE PR package, right there in the Visa office. Photos, documents, everything, all over the place.... waited.... frustrated.... etc...

Get to the clerk finally and give him the pics. He says sit down and wait.... comes back and says these photos are no good either. There's a shadow on the white background! MAN... I get so worried. So angry at the photographers and then at myself.

Then the clerk says... "But I can still issue you the passport. You just will have a delay at the point of entry!"

I say "yes... just give me the passport!" in a flash, and then after a few more minutes waiting, he comes back with the big beautiful manilla envelope! WE GOT IT!

Just wanted to say thanks to you guys for all the help. Really you are the best! I'll certainly be paying it forward by helping out here in the future!

Love Hux