Success!

Guess I what picked up this morning? :)

It turns out that your visa is returned to you by recorded delivery, but my postman decided (for the first time ever!) not to leave a missed delivery card - grr. My visa sat in the delivery office for a fortnight, then was returned to CIC, who sent me the email about it being "not called for". It was reposted and he did leave a card this time, so I've got it now!

The package included:

1. My passport with the shiny new visa stuck in, which looks this (obviously with my details included!):

2. The Confirmation of Permanent Residence form (aka "COPR" or IMM 5292 (CON) B (06-2004)). I can't find a sample version of this, but it's the form that you sign when you land.

3. A letter of "instructions and information" - the full text is below for info.

Apart from the numpty postman, I can't believe it's all gone so smoothly! 158 days from sending the documents to Mississauga and 204 days from starting this blog.

I've actually got a fortnight off work coming up very soon, so I'm going to try to nip over to Vancouver and land then. I'll keep you posted!

Full text of letter:

Government of Canada
High Commission of Canada

High Commission of Canada
Immigration and Medical Services Division
Macdonald House
38 Grosvenor Street
London W1 K 4AA
United Kingdom
http://www.unitedkingdom.gc.ca/

Instructions and Information: Seeking Admission to Canada as a Permanent Resident

(These instructions are intended for applicants who receive this letter while outside Canada. If you are IN Canada when you receive it, special instructions could apply. Please see the note at the end of this letter. *)

Enclosed are two documents for you and two for each dependent or member of your family who will accompany you to Canada: a permanent resident visa (affixed in your passport) and a Confirmation of Permanent Residence form.

You must have these documents to seek admission to Canada as a permanent resident at a Canadian port of entry (border crossing or international airport). Please read the following information and instructions carefully. Failure to follow the instructions could result in the immigration officer at the port of entry refusing to admit you to Canada.

IMPORTANT INSTRUCTIONS

1. YOU MUST ENTER CANADA ON OR BEFORE THE EXPIRY DATE OFYOUR VISA. YOUR VISA HAS BEEN GIVEN THE MAXIMUM VALIDITY. IT CANNOT BE EXTENDED. YOUR VISA EXPIRY DATE IS PRINTED ON YOUR VISA IN THE FORMAT OF DD-MM-YYYY.

2. Do not sign your Confirmation of Permanence Residence form until told to do so by the immigration officer at the port of entry. Do not write on, laminate, or attempt to change your documents in any way.

3. Please check the visa(s) and Confirmation of Permanent Residence form(s) to ensure there are no errors. Your visa and farms were issued on the basis of the information you have provided. If there are errors you must notify this office immediately.

4. If any name or date of birth differs from the name or date in a passport, or if the passport number or validity is incorrect please return the passports and forms for correction. The passport number entered on your Confirmation of Permanent Residence form may be the number that appears on the visa pages of your passport, and not the number that appears on the bio-page of your passport.

5. If there has been any change in your family composition THESE DOCUMENTS CANNOT BE USED FOR IMMIGRATION TO CANADA. You must report any changes (marriage, divorce, death, birth of a child, etc) and return all visas and Confirmation of Permanent Resident forms. New dependents must meet the requirements of the Immigration Refugee and Protection Act.

6. Keep your Confirmation of Permanent Residence form(s) together with your passport(s) at all times. Do not put these forms in your checked luggage.

7. If you plan to settle in the province of Quebec, you must be in possession of a valid Certificate de Selection Du Quebec

8. Please see the reverse side of this letter for info, motion regarding your visa(s) and form(s).

PERMANENT RESIDENT VISA INFORMATION

1. YOUR VISA HAS BEEN GIVEN THE MAXIMUM VALIDITY. IT CANNOT BE EXTENDED. YOUR VISA EXPIRY DATE IS PRINTED ON YOUR VISA IN THE FORMAT OF DD-MM-YYYY. YOU MUST ENTER CANADA ON OR BEFORE THIS DATE. IF YOU DO NOT USE YOUR VISA BEFORE IT EXPIRES, OR YOUR DEPENDENTS DO NOT USE THEIR VISAS BEFORE THEY EXPIRE, YOU MUST REAPPLY FOR IMMIGRATION TO CANADA. APPLICATIONS ARE ASSESSED ACCORDING TO THE LAWS AND REGULATIONS IN FORCE AT THE TIME OF APPLICATION. THE FACT THAT A VISA WAS PREVIOUSLY ISSUED TO YOU DOES NOT GUARANTEE THAT A SUBSEQUENT APPLICATION WLL BE APPROVED.

2. An individual visa has been affixed in the passport of each person seeking admission to Canada.

3. Transportation companies will accept the immigrant visa in your valid passport as a document valid for you to travel to Canada to seek admission as permanent resident.

4. Your visa is valid only if all family members have been declared and examined. Any current family member not examined now can never be' sponsored by you in the future.

5. Dependents may accompany or follow the principal applicant, but cannot arrive in Canada before the principal applicant. If dependents do not join the principal applicant before the expiry date on their visas, they must reapply for immigration to Canada. They many not join their family until they have been accepted again for immigration, either independently or through a sponsorship agreement.

6. The use of a visa by a person other than the rightful holder is a crime punishable under Canadian law. YOU are liable for the improper use of your visa.

CONFIRMATION OF PERMANENT RESIDENCE FORM INFORMATION

1. We have enclosed a Confirmation of Permanent Residence form for each person in your family who will be travelling to Canada.

2. The Confirmation of Permanent Residence form, when completed at the port of entry, will be a record of your arrival in Canada. You will be interviewed and granted entry into Canada as a permanent resident based on the information on this document. It lists information which will be part of your permanent resident card.

Note from me: I haven't missed off number 3 - there isn't one!

4. The Confirmation of Permanent Residence form is NOT a travel document and will not be accepted by transportation companies as proof that the holder is entitled to seek admission as a permanent resident at a Canadian port of entry.

5. Please note that for program integrity reasons, the passport number entered on your Confirmation of Permanent Residence form may be the number that appears on the Visa pages of your passport, and not the number that appears on the bio-page of your passport.

Additional information about immigrating to Canada is enclosed on pages 3 and 4 of this letter. You should read this information in order to prepare for your move to Canada. We wish you a pleasant journey and every success in your future in Canada.

Sincerely,
High Commission of Canada

GETTING THE ANSWERS NOW

Now that you are on your way to Canada, you will need to plan for your arrival using accurate and realistic information about the opportunities, challenges and difficulties that you might face. You will need to know how to find a place to live, schools for your children and medical services. You will need an understanding of Canadian customs and culture. The following page on the Web site of Citizenship and Immigration Canada can help you: www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomers

MEDICAL INFORMATION

In some provinces, children cannot attend school without being properly immunized. Parents of school-aged children should obtain copies of records of immunization from their family doctor, school, or local health service before deporting for Canada. Proof of immunization for diphtheria, tetanus, poliomyelitis, measles, rubella, and mumps may be required.

New immigrants may not be eligible for public health insurance for up to three months after arrival. You must ensure that you and your family members have adequate health care insurance to cover possible health problems. Failure to do so could cause serious financial difficulties if you become ill. For more information, please consult the following Web site: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ea/

Medical surveillance: If your CPR or that of a dependant shows that medical surveillance is required as a condition of landing (that is if there is the code 2.02 or 2.04 in section 28 of the CPR), this office will provide you with a separate surveillance form to accompany your visa. If this has been omitted, please contact us.

WHERE TO OBTAIN YOUR PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS

You cannot acquire permanent residence status from within Canada. To become a permanent resident you must present the Canadian Immigrant Visa upon arrival from abroad at a Canadian border crossing or international airport within the validity date shown on the visa.

You can present your permanent resident visa upon arrival from abroad at any Canadian border crossing or international airport. Please allow a few hours before any connecting flight or other travel to your final destination, as the immigration procedures are done at your initial place of arrival in Canada. You will find more information for newcomers to Canada on the following website: www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/guide/index.html

PERMANENT RESIDENT STATUS

Until you obtain Canadian Citizenship, your permanent residence status may be revoked if you are not present in Canada for at least 730 days within 5 years, except under certain circumstances. For more information about the exceptions, please consult the following website: http://www.cic.gc.ca/ or contact the Citizenship and-Immigration Call Centre in Canada: 1-888242-2100.

EMPLOYMENT INFORMATION

To prepare your move to Canada, one of your first steps should be to begin researching potential employment in Canada. Most occupations in Canada are not regulated. For those occupations, the employer is responsible for assessing and recognizing your qualifications. However, some occupations are regulated and do not permit persons to practice without a license. To obtain a license to practice a regulated occupation, you must go through an assessment and an acceptance of your education and professional qualifications by a regulatory body. This assessment will compare your training, education and experience to Canadian standards. The assessment will also help determine whether further training and evaluation may be needed before you acquire a license to practice your occupation in Canada.

For more information, we encourage you to visit the Going to Canada Internet site at http://www.directioncanada.gc.ca/ where you will find important information about living and working in Canada. On this site, you will also find the "Working in Canada Tool" which will tell you what the current prospects are for your occupation across Canada. It offers information on essential skills, lob descriptions, work conditions and opportunities. It will also tell you whether your occupation is a regulated profession in Canada.

After you arrive in Canada In order to work in Canada, you must obtain a Social Insurance Number (SIN). All working age family members should apply for a SIN number. The application is available at any Canada Employment Centre or at the Port of Entry where you present your visa(s). Human Resource Centres are located in all parts of the country. Experienced counsellors are available to help you find employment. Quebec residents may also wish to contact the Quebec department responsible for immigration (Ministere des relations avec les citoyens et de I'immigration) which provides many services including employment counselling.

In partnership with Service Canada, the Foreign Credentials Recognition Office (FCRO) helps internationally trained individuals get their credentials recognized more quickly. The FCRO provides information and referrals to clients via a dedicated phone service in Canada. In-person service is also available at selected Service Canada Centres. You can obtain information on these services by contacting Service Canada at 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-6232).

Independent immigrants (i.e. skilled workers selected on the basis of economic factors) must satisfy the immigration officer at the Port of Entry that they have enough money to support themselves and their family members, whether the family members accompany the principal applicant or follow later. Independent immigrants must have enough money to look after all their immediate needs while they seek housing and employment. No special financial assistance is available from the Canadian Government.

CUSTOMS RULES AND IMPORTATION OF YOUR PERSONAL BELONGINGS

You may bring your personal belongings duty-free when you immigrate. On your arrival, Canada Customs will require a list of all of the items that you are bringing into Canada. Two lists are required, one of the items that you will bring with you, and another list of any items to follow. in order to import your belongings into Canada, it is essential to ensure that any equipment, machinery or tool is completely free of soil.

Please visit the Web sites of the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency at http://canadainternational.gc.ca/ and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency at http://www.inspection.gc.ea/ for information on the procedures and requirements for importing your personal effects into Canada. It is important to comply with these requirements to avoid any difficulty in importing your belongings.

* Please note that if you are already in Canada and have valid temporary resident status, you now have the option of obtaining your permanent resident status in Canada as opposed to leaving Canada and re-entering at a port of entry. Please contact ClC's Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100 as soon as possible to arrange an appointment with the nearest Citizenship and Immigration office to your place of residence. (You cannot call this number if you are outside Canada.) A100 (10/10)
Note from me: Isn't it cute that that the information line is 1-800 O-Canada :)