Permanent Residence activated

I’ve been a Permanent Resident of Canada for 50 days now!

We were planning to have a wee recce trip together in the autumn, but it didn’t work out with Tim’s work, so I was resigned to taking a trip in spring 2012. Instead, my PR was confirmed incredibly quickly and I found myself booking a last-minute landing trip to Vancouver in some holiday time I already had booked off from work.

I arrived on a Tuesday night and left on Friday evening, so had very little time to do anything. Keeping close to UK hours meant that I didn’t have any jetlag at all, but I also didn’t have any evening activities or a chance to meet up with Tim’s family.

I won’t bore you with the tourist-y details of my trip, except to say that my highlights were:

• Circle Craft Christmas Market
• Neon exhibition at the Museum of Vancouver
• Seeing the Olympic Cauldron lit up at Canada Place
• Remembrance Day service at Victory Square, including singing ‘O Canada’ with other people for the first time :)
• Getting caught in a torrential thunderstorm on the seawall in Stanley Park

Details of the actual immigration process below...

Happy Halloween!

Our Canadian pumpkin :)

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:

A reply, but no answers

I replied to yesterday's email with my mailing address (as requested), but also asking what they meant by "not called for" and explaining that I received an email from them on 20th September asking for my passport, photos and the updated information chart.

Today...

Subject: RE: File: [my file number] [my name]
Date: Tue, 25 Oct 2011 11:58:27 +0100
From: <re-london-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca>
To: [my email]
Dear [my name],


Thank you for your e-mail. Your passport will now be re-sent to the address below.


Please be advised that you must sign for the package.


Yours sincerely,


ACD

BUT WHAT DOES IT MEAN?!

As I said to a commenter, this is actually a really good example of why I set up this blog – I’ve searched online and on various forums and still can’t find anyone who has been sent this email, but I know I can’t be the first!

Confusion

Okay, now I'm worried! Just received an email from the CIC saying:

Subject: File: [file number] [my name]
Date: Mon, 24 Oct 2011 10:55:32 +0100
From: <re-london-im-enquiry@international.gc.ca>
To: [my email address]

Dear [my name],

This e-mail is regarding your application for permanent residence.

Please be advised that your passport was returned to our office marked "Not called for".

Please provide your correct mailing address for return of your passport.


Yours sincerely,
ACD
Immigration and Medical Services Division | Direction de l'immigration et des services médicaux
Canadian High Commission | Haut-commissariat du Canada
38 Grosvenor Street
London, W1K 4AA | Londres, W1K 4AA
United Kingdom | Royaume-Uni

I've searched online for what "not called for" means, but I can only find stuff about applicants not being called for an interview - nothing about passports. I've sent them an email and I'm off to search the British Expats forum. I thought it was all going too smoothly :(

Passport request!

10 weeks after the London Visa Office received our file, I got a very exciting email from the CIC - I've been approved!

I have to send my passport, more passport photos (kinda wish I'd know that before - I would have got them printed at the same time I got the other 8!), and an updated information chart down to London and they'll attached my visa and return it within 6 weeks!

I can't believe it's all been so quick and (relatively simple) - fingers crossed they don't lose my passport now :)

Full text of the email and attached letter below...

In process

ECAS has been updated again! It now shows that the London office have started processing our application. Our timeline is now:

25th May – Paperwork received in Mississauga
28th June – Sponsor approved (34 days)
11th July – Paperwork received in London (13 days)
27th July – Started processing application (16 days)

Keep your fingers crossed!

In case you're interested, the actual wording on ECAS is below...