Road to Canada
The Road to Canada is unlike the road to El Dorado – the land of gold. No doubt, The Road to El Dorado was an amazing animation. Makes you think how old is this dude?? I am not as old as it seems. Well, the Road to Canada for me was fairly easier in comparison to the Road to El Dorado that Tulio and Miguel took. Poor guys, didn’t know what they were getting in to. Went for the gold and ended up staying for the adventure.
However, I had a few Toll Booths that I had to cross. Dubai introduced Salik in 2007 so I was a pro already in crossing the tolls. Let’s just go ahead and list them down:
1. Change in Family Status:
When applying for immigration, it was just me and my spouse. We were not expecting a child, but as it goes, we were blessed with a daughter, Emaan. She was a little bundle of joy that made my world change completely. Now that we were three, I had to ensure that I update Canadian Immigration with a “Change in family Status”.
This is an important step as you don’t want to receive your Permanent Residence status and have to undergo the same process again for your child. It takes another year or so until you receive their PR. This would mean that you will have to do a short-run to Canada which is called a short-landing and then wait for your child’s PR before you can make the permanent move.
What does this mean for you? You have to ensure that your financial statements that are submitted to Canada Immigration are stable enough to support a child. These steps were added to append a child to your application:
- Add the child to the sponsorship.
- Collect the applicable processing fee for the child.
- Issue instructions for the medical examination to the additional dependent.
You can review the full process in this link here.
2. Photograph Re-Submission:
A follow up is sent back to the applicant if their photograph is not up to the Canada Immigration pre-requisites. Therefore, on February 25, 2015 I got a notification that the photographs do not meet the requirements (Although I hadn’t used snapchat).
I had to send new photos to my Case Processing office (London, United Kingdom) as it was a paper application. They provide me with 45 days to ensure that I am able to comply with the request.
There are many people who do not bother to read emails or check notifications in time. Don’t drop the ball in such an important process of your life. This is the easiest follow-up that can happen, why not be ready and submit it on time.
For Photo Specification, Immigration Canada has provided you with the resource at this link.
3. Follow-Ups:
In my case, I was fortunate as I didn’t have many follow-up requests sent by the Immigration Officer. I was asked to provide new photographs only. What are the examples of such follow-ups? Well, from my sibling’s experiences and a few stories from IELTS Test Takers, these were a few examples:
- Submit Employment Contract as your employment letter doesn’t clearly state your Job Description.
- Provide an explanation Letter for hefty bank deposits.
- Why did you have multiple jobs during a certain period of time.
- Explain the Period of Unemployment and Reason for Leaving a Job.
- Submit new information for Financial Status (Bank Statements etc.)
- Re-submit Travel History.
- Update your Police Certificates for all applicants.
- Attend an Interview at the Canadian Embassy or Consulate.
These are a few examples of the hurdles that might be thrown your way. If you have been right the first time, and haven’t lied on your application, you don’t have to worry about anything. If you did lie, you are in a FIX.
Truth is always the truth, nothing changes; but a lie garners more lies and you are in for a trip. You might eventually get caught.
4. Medical Examination Request: (The Best Toll Gate)
When you arrive at this stage, you take deep breath and you can’t be happy enough to jump around in circles and tell your loved ones that we are at the last toll on the road to Canada. I clearly remember, 24 September 2015, Eid ul Adha first day in Abu Dhabi, I receive 3 e-mails back to back, the subject “Citizenship & Immigration Canada: Information about E00020000”. I opened up the emails and downloaded the attachments and read the first line:
“Medical Examination Instructions”
This made our day. Though I was the second in line receiving these emails, my elder brother already had his Passport Request in.
5. Passport Request:
End of the Road to Canada. Now this is where it all leads to. You have crossed all of the Toll Gates and are now at the end of the road to receive the stamp of a life-time and a letter. On 3rd November, 2015 I received the long awaited letter after 11 months from the application submission date. The letter named “ABUPPTREQUESTLTR” which simply means – Abu Dhabi Passport Request Letter.
The sign of relief and then reading through the letter this stood out:
“No reminder letter will be sent. You are requested to immediately act upon the instructions set out in this correspondence.”
Which simply means, you are good to go and we accept you as a Permanent Resident of Canada. And it also meant, it’s good that you saw this email and letter, if you hadn’t we are not responsible and will not ask you for the same information a 2nd time. Why? Because there are no 2nd Chances in life. You either OPT-IN or OPT-OUT. “Be Mindful”
End of the Road?
Now was that the end of the Road to Canada or was the road still long ahead of me? There were still many things to do, moving and settling in a new country requires a lot many things on your part.
Are you ready for the move. Have you completed the ground work. You have to think of the three W’s: Where will you land? Work available in the vicinity? What is your Backup Plan? Some of these answers are found in the correspondence received from Canadian Immigration.
When your passport is stamped with the Entry Permit and you are provided with the “Confirmation of Permanent Residence” (COPR). You also receive instructions of the next steps to take. This ensures that you have a great life once you have landed as an Immigrant.
You are not just accepted as a Permanent Resident, you are accepted as a future Citizen of Canada. You have every right as that of the Citizens of Canada except for the “Right to Vote”. Which essentially means, you are one of us. I had just become “The Immigrant”.
What’s next?
Since the COPR was received, I started going through the instructions, reviewing online content and researching on the job market and settlement blogs etc. Now, don’t expect me to write those down here.
“Good things come to people who wait and are patient.”
I will let you know all that next. It’s not like I was going for the Gold and staying for an adventure. I had already begun my Adventure back in 2014 and this was just the continuity. And guess what, I am staying too.
Stay hooked, stay safe … I will be back!
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