₦airaland Forum

A555:
Yes, it should have been sent in the mail. There will be no message or letter attached to your profile. It should be delivered within a week.

Okay. Thanksssss

Hello All

Please I have a question. I got an email saying that my PR card application was updated. When I logged on, its said application approved and see messages below.

But there is no message below to see. Does this mean that the card has been produced and mailed out?

On the average after the approval how long to receive the actual card in the mail?

Hello

I'd be landing in about two weeks and I have a few questions.

Please where can I find the list of prohibited food items?

Then secondly just in case, we want to carry proof of funds as in a few cases they have asked newcomers. Is it okay to print the one that we used to apply or we need to do a new proof of funds?

I'm guessing the one used to apply will suffice.

Thankssss

olumig:
Simply means come and collect your passport, but you wont know the decision until you collect your passport.

Thanks Olumig.

Does she need to wait for another e-mail specifically saying "come and collect your passport" before going to VFS?

Hello

Please I applied for a TRV for my mum and she got this e-mail last week.

"We would like to inform you that your processed passport has been dispatched from the Canada Visa Office, on 03 May 2018 to the Canada Visa Application Centre."

Please can anybody assist to explain what this e-mail means?

Thankss

mamacajah:
Praise the Lord, he always works things out for us. Good to hear this update.. I have tagged someone here who I am sure would love to keep you company...

@mummyjaygirls..someone needs your help here

Thank you. I appreciate it.

MummyJaygirls:
Hey sis, thanks

@geebaby10 u can send me a mail

Hello. Thankss. Done.

TheCongo2:
I just call Service Ontario at 1-800-268-1154 and spoke to Rihanna.
She says that a new immigrant can received the Health card before the 90 days mark but they can't use it until they have been in Ontario for 90 days. And there is no exception to the rule. However, if someone comes to Canada as a refugee, he will qualify for Heath care from the day he arrives in Canada under the government program.

Nevertheless, I am still interested in the case outlined by geebaby10.
From experience, I know that phone representatives who work for the government may not be as savvy.
They may tell you one thing while the reality on ground spells something different.
Some phone representatives may not be familiar with exceptional circumstances.
Therefore, I may need to make more calls to Service Ontario and speak to different representatives before coming up with a conclusion of whether or not a person can qualify for OHIP before the 90 days mark.

Thank you for checking up on this. Well she confirmed again to me but even me, I didn't bank on her word when making my plans because I haven't found anybody else to corroborate this experience.

Because I had so many questions when deciding on my landing I had cause to speak to many people. Toronto Birth Centre is free and mid-wives services in Ontario are free as well. I know somebody that landed in Ontario and used this route. The person asking for options can also explore this if she doesn't mind not having the normal hospital setting.

A555:
Our experience for Calgary was quite straightforward.

Thanks for this. The doctor at the walk-in family clinic was really helpful. Are there any walk-in maternity clinics in Alberta? OR you have to be referred to one by a family clinic?

Beeea:
Hello, I sent you a PM. Please respond

Thank you for the message. I have responded.

TheCongo2:
As far as I know, a new landed immigrant in Ontario would receive his OHIP card soon as he applies for one. But this card (coverage)will go into effect only after 90 days of the new immigrant's presence in Canada .

So if that person you spoke to did receive her OHIP card after 7 days of her presence in Canada, this may not mean her OHIP account was activated.

Nevertheless, as you suggested this information need to be verified

Well I'm not sure if everybody receives the card in 7 days. But according to her, she had her baby using her OHIP coverage and she had not stayed up to three months. This was in London, Ontario.

Nobody else knows anyone that has enjoyed this exception?

For me, it makes sense that exceptions are given. Proof of funds for a family of two is CAD16,000. Asking that family to pay about half of that to birth a baby when they're trying to settle in as residents is almost cruel because it is not birth tourism. They plan to stay and contribute to the economy. Well like I said it's worth verifying.

Maybe someone in Ontario can help call or stop by the registration point to confirm.

geebaby10:
Hello. Please can someone assist with this situation.

I received PPR last week and my sent my passports to Accra this morning.

1. Hubby and I intend to arrive in Canada about 3 days to the expiry of our medicals. Is this too close to the deadline?

2. We plan to do a soft landing first. We intend to stay for only about a week in Toronto. Is this time enough for the post arrival procedures especially the application for our PR cards.

3. We intend to leave Toronto to America to birth our child. Will it be an issue that our baby is born after COPR and after our first landing but before our PR cards are issued? Is this something to declare? From what I understand, there's nothing to declare if it is after you arrive Canada for the first time. And I don't think it is a sin to be PR of Canada and go to America to deliver but I have heard some comments so please help.

4. By God's grace for our final landing next year, we would have had our PR cards with us. But our baby will have a US passport and Nigerian passport. How do we go about processing our baby's Canadian documents?

P.S. We have considered delivering in Canada but it will be more expensive and we do no have family to assist the way we do in the US. In the US, the doctor is family and we have free accommodation so basically we're paying just the hospital fees and we have loads of family in the same area to help out. In Canada, the medicals may be free but we will be paying for EVERYTHING else i.e. accommodation, food, moving around, and no family to help.

Also, we cannot declare change in family configuration until the child is born which will be after COPR, after our first landing and aafter our application for the PR cards but before our final landing.

Hello All.

I was the one with the post a few weeks ago. Again thank you all for the many responses that we got.

We have decided to have the baby in Canada. Specifically in Edmonton, Alberta because in Alberta thats where we know a family. Our friends there have even been kind enough to offer us free accommodation for the duration and we didn't even ask. Talk about lines falling in pleasant places.

We have spoken to a family that landed there pregnant last year and they have helped with info on how to get the health card immediately.

But I would like to get some information about getting a doctor on time. It's only about 6 weeks plus from my arrival to due date and I've heard that getting a gynae can takes MONTHS. Please for anyone that lives in Edmonton how can we get a doctor or even a mid-wife that can arrange a hospital birth on time?

Also, please can anybody refer us to a doctor or mid-wife in Edmonton?

Lastly please anyone in the Edmonton area I don't mind making new friends. I can send my Whatsapp number.

adewa1980:
Hi eFamily, please i need some help from anyone that has the most up to date information. I and my partner got our COPR and our destination is Ontario because they sponsored us, i am pregnant and will be due in mid June by the grace of God. We want to give birth in Canada but the problem is that Ontario province has a three months waiting period to get the OHIP. My question is if anybody know how much is it to give birth in Ontario and if there is a cheaper option...

But I have "heard" that in Ontario they break the 3 months rule for exceptions and serious cases and pregnancy counts. I used quotation marks because I haven't experienced it personally. I only recently spoke to someone that claims that hers was expedited. She landed there (Ontario) last year pregnant, applied for OHIP and only had to wait the seven days for the card to be delivered. It may be good for you to verify this information and then if its true, just hold the money as a back up.

Please I have a question.

I went to DHL to arrange for passport pick-up from Accra last Thursday. A week after still no tracking number even though I was promised Monday. Please how long should it usually take to get a tracking number?

vcole:
@affordablerent, it is surprising that you are unaware that Canada has a much better health care system than the states. It is public information and is even used as a joke between both countries. Having experienced health care from the states under a private system that I paid for and same care in Canada under the public system, I can say that both as a patient as well as a health worker, Canada is wayyy superior.
@geebaby10, the 183 days residency requirement for health care insurance is actually for all provinces and not just Alberta.
You can PM me, to be honest 6 months goes by quickly and before you know it, you'll head home. If your sis would be willing to stay with you for a bit that would be nice. Your family in the states could also come visit for a short while.

Thank Vcole. I agree 6 months is not long but my maternity leave here won't let me and I don't want to be jobless until we move next year. So I may not be able to do the 6 months. From their site, I have still not seen what happens if you do not stay the 6 months except that you lose coverage. So I'm thinking worst case scenario I have to pay back? I sha hope they won't say its a criminal offence lol.

I sent an e-mail. Please respond so that I can send a pm.

Canadianfly thank you!! Omo to be an adult in today's world we must use our brains oh. and you've been uber helpful. God bless you.

Affordablerent:
It seems Oga is right on this. The opportunities in US are much more than in Canada, I'm yet to see a black person in Canada reach the same heights in politics as those in US have. Quality of life in US varies from state to state, we need to consider each of the states as a country to look at things with a clearer picture. As a US citizen, your child will have more rights and opportunities in other countries if he or she decides to explore or migrate elsewhere because Americans are well known for their cunning diplomacy. They make things somehow easy for their citizens living in other countries, not just America. The good thing about Canada is free healthcare but sincerely, will you compare the healthcare system of both countries? I'm yet to hear of anyone travelling to Canada for medicals except to give birth for passport purpose. Doctors are few compared to patients and waiting period to see doctors can be long. Some Canadians even travel to America for their medicals.

Okay. I get you a tiny bit. But the rights and benefits of Canadians and Americans in other countries are no so different. Ease of migration is almost the same for both passports. But I agree healthcare isn't 100% in Canada but you can afford it. In America that you have the healthcare, the costs can run you (even as a citizen) dry plus the healthcare system in Canada will improve. America has a higher unemployment rate for college graduates and how about the violence in America? Black people are prominent in America because there are a lot of them. For every successful black person in America there a 100 living in poverty. So let's take the whole picture.

But it is as if you didn't read my epistle. My child is part of a family and not a stand alone human being. So decisions should be made for the whole family including future children to come. In this case I cannot live in the US with my child and if anything goes wrong next year I risk loosing my PR in the long run. So in this my situation is the US passport really better?

Affordablerent:
@Geebaby10, may you birth safely. In my opinion you should give birth in US. You can't compare the worth of an American passport to that of a Canadian one(think of the future not only money to be spent). If your child has an American citizenship, Canadian permanent stay and Nigerian passport, he or she is covered all round.

Thanks for your comment. Honestly right now money in secondary. My husband has your opinion as well but after all my reading I am yet to see any major way in which the US passport is superior. So please share your point of view.

From what I know they seem to be the same in value. The visa free countries for both passports are the the same for any country we care about visiting in the foreseeable future and the quality of life in Canada appears to be better. The quality of education is the same as well at least until university level and the child can enter the US freely.

Then is the US passport of my child of much value to my family as a whole when we the parents need a visa to enter the US? By God's grace, I will never live separately from my child(ren) until maybe university. So, the value only seems to come in when the child is 18 and can file for us parents to be citizens but if we live in Canada for long enough, we will have Canadian passports that is of the same value and we won't need a US passport that "desperately" and to be honest I can imagine myself living in the UK or in Canada but not in US.

Then what if my child is denied entry into Canada next year? I won't leave the child alone in the US or in Nigeria so if the issue isn't rectified on time I lose my PR. So after a few years all we would have is US passport for one child instead of Canadian passport for one child and Canadian PR for parents with the chance to give our other children Canadian passports stress-free because we would be living in Canada. So in the interest of my entire family is the US passport really worth more than the Canadian passport?

Please let me know what I am missing.

Again, thank you for all the contributions. I really appreciate them.

For the questions, if we continue with the original Houston plan, I will arrive in Houston at less than 35 weeks and we would be flying Delta to Canada and Houston. Delta has minimal requirements for expectant mothers below 36 weeks. Hubby will be unable to stay with me for longer. The time he has will be before the baby is born if not his medicals will expire.

So far the Alberta option is the best for Canada. Enjoy the free health care, my baby has the Canadian passport and we fly to Houston as soon as we have the passport. The cons are that at some point in the future I may need to repay the costs and I will be very very alone for the birth. To say that is not scary will be a lie. However, my sister (no experience with babies either) already has a PR card (did a soft landing last year) and is willing to spend time with me when my baby is due. I have started applying for my mum's visitor visa (please anyone with tips on how to expedite this please let me know).

If we stick to the less liked option of Houston, at the POE, we tell them that family support is the main reason for birthing in America instead of Canada. Last quarter of 2019, when we move finally we file for family sponsorship for our child. From what I read and our discussions with a lawyer, the need to prove financial ability is waived for dependent children and the child can be in Canada (legally) during the sponsorship. Most of the sad stories, the children usually needed a visitor visa to enter Canada or the baby was born before the family arrived at the port for their first landing and they did not declare the change.

The major con is that immigration laws can change, sponsorship can be long and stressful and there are absolutely no guarantees. This is even more scary and sounds like something to be avoided.

So please if you know any nice people in Calgary I don't mind making new friends. I promise that I am a good person. lol.

Vcole and Blessedlovedfavd please I may need info from you guys on doctors and hospital so I will be sending you messages.

Again thank you for all the input. I agree that my baby is super blessed. See all the help from people I haven't met and may never meet. Thank you!

I have done some research and it looks like I will be paying for my medical fees. This is because I am doing a soft landing and so I won't stay the time required by provinces. Alberta will offer on landing once I apply but I must be committed to stay 183 days in 12 months which is not possible at this time. Except I am not properly understanding what I read.

I am not due until weeks after my medicals expire so the option of having my baby and then adding to my application is like starting the process for PR all over again.

So let's say I stay in London Ontario where I know some people and pay for private health insurance for the birth. The baby will be covered by the government health plan immediately it is born. Please what plans can I be looking at? The plans that I can see so far, my case isn't covered so I may have to pay a lot of money out of pocket.

Secondly If I choose to stay in Alberta (I won't lie on any form or application) once I state that I may not stay the required 183 days in 12 months will I still get the health card?

Thirdly, for a soft landing (which I understand are legal) do I have to mention to Immigration officers at the airport that I am doing a soft landing?

Beeea:
An issue that may arise is that until your child's sponsorship is through, he/she will not have medical coverage in Canada and you would need to buy health insurance for your baby.

These are my thoughts, choose a province that provides health care coverage on landing to permanent residents e.g. Saskatchewan or Alberta. Have your baby and within one week after birth, get baby's Canadian passport and travel to the States where you have family.
I understand the issue of having a support system even for the delivery so if it is possible for you to have one of your family members from the US with you for the delivery, you may want to do that.
If that is not possible, you can always reach out to other believers, if you are one, in your intended city and you may be quite surprised by how much help you would receive.


Canadian immigration is an entity that is quite difficult to predict and I would personally rather minimize my interaction with them.

Hope this helps. Cheers!

Thank you for this. You just opened an angle that I had not considered yet. We can have the baby and then leave! At what age can the baby travel. It will be a short flight to Houston. I know from Toronto its about three hours? Let me find out about this. Thanks.

Fortissimo thank you as well.

Please while I am researching and cracking my brain all suggestions are welcome.

Canadianfly:
If you ask me, go to Canada and save yourself the headache. What you think you're saving by going to America, you'll pay much more in the long run. All the best with the decision you make.

Thanks a lot for this response I really appreciate. To all those that responded. Thank you very much. I read them all and I appreciate.

When we decided to have the baby in America, money savings was secondary. The primary issue is that I have no family in Canada. Like None. Becoming a mother for the first time where I don't know anybody is scary. And my husband will not stay for the entire three months. He will go with me at first and then leave to come back later. In total he will be staying for three weeks. We plan to relocate fully next year. So basically, it will be just me.

So if we can avoid it, we will do what we can. From what I have read here and my ongoing research, a US passport holder (our child) doesn't need a visa to enter Canada. And they can stay for up to six months at a time. By God's grace we can afford a trip from Canada to America every six months until the sponsorship is complete.

For most of the stories we have read, the baby had a citizenship that needed travel documents to enter Canada. In the Nigerian parents case, they had the baby before they landed in Canada. They did not declare a change in family when they should have.

But one thing is clear, hubby and I need to sit down, research, ask questions and then decide very carefully on the way forward.

Please can somebody help with this situation.

We plan to do a soft landing in Canada so the visas do not expire and then go to America to birth our child. Will it be an issue that our baby is born after COPR and after our first landing but before our PR cards are issued? Is this something to declare?

From what I understand, there's nothing to declare if it is after you arrive Canada for the first time. And I don't think it is a sin to be PR of Canada and go to America to deliver but I have heard some different comments so please help.

Please note that the child will be born after COPR, after our first (soft) landing, after applications for our PR cards but before the PR cards are issued and before our final landing and the child will be born outside Canada.

Hello. Please can someone assist with this situation.

I received PPR last week and my sent my passports to Accra this morning.

1. Hubby and I intend to arrive in Canada about 3 days to the expiry of our medicals. Is this too close to the deadline?

2. We plan to do a soft landing first. We intend to stay for only about a week in Toronto. Is this time enough for the post arrival procedures especially the application for our PR cards.

3. We intend to leave Toronto to America to birth our child. Will it be an issue that our baby is born after COPR and after our first landing but before our PR cards are issued? Is this something to declare? From what I understand, there's nothing to declare if it is after you arrive Canada for the first time. And I don't think it is a sin to be PR of Canada and go to America to deliver but I have heard some comments so please help.

4. By God's grace for our final landing next year, we would have had our PR cards with us. But our baby will have a US passport and Nigerian passport. How do we go about processing our baby's Canadian documents?

P.S. We have considered delivering in Canada but it will be more expensive and we do no have family to assist the way we do in the US. In the US, the doctor is family and we have free accommodation so basically we're paying just the hospital fees and we have loads of family in the same area to help out. In Canada, the medicals may be free but we will be paying for EVERYTHING else i.e. accommodation, food, moving around, and no family to help.

Also, we cannot declare change in family configuration until the child is born which will be after COPR, after our first landing and aafter our application for the PR cards but before our final landing.

GlitteringStar:
Read this post for the passport submission process. You will receive a pick up mail after approval. You will then go to a DHL office with an authorization letter, the pick up mail and your ATM card/cash.

Thanks!!

Thanksssss

Please for those post PPR please help clarify the passport submission process.

What I understand is that I go to DHL office in VI with

1. A copy of the PPR email
2. Height and eye colour chart
3. Family information form - IMM5645E
4. 2 passport photos each per family member
5. International passports
6. Money to pay DHL for their services.

Please am I correct?

Then also how do I arrange for pick-up with DHL?

After almost 8 months, PPR is here!! Grateful to GOD!!

ITA - May 4 2017
AOR - July 27 2017
Medicals Passed - August 9 2017
ADR for Travel History - August 9 2017 and submitted August 14 2017.
IP1 - August 10 2017
NA2- 16 August 2017
IP2 - during the mass movement in LVO recently
PPR - March 21 2018.

My application was far from perfect you can see my older posts to understand what I mean. The wait was long and frustrating but I'm super happy today.

For all those LVO is teaching patience I wish you speedy PPR.

Hello All

I am new on this thread and I tried reading the beginning but I did not find what I need.

I already have a B1/B2 tourist visa which I used last year for a wedding. Please can I know the documents I would have to show at the POE? I already read that the letter of Intent is not necessary. So asides the documents i have listed below is there anything else?

1. Letter of acceptance/ bill for the hospital
2. Letter of appointment from Doctor
3. Quote from doctor
4. Address of where you will be staying and
5. Proof of funds for all

Also, given the experiences here what are the possible difficulties I may encounter and how do I prepare for them?

Also, I am about to make contact with the doctor, please can I see a sample first e-mail?

Lastly, do I have to communicate with the hospital directly or can the doctor can be a middle man between me and the hospital?

I know I have plenty questions but pleaseeeeeee help.

Thanks

Listrab110:
Hi boldinc, no I wasn't asked for any documents. But a friend in the US had earlier applied for a diversity visa for me using another country of birth instead of Nigeria where I was born, without my knowledge. When I got shortlisted in the lottery, he contacted me and asked me to find a way of getting the country's passport and documents which I declined as I wasn't aware that was what he had claimed in the visa lottery application. It came as a surprise to me when I was asked about the diversity visa application during my US visitor's visa interview. The visa officer refused to listen to my explanations about being unaware of the application my friend in the US made on my behalf, and said I misrepresented myself as the visa lottery application was filled with another country of birth...so much for friends!

Please do you have any idea on the impact of US visa denials on the Canadian PR application?

Thanks!

Wawu.

For me, the more important issue here is if CIC would also have access to the database that the US Consular Officials obtained this information from. If they do then I think that you have an issue.

Have you asked your friend to withdraw the diversity visa application?

HTC2017:
Hope you've been able to make sense of the GCMS notes now.

Yes I have thank you.

At the bottom I saw the notes. Everything seems to be fine. I only saw one review required. It was beside my my criminality check. It said that my Nigerian Police Certificate was okay then put review required. And the date was 15 August. I am guessing this is because I have many trips to the UK and it probably looked like it was up to 180 days in total. It explains why I received an ADR for travel history the day after this note.

Then I saw another note that just mentioned my US visa refusal.

Every other thing looks in order so I hope its just to wake for LVO to do their work. From the notes it shows they haven't picked my file up at all. All the notes are by CIO

Vcole and AlexanderGreat thanks for the tips. Lemme try to put them to use. I appreciate

Ordered GCMS notes. Got it in 30 days.

The issue now is that it is confusing me. Why do they repeat one thing like 1 billion times?

Please any tips on how to fully digest these notes?

Virt:
Thanks for your response @crazyinlove. 77days at NA2 is no child's play o . Was any of your past visa refusals from UK and is your VO London VO? I heard that if one has a past UK visa refusal, that he/she will be automatically assigned the London VO, how true can this be?

One US visa refusal and travel history of four countries. Trips to the UK alone can fill one passport but thankfully it wasn't up to 180 days cumulative. No UK refusal ever. File ended up in LVO. Been on NA2 since 16 August. That's about 87 days now.