Who submitted passports to London or Lagos VFS recently, like in thr past 3/4 months. How long did it take each one to return your passports.

Jesus! What a story!

Andyosifo:

Congratulations



LANDING GIST.
LONG READ.

So I love to read landing gist because it has a way of gingering hope in me while still in the PR process. This is me contributing my landing gist to encourage others and give hope to those that are still in the PR process. My timeline is as follows.
AOR: August 2019
1st PPR: Dec 2020
1st PPR expired: May 2021
New upfront Medicals: August 2021
2nd PPR: Oct 2021
Landing in Canada: Dec 2021

After the Euphoria of getting 1st PPR in Dec 2020, we sent our Passports to London VFS for Stamping but UK went into lockdown due to Delta Variant of Covid-19 and Passport got stuck until Feb 2021. We tried all manner of tricks but nothing seems to work, in fact some got their passport returned from London VFS without stamping. Luckily for us, our passports were stamped and returned by Feb 17, 2021, we immediately planned to move by early March but Government of Canada decides to stop all intending PR landing. Only students and COPR holders with family members already in Canada were exempted. Those were the days of AL (Authority Letter to travel)
However, trust Nigerians to always find a way around every rule, my wife told me that people in her WhatsApp group were still travelling by going through Cameroon. I was skeptical but when the pressure was becoming unbearable, I succumbed and being the primary applicant, I offered myself as the sacrificial lamb to try out the Cameroon route. It was a very costly mistake. I was prevented from boarding at Cameroon by their airport security officers who said they have orders from above to stop Nigerians who had been trouping into Cameroon to sneak into Canada from doing so. I was distraught. The airport security guys confiscated my passport and extorted me of $100 before It was released to me. I got back to my hotel in Cameroon. Book the next available flight which is Kenya Air back to Nigeria where another drama was waiting for me.

On getting to the airport to pick my boarding pass back to Nigeria, the Kenya Airways officer told me I can not fly with the Covid Test I did in Nigeria 2 days ago and that I will need to do another one in Cameroon before I can be allowed to fly. I said it is not possible since the rule says at most 72 hours Covid test is acceptable for flying. Somehow I picked my boarding pass, having been extorted of $100 yesterday, I became a VIP of some sort to the Airport security guys, so they cleared the checking for me and I found myself in the plane waiting to head back to Nigeria. Unknown to me, the Kenya Air lady had instructed her colleagues to remove my loads from the plane, then came with the same Airport security guys to get me off the plane. I almost lost it at this point but I managed to control my emotion and went back to the lady who got me off the plane. She told me that even if I succeeded in flying into Nairobi, I wont be allowed to connect my flight back to Nigeria so the wise thing to do was to do another Covid Test there in Yaounde.

I got her to change my flight to Nigeria to the next available one which was 2pm the third day after shelling out more US dollars. This means I have just one day to do the test and get the result otherwise I will miss the rescheduled flight back to Nigeria again.
By this time it was around 2am in the morning, She got me their driver to take me back to my Hotel in the heart of Yaounde and loaded me with information on where I can do my Covid Test ( Talk of being an Angel and a devil at the same time) . I had to leave the Hotel by 6am and headed to the only place where Covid Test was being done in Yaounde. I met a crowd of over 200 people there already, I refused to panic but kick into Naija survival mode, which made me one of the first 30 persons that was attended to. I was told the result will be sent to our email by close of business the next day. This will not work for me since my flight to Kenya the next day is by 2pm. I asked where the result is being process and I took a cab there to meet the officers in charge. Luckily for me, the guy speaks English so It was very easy for me to communicate to him my dilemma. He promised to help and fast tracked my result and he delivered as I got my result by 7am the next day. I quickly printed it out, and head back to the Airport again for the 3rd time in 2 days. The checks were fast and smooth even though I was still mandated to show proof of paying for another covid test to be taken in Nigeria (Nigeria Authorities order for incoming passengers as at then) and I landed back in Nigeria on a Saturday Morning, having left Nigeria on Tuesday hoping to have travelled to Canada on Wednesday. The Cameroon misadventure got me traumatized and I lost over 1M naira on plane tickets, Covid Testing, hotel bills and transportation within Yaounde City.
I got back to Nigeria and visited Wakanow to request for a refund of the ticket for the Cameroon -Canada leg booked. I lost further money again as only about 55% of the fare was refunded after 3 weeks waiting. But we moved.
May 25th 2021 came and our 1st PPR expired. It was a sad day. It was even sadder when restrictions were lifted on June 21st 2021 and we got to know that no automatic renewal of PPR but new medicals will be required to be done, meaning our IRCC profile that has been approved will now switch back to processing. At my wife’s insistence again, I agreed that the family do an upfront medical again and that proved to be a smart move. The PPR re-issuance time line is as follows.
Aug 6 2021 – Remedical for the whole family
Sep 12 2021 – Do you still want to travel mail from IRCC
Oct 19 2021 – New PPR
Nov 1 2021 – New COPR

The passports were sent to Accra on Oct 20th and in 12 days it was back with VISA and COPR. It was as if, Accra suddenly became born again. My Madam said, okay let’s go, I said calm down ma, there is no rush again, the worst is now in the past. Let’s wait till the children finish their second term in school (After all we have paid hundreds of thousands in school fees already). Base on this we purchase Lagos -Canada ticket for Dec 26th 2021. By Nov 10th or so Omicron became an issue and by Nov 28th we further learnt that some Nigeria tested positive to Omicron in Toronto, having travelled from Nigeria. Suspecting that restrictions may be put on Nigeria, we rushed to Wakanow and changed the travel date to Dec 3rd, the earliest available but lo and behold, it was a waste of money and effort. Canada slammed Nigeria with travel restriction on Dec 1st 2021.

My Madam was angry with me for wasting the whole of Nov window, we could have travelled without any restriction. I had to plead for forgiveness for my indiscretion. Later she told me her whatSapp group members are now going through Dubai, Ghana, Turkey to Canada by spending 10days in the connecting countries. The trauma of my Cameroon adventure in April was still fresh in my memory, hence I convinced her it was not an option for us. Luckily by Dec 18th 2021, the travel restriction was lifted by Canada. We rushed back to changed our flight ticket to the earliest date available- guess what it was Dec 26th our initial date. So we ended up wasting about 500K changing ticket dates back and forth. Because of official forex, myself and wifey had to booked return ticket but getting forex with the new CBN process proved to be a rocket science but fortunately for both of us we were able to get our $4K each at the last minute at official rate which more than compensated for the money lost to changing ticket date when compared to buying same at the black-market rate.
Flight with KLM was very smooth and enjoyable. Check in process was faultless in Lagos and all our luggage sailed through. We had a 7 hours layover in Amsterdam before continuing to Alberta the next day. Both flights were smooth and uneventful. The inflight food was not fantastic though but manageable.

Landed in Alberta on Dec 27th, did self check in and declaration at one of the several computer terminals, proceeded to immigration who were very courteous and friendly and in about 15 minutes, landing formalities were over. Proceeded to health Canada, where Madam and the Children were picked for Covid test. Another 20 minutes their test were over, the children not being vaccinated were given Covid home kits to repeat a 8days test. Thankfully all covid test came out negative. We took some pictures, changed a few dollars to CAD at the airport (worst rate ever @ 1 USD to 1.128 CAD but the little money changed came in very handy for some petty expenses before we were able to open bank accounts a few days later. The bank rate is a little better at 1USD to 1.258 CAD).

My wife contacted a friend on one of her numerous WhatsApp group (I on the other hand did not join any whatSapp group except Nairaland for my sanity ) who came to pick us up at the airport to our pre-booked Air BNB. In about 10 days we have settled accommodation, bank accounts, Health Cards, library Cards, and SIN Cards. Though still in Air BnB (pre-paid for 20days upfront to allow for proper settling in without pressure of moving the family about) God granted us speed and good people for assistance especially for movement. In spite of these assistance, I have spent over N100K on Uber movement to get some of the things listed above done. The trick here is that I use my Nigeria naira card for Uber movement since I have access to 200USD in a month on the card. And GTB graciously bill the Card at N382 to a CAD.
Another thing worth saying here is that if you buy your Forex from GTB like me, you will only be given $500 cash and a dollar denominated MasterCard pre-loaded with the balance of $3500. But the exchange rate when you use that master Card here is terrible @1USD TO 1.20 CAD
The cold is better experienced than imagined, at an average of -28C since we came in, it has been tough but interestingly the Children loves it. Only 1 day has been very good at -5C.

Still settling in but the little I have seen confirmed that coming to Canada is worth the wait and the hype in terms of quality of life and sanity of mind. There are many GC funded assistance for new comers, please reach out and make use of them when you come in. You will eventually give back to these agencies when you are fully settled and integrated into the society. Mentally stop converting your spending into naira, otherwise you will not do anything. Please don’t blow your POF before coming down as settling down is very expensive, if possible, bring more than the required POF, you will thank God you did.

In my opinion settling in is easier and faster for a family than a single person (though super more expensive) so if you have a serious relationship, better you make it official and come in together as it can be very lonely in winter. My prayer is that it will end in praise for all of us yet in the process. Goodluck and God’s speed. Ire o.

Sup guys, what's the average passport return time for VFS offices in Lagos, Kenya, Cairo and London right now?

OlanikeOba:
Are you going for a post graduate course?

Yes

Good morning friends. Please if you are starting at GCU London campus this September, please reply and let's have a talk. Thanks

GeneralFeezy:
It shall arrive sson by God's grace

Amen o. The delay is affecting many plans.
Thanks

GeneralFeezy:

I am not going to GCU but I know some GCU peeps who have gotten

Alright bro. I am still waiting for mine though. And like 2 other people I know

GeneralFeezy:


Some have gotten

Please are you one of those who have gotten?
Thanks

Hello guys.
Please for those who have September admission for Glasgow Caledonian university (Glasgow and London), have you been issued your CAS?
Seems everybody I know with admission there haven't been issued their CAS.

Hi guys

A friend got Manitoba LAA email tonight. I am so happy for him. A step forward for him in the process

Guys, please how do I make WES payment, debit cards are not working. Thanks.

Tonyamori:


Have you used barter by flutterwave and do you have a dollar account or a prepaid dollar card ?

Please how exactly will one use Barter to do the payment. I loaded my barter account and attempted to use their virtual card for WES payment, the card was still not accepted

icehot:


Friends can do too. The relatives or friends could be invited for an interview with the immigration officers. They also have to be in good standing with the Canadian government.

Thanks so much

icehot:


You can apply to Saskatchewan, Manitoba (If you have relation/job offer there), Prince Edward Island, and Alberta (I don't think they have done any draw in a long time). Others pick from the pool.

Thanks boss. Must the relative in Manitoba be a blood relative? Or can friends do?

icehot:


It depends on what province you are applying to. Most provinces pick candidate who are already in the express entry pool.

I think you can apply directly to Saskatchewan province but you will need more points (higher IELTS band, masters, relative/connections to the province and/or job offer) to get high points. Out of a 100 points for SINP, you need to be getting like 70 above to be given NOI. It takes about 4 months, but covid might cause some delays.

For Ontario, they pick from the express entry pool according to their needs in the province, so you cannot apply directly to them. They have not launched their Expression of Interest system unlike Saskatchewan. Theirs take about 3 months.

Kindly educate me more sir, how many provinces need an applicant to apply first, and who are the ones who just pick their interest from the federal pool?

abdulslutsky:
Wheww .

Gap between 7.5 and 8 in listening is a very wide one. Distraught right now. CRS 412. Wtf

Don't be distraught bro, I had a similar issue. I did it again however and I passed it. But it's unbelievable how far away one will be if you have 7 or above in the others and just 7.5 in listening. A difference of close to 60 points. It made me hate the CLB system then

phabulous88:


Nobody knows when the next general draw will be. If there's anything you can do to increase your CRS score, do it

What more can I do to increase my score in the meantime to get to around 480? I have masters, more than 3 years of work experience, and no family in Canada

castrokins:
God Bless You. I Used IELTS Liz For My Prep And Her Resource Was Very Helpful.


Thanks

IELTS Advantage of Chris Pell is also a great resource. I combined his videos with that of Jay of E2 Language and I had 8,8,7,7

I just got my IELTS results - LSRW - 8,8,7,7

Please what's the update on when the general draws will start again, my CRS score is 454 and I have entered the pool meanwhile

My friend and I talked about Funmi Adams and all those lovely songs that only children born in the 80s can enjoy.
Her songs are some of the loveliest nostalgia of my childhood.
Big thanks to everybody working tirelessly to find the heroine of our childhood. And I think my stubborn and unfailing belief in Nigeria despite all the negatives is due to the ideals that her songs have set into my unconscious mind.
Funmi Adams is one of the best ever.

Please, for those who are applying for 2016/17 session, is the form still put and what will it cost people who wants to apply to Statistics and public health respectively, especially now that the form seems to be late.

Overbooked? Only in Nigeria

Ben400:
Pls guys where in UCH will d Biostatistics lecture b holding tomorrow

College of medicine, UCH. The hall is called Paul Hendricks hall.
It will be 8.30 on the dot, big class, and quite voluminous.

tief:
Yes it is

So did clearance hold on Friday at pg office.

Bleaching is the worst form of low self esteem

My biggest turn off in a woman is lack of belief and pride in herself. Always wanting to be like others. Bleaching to be like the whites, too much make up to resemble movie actors etc

Did any clearance hold at PG school on Friday?

I love Yobo! Great service for Nigeria. Congrats to him.
I hope he won't end up a coach like Oliseh.

Please house, tomorrow is my clearance. I want to confirm from people who know if the strike continues till tomorrow so that I won't bother wasting time travelling down for it. Thanks

Please what can someone who unavoidably missed clearance do?

Except you really don't have much money, I don't see why anybody should target school hostel. Low quality generally

HungerBAD:
Said it the other day.

They will be caught,and very soon too.

This calls for celebration. This is one time i will support the police on their "Accidental Discharge" Policy, on these suspects. Please just do away with them, so they are not freed and become a bigger menace to the society.

What if the police are just parading innocent people while the miscreants are free. It's a usual police thing in Nigeria