₦airaland Forum

You've got lots of time. I have sent my notarised identities (BC requested for two) just waiting for payment request.

vascey:
Just submitted the law and tax certificate. Expecting their reply in 2 - 4 weeks. Just got ITA so I still have some time. Expecting them to request for notarized identity and payment.

I guess CPAO is burdened by requests now. They have been advertising heavily on the internet for PRs to register through them so demand has increased.

LVO has taught us patience so we have to wait for them but keep sending them mails once in a while.

Muchaio:
Boss,

I'm good o. CPAO appears to be taking their sweet time. Applications now take average of 12 weeks they said. So I guess it's to apply the patience developed in CIO and LVO lol.
Not landing till April ending tho so I guess it's still ok.

How far with urs?

Congratulations!!!!

GlitteringStar:
I'm now a bona fide member of this thread. I received my Visa and COPR today. To God be the Glory.

Forward ever. Aluta Continua!!!

wholesomegrace:
I'm bored of the so called regimented life my sister. I hope it all ends well.

My dear. God will help indeed. What is in this our naija banking sef that is so stifling?

Please can anyone with CA banking experience or knowledge tell us how it is over there.

Kmgb:
I'm in this gang as well and the truth is I don't see him changing his mind. God help me

My sister in 'pleading with hubby' and 10 years banking. Wish i could take sometime off work and do something flexible but I am.so used to a regimented life. Working at a creche will be fun because I love babies too.

Anyone with any business ideas please chip in.

wholesomegrace:
Thanks for this info.

@ titiclassy, have you ever considered working in a creche? I love taking care of babies and I do this presently and voluntarily, once a week though. That takes care of this hassle "entry or transition job have funny hours", takes care of extra transport cost, and the stress involved in juggling a career with child pick up/drop off. Creche owner might further reduce the cost of care for your children as a staff (don't know if that works in Canny though, just thinking).

Lets just say we might be in the same shoes. I've got close to 10 years experience in banking and i'm ready to shift qualifications to one side to pursue a change of career that will fit around my children's schedule (both are younger than yours), at least until hubby decides to reside fully. We are still pleading .

I've wanted to seek more knowledge from the house on processes involved in establishing a creche in Canada too, but time never reach. I never even start research sef. Just in case you are interested or if anyone knows what it entails, lets begin to share notes.

We must succeed!!!

Let me breakdown my journey.

I emailed CPA British Columbia asking for guidance on how to commence and I was asked to send my transcript (post), resume & acca cert (email) and ACCA letter of good standing (emailed to them by acca). The letter of good standing can be gotten by simply mailing ACCA with your details and the request from CPA-BC. I also filled a form sent to me. The name on the form should agree with that on your ACCA certificate.

Once they receive the docs mentioned above and they are satisfied, you are asked to take the overview on law in tax course. It costs about CAD560 (tax inclusive). Once you get your certificate, you email it to CPA-BC.

Next mail from them would be to complete the tax exempt form to prove you are non resident in CA aling with a copy of a utility bill. You will also post notarised copies of two IDs (I used my intl passport and drivers license). You also get to fill another form which should be hand signed by a supervisor.

What I am waiting for is my final bill to membership.

NB: CPA-BC can be very slow in responding. Other people say CPA-Ontario is a better option for the membership process.

In addition, others did WES course by course evaluation for those that used WES for credential verification instead of sending transcript. I did use WES for verification but went the transcript route as it was cheaper.

juicebox:
Hi. Please can you take me through the process of converting ACCA to CPA. your response will be highly appreciated.

Many thanks vcole.

vcole:
This passport validity matter.....I think we may be overthinking it. The rules are dependent on your destination country. Whatever the rules are determine what the airline would accept. For example, the United States has certain countries from which it requires a 6 months validity on their passports as at point of entry, however Nigeria isn't one of them. I have flown from Nigeria to the states on a passport that was to expire 6 weeks after my date of entry.
This seems consistent with kay2011's experience.

@rainazoe, even if you change the name on your passport, the name on your pr card would be the name on your copr.

This is reassuring. Thanks @kay2011

kay2011:
I landed on the 2nd March, 2018. My International passport will expire on 10th June, 2018. I had no problem with Ethiopian airline, there was no question about the validity of my passport even the CBSA guys said nothing about it. All the CBSA guy told me was " WELCOME HOME".
So, it was not an issue with me.
I hope this helps.

For reals? I'd contact the airline. And it brings me back to my question, do I get the passport in my married name or retain my maiden name?

amindondee:
Which airline would you be using? some airlines like Ethiopia i think doesnt fly once passport is less than 6 months, thats what i was told, you can also make inquiries.

Thanks vcole. Landing is June.

vcole:
when do you intend to land? My advice is to land before passport expiry. Your pr card would bear the name on your copr regardless of a change in passport name.

My good God. I was about to renew my passport because it expires in July. Lemme go and do my short landing jeje

amindondee:
Good day people,

Just to give an update which may be beneficial to anyone on passport expiry less than 6 months before travelling.

So my application was approved and i got all our passports and COPRs in January 2018. My passport was due to expire in May 2018. My spouse however, insisted i renew my passport before we travel because we did not know if we would be allowed to travel with less than six moths validity on my passport. I called Lufthansa and they do not seem to have a fulfilling response as they do not understand what an immigrant visa was and that it is better to have a validity above 6 months so as to avoid any hassles. I renewed my passport and wrote an email to Ottawa, Accra and LVO to inform them i would be renewing my visa. My thinking was that the visa would still be valid as with other visas i have experienced. The next day our CIC/Express Entry profile changed from Approved to "We are awaiting a decision....." and all the counterfoil information removed.

To my great surprise i received an email from LVO that all previously issued COPRs were cancelled and invalid, and we should send all documents (including all family members) back to Accra and wait for further instructions. We were all worried. We sent all the documents through DHL back to Accra and waited for further instructions. 2 days after i received the email requesting for us to pay $120CAD through the online platform for visa re-issue which i did immediately. Then the sudden silence from LVO starts; and we have 5 more weeks until our validity expires, no update on our account profile and no information from them for about 3 weeks and until today that our application on the profile now shows approved. New counterfoil issued and the old ones shown as invalid.

Fam, please I need clarity on this

rainazoe:
My people how una dey? I got COPR with maiden name but want to get a new passport in my married name because it expires in July. Do I wait until till I land CA or process it now? How do I get my PR card to bear my married name?

Hi Maternal. I have missed you. How art thou?

maternal:
Well said. They'll put up with nonsense in naija then have the mouth to critize the government/country of a 1st world country who gave them a chance to come get a better life here. Then you have the entitled one with no Canadian work experience, education, etc yet feel they should get a big boy job over others who have been here longer with those qualifications. At times this board can be comical. Again well said.

I paid with my naira GTB card but the rate was a bit steep.

JESUSisable:
Hi Vascey,

Please did you raise a cheque or bank draft for the tax course payment of CAD$495

Please I would like to send you an email if you don't mind.

My people how una dey? I got COPR with maiden name but want to get a new passport in my married name. Do I wait until till I land CA or process it now? How do I get my PR card to bear my married name?

Thanks Vcole. The valid uk visa will make me pass up.

vcole:
as long as the entire journey is all on one ticket you won't have to pick up your bags. You'll just have to get to Gatwick fro. Heathrow. There are national express buses right outside heathrow that can get you to Gatwick for about £20-30 and it's a 1hr ride i believe. However you'll need a uk transit visa or a valid uk visiting visa

Ontario is my final destination but to fly to Heathrow and back to Dubai is a major shizzle

bbaby84:
What's your destination? I saw some connections for
LOS -LHR- DUB- YYZ for 380k or thereabout there's also LOS- LHR-JFK- YYZ for about 390k
Also depends on your dates.
Check travelsstart.

Please our frequent fliers, I saw that BA is cheaper and faster than Ethiopian airlines on Wakanow but the connection flight to CA is at Gatwick rather than Heathrow where we will land from Naija. Layover is also 6hrs+.

Would it be wise to take this option because Gatwick 45mins+ outside London, would BA transfer our lugggae and handle the flight transfer or we would have to debark at Heathrow and find our way to Gatwick and is the 6hr layover okay for all this waka upandan.

Many thanks Fusion

Fusion23:
Have a good LinkedIN profile, sign up on monster and put key words on your CV.

View recruiters profile, for me its recruiters that have always contacted me.

You can send message also if they advertise a job of your interest.

How do people approach recuiters on LinkedIn. Do you straight up say I am relocating to CA soon and looking for a job OR you connect first and subsequently ask if there are any opportunities.

I am asking because I have read about both views and there was no conclusion on which was the best approach.

i don goooo

cuteguy201:
Lol
Ethiopia is there calling you, u no go...

So flight prices for our May short landing via Emirates is not beans. It's 3m+. Let me go and sleep.

Ekaabo. How is the weather now?

kemmytino:
So we landed yesterday. Nigeria we hail thee (right from the entrance dey were demanding for Rogers) God help us. Flew Ethiopian airline, Now in Mississauga.

You can start the process Ontario. Send them a mail on the matter for starters.

kachikapor:
Hi Virt, i've been following your exchange with rainazoe. Quick one about Ontario CPA. is it fully confirmed that i can start the process while still outside Canada? cos my hubby tried and he keeps telling me we'll just have to wait and do it when we land.He vehemently doesn't want to go through the BC route.

Thanks

ah warridis!!!

MummyJaygirls:
Welcome to Canada!

Haha thanks Sistaj.

sistaj:
I love your moniker.Maybe cos my daughter is Reina.Had to say it.

Please could you forward to me when you receive from CAstruggle rainaxoe@gmail.com. Thanks

yungreezy:
Please can your forward to me as well onuayi@yahoo.com, I don't mean to derail the thread.
Thanks

a million miles away from prompt service. if you want a fast response copy professionaladvisory@bccpa.ca. You will get a response sharperly.

I didn't "read" the Law and tax o. I downloaded the text, flipped through the next, next key to the questions and did Ctrl find to look up the answers. You can take the tests multiple times so have no worries.

On my first try I noted the answers passed and failed and took time to get the correct answers again. I even googled.

vascey:
Good move. I am also looking at doing the same. That is some commitment you have shown. Went on CPA BC website and saw the names of so many Nigerians whose membership has been revoked because they did not pay annual dues or file CPE.

I am currently studying the tax and law module (abeg that thing plenty o). Hopefully, by the middle of this year, my admission should have been processed and concluded.

If indeed it is possible to get some exemption, no matter how little, on payment dues, then it is worth exploring. One thing I have noticed, though, is that these CPA guys are miles behind ACCA in customer service and general business ethics. They don't really act like they care at all. It's amazing.

LVL let us go o. I know the feeling after staying for almost 90days on NA2. Just be sending them regular mails as reminder. I'd likely stay in Ontario or Alberta. I thought you had to move membership immediately to where you at.

Virt:
Yeah, I have seen people transfer from BC to Ontario. I plan to reside in Ontario, and I can still use my BC membership in Ontario until when I'm ready to transfer. Once you are CPA, there is no barrier to which province your membership is, one may need to transfer because of proximity to CPA provincial meetings/seminars or conferences.

My application is with London VO, so I'm waiting for them b4 I can decide when to move, but hopefully this year.

Hey Virt. I am thinking of transferring my file from BC to Ontario because of their lackadaisical attitude. Are you thi kibg of relocating soon? Your CPA can't waste o. Thanks for replying me.

Virt:
Hello Rainazoe, my membership is with CPA British Columbia, that was the only province then that accepted members outside Canada, it's only recently that I learnt Ontario does the same.

thanks for giving him a heads up happytbaby. I am just covering all bases. Depending on your accounting qualification, you may have to do some CPA exams.

happytbaby:
@ Teecan,

It seems you missed the last episode on this forum. Rainzoe is not sure whether she will end up relocating or not so I guess she may not be able to answer most of these questions right now. You may want to read her posts.

What do you mean by 'challenging CPA exams'? does that mean writing exams after getting some exemptions or something?