₦airaland Forum

XX01:
That Square One has a bus terminal and you can get Presto from there or your nearest community center.

That same Fido store at Square One gave us same package of Fido for CAD45.

Where did you get winter coats for $35?

Welcome to Canada

Oh I didn’t notice the bus station there.

I got my Fido for $55 o, maybe there was a promo when you got yours. Or maybe it’s not a standard fee. I can’t really tell why we got it at different prices.

I got the winter jacket from Urban Outfitters on sale

Merovingian:
Thanks themaestro212 for sharing this wonderful experience with the family here. I have a few questions about the text in bold.

1. Why did you choose TD as your bank and what is entrant package like? Is the entrant package different from this on their website (https://www.tdcanadatrust.com/planning/life-events/new-to-canada/index.jsp)? I plan using RBC (http://www.rbc.com/newcomers/moving-to-canada-resident.html) but your response and rationale for TD may help in making a better decision and avoid t&c that can enslave for life .

2. What was your rationale for Fido? Will 2GB be sufficient for new comers who will be heavily involved in online job research and posting or will a dedicated home wifi internet be advised?

3. Lastly, did you get your April job from naija and how did you go about it?

Thanks for your response.

1. It’s totally based on what’s important to you. The Big 5 have all their advantages. I chose TD because they have better work hours. They’re open everyday of the week with longer hours than the other big 5. Considering that I still have financial obligations in Nigeria and might need to do dozens of transactions in my first few months here, I chose them. I might choose another Bank later but I’m starting with TD. And yes, the features of the Welcome to Canada package are on that website but there are more details to it that I won’t be able to type out. Oh...and TD offices are almost everywhere.

2. I chose Fido based on what the Sales Executive at the mobile store told me. Rogers was cheaper but he told me if I would be traveling a lot, I may not enjoy good service in some areas. I don’t know how true that is but I wasn’t going to take any chances because my job may require me to travel out of Toronto frequently.

3. Yes, I got it from Nigeria. LinkedIn is your friend I paid for the LinkedIn Premium service. Even though $29.99 is too much for what the service offers, at the point of searching for a job in another country, it’s not a luxury. With your 5 monthly InMails, you can message people who can land you a job, immediately. That’s not without a strong demonstration of your competencies, you convincing them that they need you and you are of much value to their organization. There are 2 ways you can use your InMails.
(1) Apply for an advertised job then find and follow up with the recruiter responsible for the posting, giving a brief but strong summary of your application/resume.
(2) If you’re looking for a Senior Management position (advertised or not), research on who you may be reporting to in that organization and sell yourself to the person.

My philosophy is “the worst you can get is a no.”. Nobody will crucify you for trying. Just shoot your shot.

caon:
welcome to canada .may Canada favour u.

Thank you. Amen.

seesaw:
Morning people, I am new to this thread. got my Passport Request 2 weeks ago and waiting on PUM. I intend to land in August, in ontario please can any one assist with some information-

canadian cv format,

how to rent accomodation prearrival in greater toronto area as i do not have family there to stay with on arrival. NB: my family size is 4.

any toronto bound people around august so we can hook up or a whatz app group for nigerians

Thank you

It’s a bit difficult (and personally, unadvisable) to get permanent accommodation before you land. This is my opinion o. I tried to get a place through kijiji, easyroommates etc but I felt I was not getting the full picture of what I was opting for. You will actually find a lot of places online but I personally have trust issues :’). So here are the options; (1) you can select a couple of houses on kijiji etc and if you have a friend in Toronto, let them help you check it out to see if its fit to your taste. (2) This is what I did. I noted a few places on kijiji before arrival but I booked an airbnb for 2 weeks. While I’m at the airbnb, i will be going to inspect the selected places.

Also note, that most of these places want two to three months minimum stay. Some even want six months because you don’t have a credit history. lol.

As for Canadian CV format, just check online. You will find a couple of sample Canadian CVs. You will even find a good fit for the type of your area of specialization.

All the best.

balogunsam:
Thank you for this post...its been long we had a visual and detailed post like this here. I pray you find all thay you desire in that land and may you be blessed beyond your wildest imaginations there. Cheers.

P.S> A few photos will be nice...

Amen. Thanks. I will upload a few pictures when I’m well rested.

Hi guys. Here’s my Landing Experience

Flight
I travelled with Ethiopian Airlines from Nigeria on March 15. It was a 24 hour flight. First leg was from Nigeria to Ethiopia for 8 hours and then Ethiopia to Dublin for another 8 hours. At Dublin, we stopped to refuel for an hour before the final leg to Toronto for 7 hours 45mins.

The airline was good. Ethiopian allows 2 bags of 23kg each. They let you slide with an extra kg or 2...anything more than that will be rejected and you will have to shed the weight. I had issues with my baggage because I weighed it at home and it was the specified weight. Also, when I got to the airport, I weighed it again and it was still the specified weight. However, once I got on to the check-in counter, my bags were surprisingly overweight by about 4kg. I had to convert some of the suits in my bag to hand luggage which became really stressful. The plane we took on the first leg to Ethiopia was big and spacious with good leg space. If you have kids, you won’t have much trouble. Kids had enough space to play and sleeping was comfortable. We were served with one meal.

We stopped at Ethiopia to connect to the second leg of the flight. Buses were there to pick passengers at the terminal. They prioritized the passengers connecting to Saudi Arabia and Dubai flights because their flight time was near. The bus picked those who were going to the US and Toronto last. The check-in process for the second leg was pretty long and stressful but it was smooth. We got onto the flight to Toronto at about 10:50pm local time in Ethiopia.

The airplane to Toronto was noticeably smaller than the first plane. So little leg space and tighter aisles. We were served with two meals before we got to Dublin to refuel. At Dublin, the temperature was 2 degrees celsius. We all waited in the plane and it became super cold. I had to put on my winter jacket and socks. Finally, we left to Toronto. We were served with another two meals.

Landing
We landed at 7:26am local time in Toronto. The temperature was -7 degrees celsius and snowing. Immediately I got to the door of the plane, the cold hit me. The worst cold I have ever felt. It felt unreal. With 3 shirts, one turtle neck and a winter jacket, I was still freezing. Buses came to pick us up from the plane as there were no available jet bridges. My fingers were getting stiff just between the plane and the bus.

Immigration
Inside the airport, we got to a huge hall. There’s a place where people with US and Canadian passports can scan their passports themselves. But I needed to go to the immigration counter to scan my passport. The IO collected my declaration card and asked how much I was traveling with. I was traveling with USD2,500 so I told him. I clarified what “commercial goods” on the declaration card meant just to be sure I wasn’t carrying any then I ticked “No”. He scanned my passport and made a few funny remarks. He welcomed me to Canada warmly and directed me to the new entrants section inside a separate room. This took about 3 minutes.

New Entrants Section
The room I was directed to had about 15 agents. There was a long queue. Typically, some of the agents would ask to submit your passport and CPR then direct you to sit while they verify your application, some others will do it fast while you stand. The officer that attended to me was very quick. She asked if I’m married, if i have kids and how much I’m traveling with. I told her USD2,500. She asked for address for PR Card. I gave her. She asked if I’d been convicted of any crime or refused admission to any country etc. After answering, she wrote my answers on the CPR and told me to sign on 3 different spots on each copy of the CPR. She welcomed me to Canada and directed me to Service Canada section. I was so excited. This all took about 5-7mins.

Service Canada
I was asked to fill a short form and then meet with one of the Service Canada officers at the counter. They collected the form and told me to read about the Privacy of my SIN. After I read it, I was issued my SIN and told to keep it very safe and if possible memorize it. This took about 5 minutes.

Customs
I went to fetch my bags at the carousel. At the exit, they collected my declaration card and because I had nothing to declare, I went straight out.

Exit and Settling
I hired a car from the airport to Brampton for CAD45. The driver was very nice and told me a few things about Canada. He dropped me at my Airbnb in Brampton where I dropped my bags. I could not check-in till 3pm and this was 10am so I told him to take me to the Bank and to the mall for an extra CAD10.

I went to TD (Canada Trust) to open an account but I had dropped my CPR at the Airbnb, forgetfully, so I couldn’t open an account. You would need your CPR and Passport to get a new entrant package as the lady told me. She set an appointment with me for 10am tomorrow when I will be going back to open the account.

I got a Fido SIM card at the Square One Mall in Mississauga. I have to say at this point that Canadian mobile phone service is quite expensive. My package was CAD55 monthly for unlimited Canada wide calls and texts and 2GB data.

I bought a few winter clothes to add to the ones I had bought in Nigeria. Jackets were averagely CAD35 but depends on the store you’re buying from. I also went to Burger King to eat while waiting for 3pm. I got an Uber from there to my Airbnb in Brampton for about CAD19.

Next Steps
I plan to look for a permanent place to stay in Downtown Toronto from next week as that is closer to my new office where I resume in April.

I need to get and load a Presto card for bus service. I also need to go back to the bank to deposit my dollars and wire the money from my Nigerian account.

Is there anyone travelling to Canada tomorrow?

thefacelessguy:
Hello guys,

Is it possible that we travel together?

If yes, what is the extra financial implications involved?

Thanks for your anticipated guidance.

I think this is about going together as common law partners. It is the same financial requirement as traveling with a wife but typically, this means you have to show proof that you have been living together for up to or more than 6 months. This will include pictures of both of you on vacations, with each others' parents etc. You both might also be required to undergo an interview as part of the process to prove that you know each other very well. I have very limited knowledge about it but you can check on the CIC website for more info.

ethan002:
We regret to inform you that you are no longer eligible to be in the pool. Check your messages below for details.

Please help!!!

Did you select that your credentials have not been assessed?

Virt:
Hi All,

Please how does past visa refusal from any country affect the timeline of processing one's PR application. A survey was done on some applicants that are delayed at the NA2 stage and most of them had one visa refusal or the other and indicated same in their application. Some of them have been on the same stage for 2 to 4 weeks and counting while their counterparts and those who applied after them have long received PPR. Their applications are still at CIO, Sydney and not yet assigned to any local visa office.

Please any experience of those who successfully got PPR with a visa refusal which they indicated in their application and what was their timeline like?

I appreciate your responses.

This question should be at the FSW/EE Thread but anyways...

I don't think this should significantly affect the speed of processing times. Understanding what goes on at the Central Intake Office and the CPCs, from what I have read, they can decide to gather more information about your visa refusal if they feel it raises any questions as regards criminality, inadmissibility or security concerns. This may lengthen the processing time of your application. Also people from certain countries (Afghanistan, Pakistan etc) may undergo more scrutiny than others.

A visa refusal from another country because you did not have sufficient funds or did not submit all required documentation etc will probably not call for many more additional checks and may therefore not increase the processing time. These guys have a databases where they can pull up visa approvals or refusals from other close countries like the UK and US and verify reasons for the refusal.

I think what gets people stuck at NA2 is the transfer of files from the CIO to the Visa Offices. After NA2, your files are transferred to a visa office where the visa officer reviews the agent's (CIO) recommendations. Sometimes, the work load at the visa offices is heavy and it takes a while to treat.

I hope this answers your question.

DubbieLala:
Hello house, please I need guidance on completing my WES registration online. I would like to know the best options of payment from Nigeria. I have a USD account/card and a GTB naira account also but there are no options for debit cards. Guys please how did you do yours?

Choose the credit card option and just use your GT Naira Card. As long as you've not used up your monthly limit, it should go through.

Hi guys. I am writing this as a follow up to a question I asked some weeks back and to tell how that went. Hopefully anyone who's in the same shoes can refer to this post. In my PR application, I marked "no" in one of the statutory questions asking about visa refusals. (I had been refused visa to a country after which I appealed and got the visa). I was not sure if this was a misrepresentation so I asked on this forum and I was advised to send a CSE with an LOE. To be safe, I sent a CSE with an LOE and an updated Schedule A form. CIC acknowledged receipt and did not require any additional documents. I received PPR last week. Below is my timeline.

ITA: 21 September
AOR: 22 September
MEP: 28 September
IP1: 28 September
NA2: 28 September
RPRF Request & Paid: 03 October
IP2: 16 October
PPR: 17 October

Thanks for all the helpful posts. I wish you all the very best. Remember to commit your applications into God's hands.

ugoiyke79e:
Quickly raise a CSE with a LOE and probably a schedule A form and send in ASAP..... also send d same docx as emails to ur LVO (if u know where it is) and multiple calls to ircc to ensure your cse is forwarded to d VO promptly.
because this mistake can be very costly.
And yes, u may have misrepresented yourself.

Thanks a lot.

Hello guys. While you were talking about visa refusals, I realized I had filled "No" in that part of the statutory questions in my E-APR because I thought it was visa refusal to Canada. I had a visa refusal to an African country but I appealed and got the visa. Is it too late to inform CIC? Could it count as misrepresentation?