Anyone moved to Canada (Greater Toronto Area)

[babbi]

Hi

We have submitted an application to emigrate to Canada, we have an eye on the (Greater Toronto Area).
We just wondered if anyone has any info/advice that they can share.

Tia

[rodgershawk]

Kay

hopefully leave between June and September, we have to sell up first! not the greatest time to be selling...

we would like to be there to be settled in before the cold sets in! we will have to stock up on warm clothes for the baby!

do you know where you would like to settle?

[Buddy80]

Hi,

We are looking to go over in the next 12-18 months. We also have an 8-month old baby.

Will you know anyone over in Canada? For us, its, just, erm.. us :-) I do get nervous at the thought sometimes and briefly think, ah, shall we stay in the UK

Oh I when I booked the medicals at Slough, I was told we have to go elsewhere for the x-rays. Was it far or local?

Do feel free to PM if you want to chat!

[rodgershawk]

techno phobe!how do you pm?

[Buddy80]

Oh no! I don't know either! Whtt happens if you click on my name?

Can anyone help?

I don't normally post on this site!

[rodgershawk]

My computer is playing up, switched itself off three times in past ten minutes, it is doing my head in!
Ive typed this message three times now!

To anwser your question, the x-ray is at a Spire hospital about 6 minutes drive away. They give you a map ( dodgy photocopy) we borrowed a sat nav.

You pay by card at the spire and for the blood you get billed and pay over the phone.

Its all very quick!

My son is a year on 10th feb, very scary!
We have aunt, uncle, cousins in Burlington so that is where we plan to settle, love it there!

[rodgershawk]

Didnt say yesterday but you have a year from the date of your medical to leave so 18months would be too long.. ours was on 8th Dec so we have until then to leave..

[Buddy80]

Hi,

You have a year from your medicals to "land" in Canada and activate your visa, so to speak. Then you can return to the UK.

To maintain your PR status you need to spend either 2 or 3 years (not sure) out of 5 in Canada and this only starts once the visa is activated. So, our plan of 18-months is fine, land within a year of our medicals and then spend some more time in the UK.

Kind regards

[rodgershawk]

hey, will have to recheck, but read that you had to spend the first three months in Canada after landing.. will have a look.
Its 700 odd days you have to spend out of 5years to quality for pr, just over two years..
when is your medical?

[Buddy80]

Oh yes, do double check. If I can find a way to PM you, there is a very good website which has lots of forums on Canadian Immigration (you may well be signed up to it!). Our medical is in March. Wow, its all happening now!

[Buddy80]

Ok, I have just checked and I believe the way to send a PM is to click on the envelope to the right of the message header.

However, your settings do not allow for messages.

[madwomanintheattic]

you have to sign up for CAT and pay the fee.

hello!
we've had our sw app in since jan 07 and are awaiting our 90 day letter...

the british expats forum has a good wiki with job hunting tips for those who are post feb 08 apps...

we're (hopefully) moving to southern alberta in aug for dh work, so we should get to the top of the pr queue whilst we are there...

we have complicating circs though, as dd2 will be subject to a burden ruling and so we may not be eligible for pr, but we won't know until after meds etc...

[rodgershawk]

sign up for CAT and pay the fee? is that how you can PM?
said I was a techno phobe!

our computer still annoying, keeps disconnecting from the net.. not sure if its the signal, taking over to my mums today to see if it works there..

been on realtor.ca (mls) all morning as cant sleep, some great houses in the area we like! definately gone down in price so not too worried about dropping price of our place a bit if it doesnt sell, had first viewing last night..

[madwomanintheattic]

we've already got a place over there, so as long as we do eventually make pr we are sorted... (only the little things to worry about lol - jobs etc)

are you aware that the system works slightly differently, and you can pick any realtor you like the look of and get them to show you all the properties you are interested in? we've done it twice now, and it is much less stressful than buying a house over here lol.

hope yours sells quickly x

[Buddy80]

Hi rodgershawk

Did you confirm about landing? Hope its all going well for you!

[rodgershawk]

Hey Buddy

checked all over the cic website and cannot find it! must have been amongst the changes!

it is going very fast for us, we put our flat up for sale 4 weeks ago and have accepted an offer this week!
very scary stuff, but very excited!

how is it going for you? what stage are you at now?

[babbi]

Congratulations rodgershwak , you must be very excited !! I am so envious !

We are not going at all as any application that was received after Feb 2008 will not be processed as the CIC have already a six year back log to get through so they have decided to accept no more applicants except for a few choice occupations . Teachers and police officers are not on the list, so we will have our application fee returned to us !

Any way just wanted to wish you good luck and hope that once you are there and settled you can drop us all a line to let us know how you are getting on !

[rodgershawk]

hey babbi,

thank you.
so bad about the changes, we are police officers so if we had left it then we would have been in the same boat as you.
we went to the emigrate show at Sandown today and got some useful details.
We spoke to Wills Brazelot and they deal in visas, immigration and visas, have you spoken to them?

[Buddy80]

Hey Rodgershawk,

Great to hear things are moving along for you. We have our medicals in Slough in 2-weeks. After that, its the waiting game. We rent our house (sold up a few years ago) but we dont know when we will be leaving the UK. I am confident that (depending on area) hubby can get work. Its so exciting. Its a shame we cannot PM each other!

I wanted to ask you whether its worth going to the emigrate shows? I have heard mixed opinions.

You must let us know when you get your visas! Out of interest, what prompted you to apply for Canada?

K

[rodgershawk]

Buddy,

I think the shows are worth it. We have been 3 times now while at different stages in the process.
This time we got some good details for movers (we have one coming over tomorrow for quote) and for money transfer. We even spoke to a realtor in the area we want to move to.

We received our visas the first week in January so just waiting to sell up.
We would like to be there July though so we can save a bit more money for the period we dont have jobs..

Decided on Canada as wanted to move there my whole life. My dad is retired british airways and we spent most our holidays visiting relatives in Canada so it feels like home. When I met my husband one of the first things he told me was that one day he would like to live in Canada!!!

Good luck with medicals, we had our visas within 4 weeks of doing ours!

[rodgershawk]

Buddy,

I think the shows are worth it. We have been 3 times now while at different stages in the process.
This time we got some good details for movers (we have one coming over tomorrow for quote) and for money transfer. We even spoke to a realtor in the area we want to move to.

We received our visas the first week in January so just waiting to sell up.
We would like to be there July though so we can save a bit more money for the period we dont have jobs..

Decided on Canada as wanted to move there my whole life. My dad is retired british airways and we spent most our holidays visiting relatives in Canada so it feels like home. When I met my husband one of the first things he told me was that one day he would like to live in Canada!!!

Good luck with medicals, we had our visas within 4 weeks of doing ours!

[rodgershawk]

dont know why that message came up twice??

[Buddy80]

Hey Rogershawk,

We are looking to go to the next show. Which expo show did you attend?

Medicals are not far off for us now.

I am less nervous than last month (had a bit of a wobble). Now I am really looking forward to it. We still need to decide on an area. We have heard that my husband shouldn't have a problem securing work (software engineer). We are planning a recci in Sept of this year to BC.

Wow, July is round the corner, you really don't have long before you are sipping a Tim Hortons.

K

[rodgershawk]

We went to the one in Sandown on Sunday, had a visit from Anglo Pacific yesterday to do a quote for removals.
Its scary and I wobble all the time! I think in this time of "credit crunch" it feels weird selling up and giving up work with nothing to go to..

Good luck with the medicals, I am looking forward to my Tim Hortons!!!

[madwomanintheattic]

our 90 day letter arrived yesterday

docs due back 6 May

[rodgershawk]

Its all going so fast for everyone!

Im having a wobble right now!

good luck with docs madwomanintheattic!

Survey was done on our flat today... not sure how long it takes to exchange after survey..