Last time I left off, it was February 2016 and I had just submitted my PR application on December 22nd and had heard nothing except for a ghost email on January 22nd. Now let me fill in the gaps between then and now.
It was mainly radio silence, a couple more ghost emails and then on May 18th, I got a letter (through my CIC account) advising that PR had been refused. As you can imagine, I was heartbroken. However, when I read the letter and read why it had been refused, I was outraged, not heartbroken. CIC said that I had indicated on my EE profile that I had a degree, but when they looked at my WES assessment, I only had a post grad, therefore, I should have never gotten the points for a degree and should not have received an ITA. I do have a degree which is why I was so outraged, also, my WES assessment clearly stated that I had a degree AND a post grad. I understand human error, but really, when it comes to immigration, they really need to be carefully when checking documents. I can also only presume by this error, that it means there is no second level of review, which is crazy to me. Anyway, after I calmed down, i submitted a Case Specific Enquiry (CSE), re-attached my WES assessment, reiterated that I have a degree and asked them to re open our PR application.
They are supposed to respond within 10 business days, and low and behold, on day 10, I get an automated response saying my email had been forwarded to the correct department. Then, they proceeded to do what they do best, ignore me. After about 4 weeks, I tried calling (1-888-242-2100) and the guy I spoke to told me that an application for reconsideration of the decision had been submitted for me a couple of weeks ago. Yeah, I know, would be nice if someone had dropped me and email to provide me with that update, but hey, it’s CIC. Then once again, I waited. After 10 long weeks since my PR was first refused, it was eventually re opened. No apologies, no acknowledgement of error on their part, it was just simply re-opened and once again I received a letter via my CIC account to let me know. That was on July 26th.
Then on August, I got the long-awaited “Ready for Visa” email. And once you’ve got that, then end is in sight!! Once you get that visa you have to send a copy of the bio data page of your passport (the page with your picture and info), along with two pictures of yourself – they give you a link to the photo specs in the email. One of these pictures must contain the following info on the back: your name and date of birth, the name of the photo studio who took the pictures, the studio’s complete address and the date the photo’s were taken.
You then send all that stuff by Xpresspost to Ottawa, along with a copy of the “ready for visa” email. You must also include another Xpresspost envelope in there which must be self-addressed so that they can return your Confirmation of PR (COPR). We mailed our stuff on August 22nd and received COPR in the mail on August 30th.
The COPR is valid until mid-December, so you have about 3 and a half months to activate your PR by leaving and landing in Canada (flagpoling). Most people enter the US and come straight back accross the border. We are going to Peru in October so we will just activate PR on our way back in. Apparently once you land in Canada as a PR, it takes about 56 days for your PR card to be mailed to you.
So the marks the end of my PR journey, thankfully. I’ve documented it in a 3 part blog and this is the final part. Hopefully others going through the PR process will find my blogs helpful and good luck to everyone, it may be a long and arduous process, but it’s worth it once you get that COPR 🙂