Pre Welcome to Canada
The overwhelming joy you experience when you finally get the confirmation of permanent residence notification is something that is truly hard to describe in words.
For me it was exciting, unexpected and scary all at the same time. I felt as if I was finally getting a fresh chance at life but I knew I also had somethings to put in place before I could get to that stage. Having an exact starting point was not something I had at that time and searching the internet was quite a task since, a lot of information existed but it was all over the place and sometimes just too long to read.
Based on my experiences I decided to create this blog to share with others. The aim is to guide you to a starting point and having a checklist is a great place to begin. When you get your confirmation notice you are given an entry date deadline. This means you have to land in Canada on or preferably before that date (just to be sure). This period for me was approximately 5-6 months and coincided with the expiration of my medical examination results which were valid for a year.
With your documents and date in hand, you should begin to immediately to put things together for your departure to Canada. A well planned exit and entry strategy help you to settle a lot faster if you can pull it off.
Exit
Before leaving your home country, please address or draft a plan for these:
- Repaying existing debts
- Current place of employment (resignation or applying for time off)
- Converting currency (very important)
- Existing dependencies (How you will handle those things which will remain behind)
- Medication (ensure you stock up a supply for 6-12 month to take with you).
- A final dental and medical check-up are good ideas also
Pre Entry
Before entering in Canada you should have these ready:
- Accommodation
- Canadian currency (cash, drafts) and a total amount
- All documents to present to immigration (passport, confirmation of permanent residency letter, photo)
- Important documents (certificates, identification, driver's licenses, other diplomas etc.)
- Know what you're bringing or shipping with you to have them declared
- Your checklist for the first 3 months
- Bravery, respect, patience and willingness to work hard
Entry flight_land
If you have taken care of the Exit tips and completed Pre Entry tips above you should be off to a good start on landing at you first port of entry into Canada. When I landed there were a bank off automated systems you had to visit before arriving at the immigration personnel area so keep that in mind. Oh one more thing! The capital of Canada is not Quebec or Toronto (most people think it's one of those). It is Ottawa one of my favourite cities.
Bonne Journée