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10/31/2023 Topic: STEAM Program Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. Most schools in Ontario will offer academic (university-streamed) level science courses at the high school level, but you may be interested in pursuing a Specialist High Skills Major (SHSM) program in one of the STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) areas of expertise. Different schools will have different Specialist High Skills Major programs for a variety of specialties (business, culinary arts, etc.) If you are in Toronto for example, here is the list of schools offering Specialist High School Majors in different subject areas: https://www.tdsb.on.ca/High-School/Going-to-High-School/Specialist-High-Skills-Major-SHSM Feel free to follow up in this thread with the name of your school board and I can help you find this information for your school board. We hope you find this information helpful, and please follow up if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
10/31/2023 Topic: Travelling back to Canada from US with cutted PR Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. You will need a valid travel document to re-enter Canada. Valid travel documents for residents re-entering Canada include: Carry a valid Canadian passport for all visits abroad, including visits to the United States (U.S.). It is the only universally accepted identification document, and it proves that you have a right to return to Canada. Acceptable documents to denote identity and citizenship Other acceptable documents for establishing Canadian citizenship Other acceptable documents to support identity Acceptable documents for establishing Registered Indian Status and identity Now that you are a citizen and eligible for a Canadian passport, you may want to apply for one. You can find information on how to apply for a passport from inside or outside Canada here: https://settlement.org/ontario/immigration-citizenship/citizenship/canadian-passport/ We hope this information is helpful, please follow up with us if you need any further information. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: Waiting on Acknowledgement Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. It is best that you contact IRCC directly using their web form for an update regarding your acknowledgement letter, they would be better equipped to let you know how far along in the process you are and give you an accurate wait time for this letter. As stated above, itt may also be useful to note that processing time does not include the wait time before they receive the application, and starts once they receive a completed application. You may also wish to contact your local visa office or look at other options for contacting IRCC at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Client Support Centre. You may also find helpful information by checking estimates for processing times using this calculator on the IRCC website. We hope this information is helpful. Please follow up with us if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
10/31/2023 Topic: Waiting on Acknowledgement Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. It is best that you contact IRCC directly using their web form for an update regarding your acknowledgement letter, they would be better equipped to let you know how far along in the process you are and give you an accurate wait time for this letter. As stated above, itt may also be useful to note that processing time does not include the wait time before they receive the application, and starts once they receive a completed application. You may also wish to contact your local visa office or look at other options for contacting IRCC at the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) Client Support Centre. You may also find helpful information by checking estimates for processing times using this calculator on the IRCC website. We hope this information is helpful. Please follow up with us if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
10/31/2023 Topic: Absences Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. For PR renewal, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will look back at your time in Canada over the previous 5 years from the date they receive your application. You may also find helpful information on this matter in the previous discussion forum thread, When does the 5-year period begin? To meet these residency obligations, you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period. The 5-year period is assessed on a rolling basis. You may want to contact IRCC directly, using their web form to request case-specific information and discuss why your application may have been rejected. It may also be useful to note that processing time does not include the wait time before they receive the application, and starts once they receive a completed application. You may also wish to seek the advice of a reputable and registered immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer about your situation. If you find yourself in a position where you need to travel and do not yet have your PR card, you may also find helpful information in the Settlement.Org article, I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do? We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: Renewal of PR Card Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. For PR renewal, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will look back at your time in Canada over the previous 5 years from the date they receive your application. You may also find helpful information on this matter in the previous discussion forum thread, When does the 5-year period begin? To meet these residency obligations, you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period. The 5-year period is assessed on a rolling basis. Your friend may want to contact IRCC directly, using their web form to request case-specific information and discuss his application. It may also be useful to note that processing time does not include the wait time before they receive the application, and starts once they receive a completed application. He may also wish to seek the advice of a reputable and registered immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer about this situation. If he finds himself in a position where he needs to travel and does not yet have his PR card, you may also find helpful information in the Settlement.Org article, I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do? We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: Short term leaving before I have received PR card Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. You may want to contact IRCC directly via web form regarding the status of your PR card application and inquire about expedited processing. Generally, if you need to leave without a valid PR card, you would need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document to return to Canada. You may find helpful information in the Settlement.Org article, I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do? Here is an excerpt: Ideally, you should wait until you have your Permanent Resident (PR) card. If you must leave Canada, you should apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document from a Canadian visa office abroad as soon as you reach your destination. The only official documents that permanent residents of Canada can use to travel back to Canada on a commercial carrier (by air, land or sea) are the PR card or a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD), also known as a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) issued by a Canadian visa office abroad. For information specific to your situation or advice on how to proceed with an application, you may want to contact IRCC directly via web form or by telephone: 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only). You may also wish to consult a reputable and registered immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer for advice regarding your situation. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: Short term leaving before I have received PR card Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. You may want to contact IRCC directly via web form regarding the status of your PR card application and inquire about expedited processing. Generally, if you need to leave without a valid PR card, you would need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document to return to Canada. You may find helpful information in the Settlement.Org article, I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do? Here is an excerpt: Ideally, you should wait until you have your Permanent Resident (PR) card. If you must leave Canada, you should apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document from a Canadian visa office abroad as soon as you reach your destination. The only official documents that permanent residents of Canada can use to travel back to Canada on a commercial carrier (by air, land or sea) are the PR card or a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD), also known as a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) issued by a Canadian visa office abroad. For information specific to your situation or advice on how to proceed with an application, you may want to contact IRCC directly via web form or by telephone: 1-888-242-2100 (in Canada only). You may also wish to consult a reputable and registered immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer for advice regarding your situation. We hope this information is helpful. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to post them here. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: Appeal to WES for Re-Evaluation of Credentials Moderator	Hi there, It is best that you contact WES directly for information specific to your case. Be prepared with your WES reference number and call the (+1) 800-361-6106 to reach an operator. We hope that other users will be able to share their experience with you regarding status changes. You may also be interested in Settlement.Org articles on Credential Evaluation, this may offer more insight on getting your credentials assessed and referrals for other institutions providing the same service. In addition to the advice above, you may also be considering making a consumer complaint with the Better Business Bureau. You can find more information on this process in the Settlement.Org article, How do I make a consumer complaint? We hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org Team
10/31/2023 Topic: N12 From New Landlord Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. It may be best that you contact a community legal clinic for some advice regarding your situation. You may also wish to call the Landlord and Tenant Board at 1-888-332-3234 or 416-645-8080 (in the GTA) for information specific to your situation. The landlord and tenant board resolves disputes between residential landlords and tenants. Steps to Justice also has a compiled list of programs and services in housing law that may be helpful. 211 would be able to help narrow your search. If you have not been able to connect with a community resource navigator over the phone, you may want to try using their online chat service. If you are looking for support with the application process, you may want to request services that offer assistance completing forms and applications. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service. Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
10/31/2023 Topic: Landlord with experience needed Moderator	Hello M, Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us. We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation. It sounds like it is quite stressful for you and the folks in your building It is best that you contact a community legal clinic for some advice regarding your situation. It may also help to connect with a community resource navigator at 211 to narrow your search. 211 Ontario is a free, confidential service. Their phone service is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Here is a link to their live chat if you prefer to communicate online. Their live chat service is available Monday to Friday from 7am-9pm ET. It may also help to contact the Landlord's Self-Help Centre directly for some additional information specific to your situation. The Landlord's Self-Help Centre is a non-profit community legal clinic which supports Ontario's small-scale landlord community exclusively. I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
11/29/2023 Topic: Steps for Work Permit and SIN for Accepted refugee Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. We appreciate your interest in this information. You may find helpful information in the StepstoJustice.ca article, Can I work in Canada after I make a refugee claim? If you're not a permanent resident or Canadian citizen, you need a work permit to be able to work legally in Canada. If you've made a refugee claim in Canada and are found eligible to make a refugee claim, you can apply for an open work permit and a Social Insurance Number (SIN) to work in Canada. [...] If you're approved for an open work permit, you can apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN) through Service Canada If you didn't apply for an open work permit when you completed your refugee claim forms, you can apply later with a work permit application form. Once a work permit is obtained, you can apply for a Social Insurance Number. You may also find the information in the article, What documents do I need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)? helpful in preparing for this application. According to IRCC's webpage on applying for a work permit: You’re only eligible to apply on paper if you have a disability that prevents you from applying online are applying under the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program hold an identity or travel document for non-national residents, refugees or stateless persons [...] Online applications from CanadaBefore you apply online, make sure you have: the instruction guide to fill out the forms a scanner or camera a valid credit or debit card Depending on your situation, you may need to submit Statutory Declaration of Common-Law Union [IMM 5409] (PDF, 637 KB) If you are facing technical issues with the IRCC website trying to access the open work permit application, it is best that you contact IRCC directly using their Help Centre. It may be helpful to get in touch with a representative using their call-centre phone line or by web form to get advice/updates specific to your case. You may also be interested in seeking legal help, in which case you can find helpful information in the Settlement.Org article, Should I get help with my immigration application from an immigration consultant or lawyer? We hope this information is helpful and wish you all the best with this process. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
11/30/2023 Topic: Status of PR Card Application After resubmit photo Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation. For updates and information specific to your application status with process changes like this one, it is best that you contact IRCC directly. The IRCC Client Support Centre can procide information specific to your application, you can reach them by phone (1-888-242-2100) or use their web form. If you require any further assistance, it may also be helpful to seek the advice of a reputable and registered immigration consultant or an immigration lawyer about your situation. To find a community legal clinic in your area, visit Services Near Me. You may also find the following information in IRCC's article on confirming your permanent residence online helpful: Uploading and submitting photosIf we return your photo, you can resubmit a new photo into the portal. Make sure the new photo meets all the photo requirements listed in the portal before you upload a new one. Reasons your photo may be returned photos are too dark background is not white facial features not visible glare on photo measurements are not between 715x1000 and 2000x2800 pixels file size is above 4MB other reasons – see photo requirements for details To submit a photo make sure you’re in the Permanent Residence Confirmation tab at the top of the page choose the “upload photo” button your photo can be a professional digital photo in JPEG or PNG format a scanned professional photo (don’t take a picture of a paper photo with your digital camera or phone) a selfie (as long as it meets the photo requirements – submitting an incorrect photo will delay your PR card) follow the directions in the photo editor window to position and crop your photo click the “apply” button to validate your photo your photo will show in black & white you can edit and replace your photo with another photo up until when you submit it you don’t have to delete the previous photo to upload a new one (it automatically replaces the previous photo) check the Declaration box and click “next” to upload your photo if you get a warning message that your photo doesn’t meet the requirements but you want to submit it anyway, also check the Acknowledgement box and click “Next” to continue press “submit documents” (once you do this, it can no longer be changed) We hope this information is helpful. Please follow up with us if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
11/30/2023 Topic: How can I get my seized Passport back? Moderator	Hi there, We appreciate that this may be a difficult time to reach someone over the phone while you're looking for this information. It may still be a good idea to share your concern and inquiry with IRCC through their web form to get your questions answered and to share your experience with them. Whether you have a compliment, comment, or complaint, IRCC also accepts feedback through the web form linked here. We hope this information is helpful and wish you the best of luck with your application. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team
11/30/2023 Topic: Online application for PR card renewal Moderator	Hi there, Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us. We appreciate your interest in this information. For updates and information specific to your application status, it is best that you contact IRCC directly. The IRCC Client Support Centre can procide information specific to your application, you can reach them by phone (1-888-242-2100) or use their web form. According to IRCC's article on confirming your permanent residence online: Uploading and submitting photosIf we return your photo, you can resubmit a new photo into the portal. Make sure the new photo meets all the photo requirements listed in the portal before you upload a new one. Reasons your photo may be returned photos are too dark background is not white facial features not visible glare on photo measurements are not between 715x1000 and 2000x2800 pixels file size is above 4MB other reasons – see photo requirements for details To submit a photo make sure you’re in the Permanent Residence Confirmation tab at the top of the page choose the “upload photo” button your photo can be a professional digital photo in JPEG or PNG format a scanned professional photo (don’t take a picture of a paper photo with your digital camera or phone) a selfie (as long as it meets the photo requirements – submitting an incorrect photo will delay your PR card) follow the directions in the photo editor window to position and crop your photo click the “apply” button to validate your photo your photo will show in black & white you can edit and replace your photo with another photo up until when you submit it you don’t have to delete the previous photo to upload a new one (it automatically replaces the previous photo) check the Declaration box and click “next” to upload your photo if you get a warning message that your photo doesn’t meet the requirements but you want to submit it anyway, also check the Acknowledgement box and click “Next” to continue press “submit documents” (once you do this, it can no longer be changed) We hope this information is helpful. Please follow up with us if you have any further questions. Sincerely, Your Settlement.Org team