Klaus

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7/6/2012 Topic: Travelling before the PR card arrives Klaus	Hi all, after being accepted as a permanent resident, I'll move to Canada by the end of August. Luckily I don't have to find a job as I will be working for my current employer. My job is to carry out installations and repairs of highly specialized machines worldwide. Obviously this is not an office job, so my employer doesn't really care where I live. Now I have read that leaving Canada before the PR card is issued might be a problem. Well actually re-entering the country is the problem. As I usually need to leave on a rather short notice, sometimes even the next day, I can't possibly apply for travel documents beforehand. Is there a solution to this problem? I'm pretty sure my employer wouldn't be very happy if I told him that I can't do my work for roughly 2 months (processing time plus the time it takes to find a home). I was wondering if I can simply re-enter Canada without a travel document since I don't need a visa anyway (I am a German citizen). Or is it possible to speed up the processing time for the PR card? I'm not asking for a special treatment here, but not being able to travel for such a long time is a huge problem for me. Any suggestions would be highly appreciated.
5/6/2014 Topic: PR Card Renewal and Unemployment - Questions Klaus	Hi, the Service Canada website states: Am I allowed to leave Canada while receiving regular benefits? Usually, you are not eligible to receive regular benefits while you are away from Canada. However, you can receive regular benefits if you show that you are available for work in Canada while abroad and you inform your local Service Canada Centre that you will be away temporarily. You can be outside Canada for a period of seven consecutive days for the purpose of: •attending the funeral of a member of your immediate family or a close relative; •accompanying a member of your immediate family to a medical facility, provided that the treatment sought is not readily available in the family member's area of residence in Canada; •visiting a member of your immediate family who is seriously ill or injured; or •attending a bona fide job interview. You can be away from Canada for a period of 14 consecutive days for the purpose of conducting a bona fide job search. If you indicate that you have taken measures to be reached if an employment opportunity presents itself during your absence and that you are able to return to Canada within 48 hours, we will accept that you have proven your availability. and Absence from Canada Usually, you cannot receive EI regular benefits while outside Canada. (For exceptions, see "Am I allowed to leave Canada while receiving regular benefits?" in Section 4.) One measure we take to enforce this rule is to compare EI information with information from the Canada Border Services Agency. If we find you have been out of the country while collecting regular benefits, we will try to determine whether you are entitled to those benefits. If not, we will calculate your overpayment, which you will then have to repay. We may also impose penalties of up to three times your weekly benefit rate or three times the amount of your overpayment. As well, you may have to work more hours to qualify for regular benefits in the future. So, while your PR status is not affected and the PR card renewal is not at risk, you may have to pay back the EI benefits, get fined and you will have a harder time getting EI in the future and may not be eligible as early. What I would do is to go to Service Canada, confess that you were outside Canada while you received EI benefits and hope for mercy. They will find out anyways and it certainly looks better if you tell them about it before they find out. You will still have to pay back the EI benefits, but chances are that the fine is lower if you admit your mistake. Regarding the PR renewal: EI fraud is not considered a serious crime, so there is no reason to worry about your status. I hope this helps Klaus
5/10/2014 Topic: Need to File for Appeal but No Info Available Klaus	Hi, the link you're looking for is probably this one: http://www.irb-cisr.gc.ca/Eng/res/form/Pages/IadSai665Instruct.aspx. If you need further information, please provide more information about your situation. Without knowing what your status is, whether you have complied with your residency obligation etc. it's hard to give you any advice. I hope this helps Klaus
5/12/2014 Topic: Ontario Driver's License - Please Share Experience Klaus	Hi, the basic medical standards are described here. Usually you need a horizontal visual field of at least 120 continuous degrees along the horizontal meridian and at least 15 continuous degrees above and below fixation, with both eyes open and examined together. This might be difficult with only one eye, however there are exceptions as outlined in the quoted document. It's probably not a bad idea to visit Service Ontario or to call them to inquire about your specific situation. Good luck Klaus
5/14/2014 Topic: Landing Formalities - Already in Toronto Klaus	Hi, there are two possibilities: [list=1] the flag pole run: take a car, visit Niagara Falls (or any other US checkpoint to the USA) and enter the United States. Depending on where you're from and whether or not you need a visa, they will either allow or deny you entry to the US. It doesn't really matter though, just tell them truthfully what your intentions are. Either they send you back to Canada or you voluntarily go back to Canada, go through the landing formalities and voilá: you're officially a PR. The other option is to call CIC (1-888-242-2100), tell them that you wish to "land" and they will make an appointment with you. The documents you need are all listed on the papers you received. If something isn't listed there, you don't need it. The landing process itself is really simple, they just ask you a few questions, you fill out a list of items you're bringing (probably none since you already live here), perhaps a list with goods to follow and that's it. Good luck :) Klaus
5/15/2014 Topic: How do we get our E.I. Payments Back? Klaus	Hi, EI or "Employment Insurance" is a social program that contributes to the security of all Canadians by providing assistance to workers who lose their jobs and helping unemployed people across the country to get back to work. Much like every insurance, you are covered if you have a claim, but if you don't, the money will benefit other people in need. Under no circumstances will you ever get the money back just because you didn't have a claim. That's just not how insurance works. There is an excellent article about EI here: What is Employment Insurance (EI)? Consider yourself lucky if you never had to go through times of unemployment.
5/18/2014 Topic: Ontario Works and Independent Contractor Klaus	Hi, you may still be eligible for Ontario Works. The article As an Ontario Works client: When you earn money while on Ontario Works states: As of September 1, 2013, you can earn up to $200 a month without having your financial support reduced. For every $1.00 you earn after that, Ontario Works will deduct $0.50 from the amount of money you receive from us. Since you can't predict how much income you will have in the future, it's probably best to inform them about your situation and work something out. Their contact addresses and numbers can be found here.
5/18/2014 Topic: Translator for Citizenship Interview Klaus	Are you sure, PMM? http://www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/information/applications/guides/CIT0002ETOC.asp says: [h4]What are the other requirements for citizenship?[/h4] You must: •have adequate knowledge of one of the official languages of Canada •be able to understand and speak basic English or French Note: You will need to submit language proof with your application. •have adequate knowledge of: -Canada’s history, -geography, -government, and -the rights and responsibilities of citizenship Note: You will need to pass a written and/or oral knowledge test Note: Persons 55 years of age and over are exempted from having to meet the language and knowledge requirements. The OP said that her grandparents are over the age of 54.
5/24/2014 Topic: Time taken for PR Card Klaus	Hi, the processing times only show the time it took visa offices to approve or refuse 80 percent of applications during a specified period in the past. They may not accurately predict future processing times. As you already landed, you are now considered a Permanent Resident. The lack of a PR card doesn't matter in terms of your status in Canada. Therefore you and your family can and should apply for a travel document in order to get back to Canada. This can be done at the visa office in Abu Dhabi. The application process is described here. Another option is to have someone mail the cards to you once they arrive at your new address in Canada, however this is always a bit risky as they might get lost in the mail. It's up to you if you want to take the risk. Good luck! Klaus
5/25/2014 Topic: Spousal Sponsorship and Credit Card Debt Klaus	Hi, you may want to take a look at the articles Sponsor your spouse, partner or children and Determine your eligibility – Sponsor your spouse, partner or children. Generally spoken, yes, you can sponsor a spouse even if you have a loan, but there are some more restrictions that may apply. For example, if a spouse or partner sponsored you, you now cannot sponsor a new spouse or partner within five years of becoming a permanent resident. It's difficult to give you a definite answer without knowing more about your background. The loan will not keep you from sponsoring your wife, but other factors might. Klaus
5/31/2014 Topic: Time taken for PR Card Klaus	It can be refused if you don't provide the documents they ask for. Otherwise I don't see why getting a travel document would be a problem. People do that all the time and as you said, you have a genuine case here and you have PR status. Based on what you wrote there is no reason for them to refuse you a travel document as long as you submit a complete application. Klaus
6/2/2014 Topic: Car Insurance Klaus	Hi HValencia789, I had the very same problem when I first landed in Canada. As a foreign national, you are considered a new driver, as if you never had car insurance before. Depending on the neighborhood you live in this can easily result in insurance rates greater than $5000/year. If public transport is not an option for you, I can only recommend to be careful to never ever get a ticket other than a parking ticket. It will stay on your record for three years and it will affect (i.e. increase) your insurance premiums significantly. I was not aware that the insurance premiums increase whenever you get a ticket, and now I'm looking at extra costs of about $1000 just for one speeding ticket. The ticket itself wasn't all that expensive, but the increased insurance premiums really hurt. Which in turn enhances the safety on the street, because I'm for one will never again go faster than I'm allowed to. But anyway, the premiums are ridiculously high in Toronto. All you can do is move to a less populated area, this can easily save you a few thousand Dollar each year until you have built an insurance record. I hope this helps Klaus
6/4/2014 Topic: When can I Renew my PR card? Klaus	Hi Jean Pierre, you can apply for a new PR card within six months of when it will expire. Also, by the time you apply, you need to have met the residency obligation which means you must lived in Canada for at least two years in a five-year period. There is some more detailed information available on http://www.cic.gc.ca . You may be interested in Appendice A : Obligation de residence and Comment puis-je renouveler ma carte RP?. I hope this helps Klaus
6/10/2014 Topic: PR card Renewal - Out of Country Klaus	Hi, you mentioned two different matters, citizenship and PR status. If you fulfill your residency obligation of two years in the first five years after you became a PR, you can maintain your PR status. It all depends on when exactly you became a PR, so it may or may not be possible to keep your status. Since you wrote that your PR card is about to expire it seems that you can't fulfill your residency obligation anymore which will eventually result in the loss of status. To apply for Canadian citizenship, you must have lived in Canada for at least 1,095 days in the four years before the date you sign your application. Right now you are nowhere near the 1095 days, so applying for citizenship is not an option either. Klaus
6/11/2014 Topic: Separate Form? What are the Total Fees? Klaus	Hi, 1. the guide (IMM 5289) states: Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) Must be completed by the sponsor’s spouse or common#8209;law partner and his or her dependants aged 18 and over who are in Canada* So you only use one form IMM0008 and include both your wife and your daughter. 2. the fees are listed in the Fee list. I can't give you an accurate answer since I don't know whether your wife and daughter will need a permanent resident visa. Klaus