Tips on applying for landed immigrant status

• The final authority is CIC Canada. Their webpage can be found at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/index.html. They have a phone # at 1(888)242-2100, which is open M-F 8am to 4pm, local time. As a warning, going through their automated system will never result in speaking to a human. If you want to speak to a human, pick English or French, and then dial "0" at any time to speak to a human. This may result in a busy signal, but it's your only hope.
• Faculty Relations has a handy website about immigration: http://www.hr.ubc.ca/faculty_relations/immigration/permanentresidents.html.
• There are three likely scenarios for which you're likely to apply. In each of these three scenarios, your procedure may vary slightly, and they change the rules fairly often, so do call the folks at CIC if you're confused.
  • Skilled worker (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/index.html) - the default
  • Family sponsorship (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/sponsor/index.html) - e.g., if you're married to a Canadian
  • Provincial nomination (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/skilled/provnom/index.html) - which is faster, but may cost extra money (~$500 CAD). The Faculty association has information about it here.
• Eventually you'll need to get letters of police clearance from every place that you've lived in for 6 months or longer for the last 10 years, as long as you were 18 years old when you lived there.
  • To get your clearance, you'll need to be fingerprinted. The right place to go to get this done is: International Fingerprinting Services Canada (IFS) : 619 - 470 Granville Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 1V5. Phone: 604-708-3315 Fax: 604-602-3081 Web: http://www.policecheck.com. This is the fingerprint agent of the Vancouver Police Department. The Vancouver Police info on this is at http://vancouver.ca/police/clearances/index.htm. They list an additional option for fingerprinting, but recommended the above service as having shorter lines. Don't bother just going to the RCMP nearest you, they won't help you.
  • You may not need one from Canada - but either talk to the folks at CIC or ask the folks at IFS - they're pretty up to date. Exactly when you need to get this done seems to change regularly and depending on what class you're applying under.
  • For everywhere other than the USA, you should submit this at application time
  • For the USA:
    • Submit whenever you submit your medical records. Anecdotally, those applying for family class were told to do this at application time, and those in other classes were told to do so later, but your mileage may vary.
    • you will need finger prints from the FBI. Information on the FBI process can be found at http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cjisd/fprequest.htm. The FBI is perfectly happy with the forms given to you by IFS, so don't worry about getting a US form.
    • Currently (as of summer 2007) they are requiring clearance from each state that you've lived in (that met the above criteria). You can get some help about the state process at http://www.geocities.com/canadian_immigration_club/state.html, but call to verify the information is correct.
• There are two likely end games:
  • The more common, somewhat confusing end game: you eventually get documents in the mail telling you to send your passport off to get the immigration visa put into it. If you send by courier both ways, you'll get it back in a few weeks. During this time it's more difficult to leave the country, of course. After you get your passport back, the next time you enter the country you will go through Immigration Canada and get yourself officially landed. It's quick if there's no lineup, the whole process only took under 30 minutes. The confusing part is whether you can leave the country between that time and when your permanent resident card arrives in the mail. The web site implies that you cannot. In fact, I was told that it's almost certainly fine to leave and return - Immigration Canada doesn't care, it's just that the airlines may theoretically balk at letting you on, but apparently that's highly unlikely to happen in practice.
  • You have to do an interview. They'll send you a letter telling you when and where to appear about 2 weeks ahead of time. It is possible to get this rescheduled, but you have to communicate with the local office by fax (the number will be on your letter), and they're very bad at getting back to you. If you do this, call the main CIC number as well, and they'll put a note on your file.

Keep Your Record of Landing Form

Just an addendum to all the great info above: I just applied for citizenship recently, and they want to see your original "Record of Landing" Form. (I think it's IMM 100 or something like that.) So, hang on to all the paperwork. -- Main.ajh - 18 Sep 2007