Originally Posted by Madeleine2013

As a single person I am finding this quite stressful simple because there is no one here to assist me. Of course my daughter will help but she is in Canada and I'm in the uk and so time differences and work commitments does leave such a short time in which we can get together and discuss the way forward. This week for instance they are on holiday and there is no wifi at the cabin. I just want to be sure we are applying through the right channels selecting the right visa.
Thank you everyone for your replies

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

We are young retirees and are both in good health...but yes using the SV while PR is in progress is a bit of a lottery. In our case we intended to sell up in the US and move back to the UK...but as our daughter is in Toronto and we already owned property here...we decided to try Toronto first. If it didn't work out for whatever reason we would go back to the UK. I realize under the terms of the SV one has to retain a home in their home country. We were quite honest with Immigration Officials when we have been asked about this...saying we intended to move back to the UK from the US for retirement therefore we sold our US house...but are 'trying out' Canada and if it doesn't work out we would go back to the UK.

I must admit that at the back of our minds we have always hoped that we wouldn't get a serious illness while waiting for PR...as this would most likely mean we would not be accepted as PRs. Whether waiting at home or in Canada on the SV this would still be the same worry.

I take your point about '10,000 applications and not spots'...I hadn't thought of it that way.

I get the impression that some people applying for PR from Asia are somehow fast tracked. Or perhaps it's because people already living in Canada on the SV is not seen as urgent. I have read on another forum that some 2015 applicants from such countries have already received PR...even though their files have been sent to Ottawa same as ours.

FL a question for you although you may not want to answer this on the forum. Earlier in the year when we went into the Immigration offices at the Lewiston border crossing to renew our SV...the officer told us that our application was well under way and that our sponsor had been approved. That was in March...it's only in the last few weeks that CIC have notified us of this through their website. Also since then when we have crossed the border by land (using NEXUS)...the agents have more or less waved us through without questioning. Before they always asked were we were going, what was the reason for our visit, where did we live etc. Therefore I assume officers can see that our PR application is almost complete...so they have stopped asking us questions.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

Im assuming you got NEXUS under the US citizen route and at the time of the application were residents of the USA even with temporary residence in Canada.
As NEXUS members are supposed to be low risk travellers it doesn't really matter if living in the US or Canada. They won't have immediate access to your application process but could always have it checked out. Plus the plates on the front of the car you are driving tend to be a giveaway as where you are from and what questions if any to be asked.

Originally Posted by dave_j

Our application history has been outlined before, But daughter applied to sponsor us for PR before the 2011 moritorium, in about 2010. We applied for and received SV in 2013. We received PR in 2015.

I agree with all comments made about the lack of awareness on behalf of authorities, both national and provincial, about the SV.. but with a little education from us and others like us, this has been chipped away at.

I understand the arguments behind the age discrimination being applied by the authorities, but I'd argue that the economist view of the world is misguided where family sponsorship applies to older people. We have been nothing but net contributors to the canadian economy ever since our arrival, and our contribution to easing the lifestyle of my daughter and her family has been invaluable, and of course, proximity to our only child and her family has been good for us as well.

Given the health and financial screening that applicants need to undergo, the financial restrictions governing future state assistance and the general benefits that we have made to the candian economy, I'd argue that immigrants such as ourselves should be generally welcomed.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

Nobody would doubt that when you first arrive and in reasonable health that you do contribute to the economy be it consumption taxes etc etc bearing in mind if not working and limited income you would not be paying income tax or CPP contributions. Those here for less than 10 yrs don't get access to Old Age Security or Guaranteed Income Supplement but do get access to the Health Services. Everybody pays consumption taxes even visitors for one day or 3 weeks and permanent residents and citizens. One of the arguments is that why should a 70 yr old newly sponsored PR under this route get access to healthcare services having not contributed anything into the Canadian system? They are more likely to use health services as they don't qualify for OAS and GIS so they can't be accused of getting something from those systems.
What is a fair number of parents/grandparents that should be allowed in as over the last 10 yrs at least PR status is given to approx 250,000 per year.

Originally Posted by Former Lancastrian

One of the arguments is that why should a 70 yr old newly sponsored PR under this route get access to healthcare services having not contributed anything into the Canadian system?

Originally Posted by dave_j

In defence of the poor 70 year olds though, I would argue that they have contributed towards the education of highly prized immigrants into canada from their home country, but of course such contributions made in the past can easily be written off and disregarded.