Ok, i've read all the posts i can find on here, lots of differing opinions but i need a consensus....

Situation is that my partner and i have to land in Canada before the 10th of March 2011 but there is no way that we can fully move out there at that time. I have a couple of scenarios in my head to get around this and would like some feedback if anyone has experience?

Option 1) We both fly over for a two week holiday, give our permanent address in Vancouver (friend of family), fly home and ask the friend to FedEx the PR cards back to us.

Option 2) Same as above but we dont ask them to send it to the UK, we just fill out one of those $50 forms from the Canadian Embassy in the UK and land again at a later date and pick up the PR cards from our friend.

Option 3) Same as option 1 but instead of us both coming home after two weeks one of use stays on for 4-5 more weeks, picks up both PR cards and flys home with them to return to Canada at a later date.

Now i've heard Option 1 is a bit risky although it does seem to be the easiest. Option 2 seems straight forward but i havent heard of anyone doing it? And option 3 will cost us a bit more but will mean that i get to go snowboarding for the best part of a month hehehe

Anyone done anything like this? Any horror stories? Am i just being paranoid?

Thanks in advance

Rich

All options are fine.

I'd go with Option 1. This is what we did and as long as your friends post them to you fully trackable, you should be fine.

Don't worry about it

We also did option 1, it did take about 3+ months to get our cards, so your 5 weeks is not realistic.

Current processing time for Newly arriving permanent residents is 45 days acording to:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/informa...process-in.asp

But your right, i'm sure this chages frequently, wouldnt want to book flights only to find out it was now going to take three months!

Looks like it fluctuates. Mine took 4 weeks to pop through the slot but that was last year. Reading others on here it looks like 4 weeks to 8 weeks+

Go with option one. It's dead easy.

Don't worry about it.

Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1, Option1.....

.....oh and in case I hadn't mentioned it...Option1

We landed on 24th May and still have no PR cards. Rang today, there is a problem with their systems at the moment, and we should get it within 30 days.

So I wouldn't rely on PR cars arriving in that timescale

Sod the expense. Book an open return. The next time you have 4-5 weeks to do what you want you will be too old.

Hi,

One possible scenario that has happened to two clients of ours in recent months is that some of the family's PR cards arrive but others don't because the photos have been rejected. They are then asked to turn up on a specific date, a week or two later, with ID and to get photo re-taken. This can be a problem if you are back in the UK!

As far as I can find out, you have 180 days from this time in which to apply for a new PR card (your PR status is still valid). So you can return to Canada within the 180 days and go get a new card.

Anyone know any more on this?

Warmly,

Frank

Update on the PR card speed. We landed at Vancouver on the 16th July and just got the cards popped through the post yesterday.

Yep 3 of us landed on 26th June, 2 cards turned up on the 20th August, and one card delayed for checking, and sent to production on 25th August so expected in the next few weeks...so time lines not so long from Van it seems...

Thanks for all the feedback, seems like we have to go with Option 1 but we've also had a couple of friends, one of which was Canadian who took her husband over to Canada to get his card done, they came home after a couple of weeks and then got a message that his photo wasnt good enough and that he had to come back in two weeks!