JAJ

Normally valid for 6 months, single entry only.

IckleHelen

Thats great, thanks.

IckleHelen

Thanks for all our advice guys. I just wanted to let you know it's sorted now, we've got our single trip Visa (travel document).

We went down to London this Monday. We got there at 7:10am and there were already 6 people in the queue before us. One thing I will say is that they don't seem to treat cases strictly on a first come first served basis, though the ones seem before us seemed to have more complicated queries/requests than us, one even had a flight at 1pm that day. I would say however it was still worth going early.

We were there for 3 1/2 hours. After checking through the security bit we went up stairs, took a ticket, handed in our documents and fee then just waited.

I must warn anyone thinking of going to take a book, magazines or newspapers. When you go through security they make you leave all of your gadgets and there isn't any reading material in the waiting area. It was very boring...!

After calling the odd person through, at 10:45 another desk was opened and people were called up and given the result of their application, we were among the people called up. Our travel documents are valid until 7th June 2009.

Thanks again

PaulandDawn

Did you have to pay for it in the end? We also need to get a permit to travel for my husband for when we move in august. Is it just Mondays you can go or any day??

IckleHelen

Yes we had to pay - $50 or £30 each (they take CAD and GBP). It is open Monday to Friday 8 - 11am.

When I emailed the CIC last week to check I was doing the right thing they sent me this email...

Dear Madam / Sir,

This is in response to your enquiry.

Our offices does not have an appointment system; applicants are seen on
a first come first served basis.

If you are submitting an application to our office in London, please
visit the following website for office-specific instructions:
http://www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/return/e_return.htm.

Applicants should normally apply for this Travel Document no more than
60 days prior to the intended travel date. If your intended date of
travel is less than 60 days away, please make sure to include copies of
the airline tickets to be used.

Yours sincerely,

Client Service Unit
Immigration and Medical Services Division
High Commission of Canada
38 Grosvenor Street
London W1K 4AA, United Kingdom

Government of Canada

Web site: www.canada.org.uk

Email: http://www.canada.org.uk/visa-info/general/epage_e.htm

AllyS

2 questions on this!

1) Why can't a friend's/family address in Canada be used to have the PR card sent to?

2) Does it matter which airline we fly to Canada by? We are flying with a charter airline in May.

Thanks to all your replies; after our trip in May and my landing, we are going to get things sorted back in the UK, earn more money and return to Canada at the end of the year.

When it comes to providing immigration at the POE with a list of all my worldly goods, I realised that I would have to include my OH's stuff aswell, so we have to decide ahead what to bring with us.

Anyway - just thinking aloud on this one!

IckleHelen

Answers to your questions
1) You can get your PR card sent to a friends/family address in Canada. But if you're not in Canada then you can't have it to gain entry when you go back. People do post them, but your not supposed to and there is a risk that customs might intercept it and think that they are trying to get someone into the country illegally.
2) From posts I've read the airline does make a difference as it's up to the airline at the end of the day whether they let you board.

As for goods to follow, if in doubt just include it, you don't have to bring it into the country if you later decide not to.

Good Luck with it all.

iaink

Personally if it were me I would just have travelled on my UK passport with the record of landing form and taken my chances. There is no reason not to let you on any flight to Canada as a UK PP holder, and the long form is sufficient to prove status to the Immigration officer at the POE.

AllyS

Thanks guys - I didn't realise you got to keep the long form that the CHC send to you along with your passport and visa.

I thought that once you landed, they took it away from you and that was that!

babsi

I wouldn't risk not having it coming back from the UK, we went BA end of 2007 and I had the multiple entry visa and even that was causing problems at Heathrow. Sometimes I feel like banging my head on the brick wall. Before I got on the plane there were 2 checks of the passport. I actually got the visa in Germany and it took me 3 days in total, seems a lot easier in London.

Anywhere else I wouldn't worry, I have been back from other countries before and all they care about is the passport, nothing else.

PaulandDawn

Thanks so much for this. I've printed out the form and we'll fill it in and take it to the high commission a month or so before we go. We have booked one way tickets on Cdn Affair (Thomas Cook) but with my citizenship card and hubby's permit to travel I can't imagine we would have too much trouble getting in???!!

JAJ

Nothing illegal about doing that, although courier is recommended.