Psyched

1. Supervisa aka 'Parent & Grandparent Authorized Period of Extended Stay' (an actual document).

2. The Supervisa carries a UCI Number which can be matched to the application.

3. We applied on the multi-use IMM 1442 to "Verify Status" which will result in an IMM 1442 being generated.

4. I never said BC Service were anything to do with Immigration, but they DO deal with Licensing. The Clerk read an official interdepartmental communication outlining the process required in front of me.

5. It was $60 (2 x $30)

CLB

Hi Fellow Kamloopsian!
Interesting to read what you've tried with this as we're having the exact same problem. So I'm wondering if we go down to the border and do a flagpole whether the entry document you've mentioned could be prepared there and then. Sounds better than having to wait 6 months. My mother in law was given insurance when she first came out here on a visitor visa (bizarrely), and has been in and out of the country several times since then. She got her super visa last spring, but was only just told recently that her insurance isn't actually valid unless she goes out of the country and back in again. It's absurd that this makes a difference.
Anyway, if we go with the above option we'll let you know if we get anywhere.

CLB

Update to above for anyone still having these problems....

First - the best thing for anyone coming on the supervisa would be to ask for a Visitor Record when arriving.
If you didn't do this then try what we did - a flagpole - which is to leave the country at the US land border and then come back in again.
To do this, go down to the border and enter the US. You'll have to go through a bit of a rigamarole but it's worth it. Just tell the US authorities you need to do a flagpole and they'll know what you mean.
Then back around entering the Canadian side you should tell them you were not given a Visitor Record when you first arrived and that you need it to get your licence and insurance issues dealt with with ICBC. They will issue the document. I don't remember that my mother in law had to pay anything - she got it with no problems, just a few questions asked.

Hope this helps anyone still facing this problem. Just one thing to add, ICBC would only issue insurance to cover her until the supervisa runs out, so bear this in mind.

Psyched

Realised not updated the forum
We waited the 6 months (5 1/2) for a cannot process response after I'd been advised offically that was the way forward.

Ultimately we did an early renewal of the supervisa which came with the proper documentation, a nice colourful IMM 1442, fortunately we were not required to purchase a fresh year of medical insurance. As we were 8 - 9 months in on visa we thought a flagpole would require renewal of the 1 year minimum med insurance at 'each entry' into Canada would be required, so did an early renewal to avoid that, it was quite straightforward that way and processing was around 2 months

dave_j

The key to solving this problem is indeed the 'Visitor Record'.
This is a colourful official document issued free by Canadian Immigration and is affixed to your passport and should be obtained on arrival, although it apparently needs to be asked for and can, with effort, be issued retroactively at any border office. Although it doesn't change your status, it apparently ticks a box. Not only that but in discussion wth both ICBC and CBSA officials, I got the impression that neither talks to the other or has any wish to. Lots of shaking of the head by both sides and comments like 'they don't know what we need' don't help the client and only go to show that the system is cracked if not ever so slightly broken.
Nevertheless, drivers licences have now been approved and we await their arrival for the nominal fee of 17CAD each. One thing to bear in mind is that your UK drivers licence will be taken and, I believe, returned to the UK. If you have, as we did, an old fashioned paper licence, you may meet with some incredulity, as my wife did, that the licence is in fact a valid document. Another item of note is that, although my UK licence stated that I was able to drive a motor cycle, the BC licence omits this. Apparently if I want to drive a motor cycle later I would have to take a driving test. I suspect that, as experienced many times over this issue, the ICBC official knew less than I did but I let it pass because driving a motor cycle isn't high on the list.
Whatever you do, don't listen to official advice. I contacted (on a premium line after having to wait 15 minutes) an immigration help line official, only to be told that the official was located in Montreal and knew nothing about BC licencing and, worst of all, was emailed a document to complete that would, like a previous post, have introduced a worthless delay and would certainly have incurred cost.
So all's well at the moment and we await the next glitch.
Dave_J

The4BellsLondon

Glad it's sorted and yes the Motor cycle addition is hit or miss, hubby had his included on licence, others haven't !

Psyched

I had my motorcycle license added later, I questioned it at the time and checked with icbc head office in Victoria. They confirmed the entitlement was transferable but as my license had been returned to UK I would need to obtain a copy of my driver record from dvla.

I did this for a £5 fee. Later getting the entitlement added at my local licensing office.

dave_j

Many thanks Psyched, will bear that in mind.
Like a number of pensionable men who owned old british bikes in their twenties and in my case into their forties, there's always this feeling that I'd like to own another oil leaking, rattling heap of scrap but I came to the conclusion some time ago that I'm not the rider I once was and there's a tree or a wall with my name written on it somewhere and it'll take me if I give it the chance.
So, like a number of pleasurable activities that I'm no longer good at, I'll give this one a miss for the time being.
Dave_J

Mo Cassidy

Hi all, I'm in the same boat, so its a Visitor Record paper, It can be obtained at the Border with the USA, or maybe going down to the Airport where we arrived at to get the paper done?
it ticks the box that then tells the licensing department they can exchange my licence? if this is right? this is great news and not all that hard to do, i guess.
What surprises me is that they take your UK licence from you, what if you need to return to the UK for perhaps an emergency,relative ill or something and you need to rent a car to get about? no licence! I just think its strange why they would take it from you. you guys really know your stuff, thankyou to all of you, where would we be without your help,

R I C H

Your licence is taken from you as in most provinces it's illegal to hold a foreign and local licence. If you return to the UK for a visit, your provincial licence is perfectly ok to drive with and rent a car with. If you return permanently, the DVLA will re-issue your UK licence.

Novocastrian

No problem at all to rent a car in the UK with a Canadian driving license.

If you're returning for an extended period (6 months or more, I think applies to the UK too), then you'll have to swap back to a GB license and go around the block again for Canada on your return. That time ask for an Visitor Record on re-entry.

Mo Cassidy

Thanks guys, That sounds fine to me, I understand now.
My mother is 90, she seems ok and is being looked after but when someone is 90 at sometime i could get a phone call asking me to get to the UK, I hope she lives forever,but that's not going to happen i know, I ring her every Sunday morning for an hour. thanks again guys.

Gozit

Slightly off topic question... You guys say it is illegal in most provinces to hold a local and a foreign license at the same time... When I leave Canada for Malta, I will (most likely ) have an Ontario driving license. I cannot exchange said license for a Maltese one, I have to take drivers ed and a road test in Malta to receive their license. They will treat me like I have no driving license, hence they don't care about the Ontario one... What is Ontario going to do about it when I come back to Canada for visits and use my Ontario license to drive around here? Or say I moved back to Canada in the future, what are they gonna do? I already have an Ontario license which I didn't switch for my foreign one ......

Novocastrian

Nobody said it was illegal to hold a local (Canadian provincial) license and a foreign one at the same time. Merely that, as a visitor, you can only drive on the foreign one for 6 months (Your Province May Vary).

If you're staying longer you'll have to swap your foreign license, but the trick is to dodge around between countries a bit and take a driving test in more than one.

For example, I have a German license and an Ontario one, both of which are perfectly valid. In the past I've had a GB license and one from California.

The4BellsLondon

RICH said it was illegal !