Jane Barlow

Hi aljay,

Hope you're settling in well. What did you do about your settlement funds on landing? Just wondering if you did a print off of your bank statement and how close to your departure date did you do it?

We pick up copr on thurs and our house sold in a week. The buyers want to move in mid may so it looks like we will be heading out sooner rather than later. It's a bit manic!!

AlJay

Hi Jane, yes we are having a ball settling in. Lots to do but a great adventure and loads of fun too. For settlement funds proof we got a letter from the local bank branch confirming our funds as was too late to order a fresh statement to arrive in time. They were very helpful once we explained how important it was and that we couldn't wait for a standard statement. Also got print out statements for the other account and although it didn't show our names and address we took our cheque book and previous statements as well which showed our acc no matched up with the print out. After all of that we didn't even get asked anything about settlement funds at immigration when we landed!!!! But we were glad we did have it just in case they did ask. Our letter and print outs were dated about a week before our landing date.

Sounds like it is all coming together for you. Enjoy the process. Landing is an amazing feeling. Totally worth all the challenges of the applying to get in process.

RbjdtbBurwash

All very quiet on here these days. I guess we are all "nearing completion".

We went to our CIIP session in London a couple of weeks ago. We thought it was a really well organised and run couple of days. The first day gave a lot of specific information from how to construct a Canadian style resume to what skills were in short supply in which provinces as well as specific lifestyle and settling in info. Our individual "MAP" session on the second day walked us through a tailored plan which they had put together for us based on our skills and experience. The report was then sent to agencies in our chosen province so that we could start working with them to find work. We have had responses already and just need to "Canadianize" our CVs and send over to get things rolling. We were very impressed by the whole thing. It showed a commitment and support to us and gave us info on where to start looking for work and who could help us. Considering it is all free, you can't complain really and we certainly left feeling that it was something everyone should try and go to.

Our property has now sold PHEW! So flights are booked for 15th July and the dog is booked on the plane too. That was all very easy via the Air Transat call centre. Will confirm the movers this week and get back in touch with our realtor.

Hope all is moving along nicely for everyone else and that the dream is still going strong for those that have recently landed!

Bob

Ailsa n Dave

Hi Bob,
Session sounds interesting, how did you hear about that? Glad you are all booked up now! We ended up with a count down calendar to count down the days!! Its a crazy time!

Update from us, our COPR was actually posted on March 20th but I stupidly missed out the company name on my work address and it got returned undelivered. Problem corrected and I now have an email saying it was reposted on Wed so hopefully will arrive this week

Been here on our TWP's for just over a month now and love it love it love it... Worth every single second of the effort, stress and general pain to get here. Quick overview so far:

Kids are in school now for a month, so far so good, finding it very different to home but coping, both feel that the kids are a lot "younger" here and more kid like, which they both like.
We are still in the furnished rental house and our stuff is still in storage (I miss all my things!!) but our house sale in Glasgow finalised a week after we arrived and we have now bought a new place here in Ancaster, we get the keys at the end of May... can't wait!
We had a rental car for the first month, but now have each bought a car, well more correctly David has a big ass truck and I have a car - lol We also traded our UK licences for Ontario ones, They take your UK licence off you to do this!!
Otherwise generally been working hard at the new job (which I'm loving so far) , getting used to all the new shops (loving Costco and bulk buy), gradually replacing our electricals (so far TV, Xbox, kettle, hoover, coffee maker, hand mixer, slow cooker.... lots more to go) found a shop called Talize which is good and sells new/nearly new at great prices which is awesome when you have so much to replace. Also been doing a bit of exploring the local area, not much yet though, not had time!!
Generally finding costs are not dissimilar to home, slightly higher for some things such as groceries (all be it bulk buying helps combat this)... electrical goods similar, fuel cheaper, mobile phones and months TV's etc.. costs are much the same. Car insurance is very expensive though. In saying that we did get a big discount for putting both cars on one policy and then another for putting the house insurance on the same - still very costly though.
Loving having a house big enough to do things in!! We managed to get a Table Tennis table from kijiji and have been ping ponging mad, great fun, no room for this in our old place. Loving how friendly the people are here and how generally just less miserable!!

Good luck to all, hopefully we all get our PR sorted eventually!!

Ails

RbjdtbBurwash

That all sounds fantastic Ails, really glad that things are going well we really can't wait now to get going.

We got an invite to the CIIP thing with our COPR paperwork. They run them around the world I believe.

Loving the truck thing, definitely on my shopping list!

Did you find your temporary place on kijiji?

Jane Barlow

Good to hear your news guys, D n A, so glad things have turned out so well for you! Bob - hope your last couple of months in the UK go smoothly. We were looking into that course but as our house sold in a week and the buyers want to complete in 6 weeks we are kind of running out of time! My husband just hand a second interview tonight (yep a Sunday) and it sounds like they are pretty keen, and prepared to wait. He also has another company after him so hopefully we should be ok. Also have some short-term furnished accommodation sorted for when we arrive, and a realtor and mortgage advisor helping us start gathering documents. We're hoping to do the same thing as you Ailsa, and go straight from furnished rental into our own house.... Without a job, it may take a bit longer!! Anyway, keep on with the updates from time to time, it's great to hear from everyone! Anyone else out there??!

RbjdtbBurwash

Wow Jane, talk about everything falling into place! Really pleased for you!

Ailsa n Dave

Interesting... will see if our COPR has one too...

We found the rental through MLS... would definitely recommend going through a realtor though, they work there butts off for you, ours was great. People on MLS or kijiji will often ignore you but would reply to a realtor.

Ailsa n Dave

Great news Jane, glad its coming together! Did you get your COPR now?

Jane Barlow

Thanks ailsa, yes we picked it up a week ago in London! It's all go!

Ailsa n Dave

Nice one Jane!! I don't envy you being in the pre move hell period but I do envy the COPR!

After my stupid missing out the company name on the address line incident we are now waiting impatiently for ours to come through, was posted out on the 11th by Royal mail signed for and not here yet... Not sure how long this service normally takes! We were really hoping to be crossing the border this weekend! But not there yet...

Just for FYI... Scotia bank who are giving us a great mortgage deal on our new house here want our PR papers, before we sign our mortgage... I guess maybe the deal we have is for PR's not TWP's... Hopefully next week our letter shows up and we can get it all sorted!!

angelic applicant

Im still in the uk, but have a telephone job interview next Thursday
So fingers crossed i do ok then i can get my flights booked and go.
Its not in Kimberley where i wanted and some are saying the commute in winter would be too much so it means i'll have to live somewhere where i dont know a soul which is daunting but if it means i can live in Canada ill cope xx

Ailsa n Dave

Hi Angelic, good luck for Thursday

It'd be a lot easier to find work if your actually there, maybe deal with the commute for a while till you find work locally?

Ails

Ailsa n Dave

COPR arrived today!!

angelic applicant

FANTASTIC!!!! Are u still breathing lol.
Aww thats brill is that all of us now?