TheTonkins

Hello all,

Happily, we have received a speedy AOR from the London office, it only took 10 days...I like to think that is a good thing!

Anyway, not so speedy of course is the predicted 36 months sticker
However, I was worried it may have stretched to 42 by now!
I wonder if I can maintain this silly grin for 36 months....

Many thanks to all who helped, Andrew, Jim, and our fellow hopefuls.

Oh, referring to the title... MMHP, I am really hoping that this is a GREAT OMEN, because my AOR is exactly 1 year from when you received yours!! Felt good to see that

Well... we will find out all in good time, but "stage one" is done...the thing wasn't returned to us, and we can go off to Canada on 19th October for our next visit, knowing that we are definitely "IN PROCESS".

....Oh yes, I've checked that already
Who wouldn't.

Thanks again to everyone for their advice over the months,

Carol

traceyparker1

Good luck Carol! We are waiting return of our passports from Buffalo and are also planning on moving to BC - Vancouver to start and then maybe the Island (Tofino) depending on job situation...such a beautiful country!! All the best and keep us up dated!

Tracey

Bleech

Nice one, congrats!
Start counting now how many times you'll hear "Have you heard anything yet?"

escort399

Hi Carol,

Good Luck! And the long wait begins.......

Jo

Voyager970

Carol

Welcome aboard the big gravy boat train waiting to get out of the UK

Our AOR was July 2005, quoting 30 months, seems to have jumped 6 months in a matter of a few months WOW !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Can we, the family wait, NNNNNNNOOOOOOO

Need to get out ASAP, this country is going downhill very fast

I am looking at obtaining a job, get work permit, get out quicker

Anyway welcome to the long long wait

Eddie

amancharan

mhhp is busy packing his stuff to fly in about a week from now; so dont expect him to answer as yet
Good Luck to you anyways and I would say that YES, it looks like a good omen

TheTonkins

Hee Hee... thanks Amancharan, I really do wish mhhp well, he must be floating about in a dream right now!! It will come to us all eventually....

Thanks for your good wishes also, traceyparker1, Bleech, escort399 and Voyager970!
We are settling down for the long wait, but to be honest because we are off to BC in about three weeks for another month... just receiving that Aor has really spurred us on, ...who knows what will happen when we are over there ....probably end up buying a holiday home or something

There seem to be a few of us off to Mapleland in October... and heading for the Okanagan as well. Maybe we should all wear a wee badge or similar in case we happen to be on the same stretch of road (stuck in the snow maybe!). Mind you, I keep hearing that there may not even be snow there yet, so I don't mind... nice Autumn colours, lovely!

..Just reminding ourselves, and taking stock of some of the reasons we want to go there is so important on these visits. We have had a busy and stressful Summer in the UK, so we are really ready to take stock of why we are putting ourselves through this application process. I am glad of the opportunity to do it, I know that not everyone can. I can't see us changing our minds AT ALL!

Thanks again, and oh yes, we have already been fending off the "I thought you were moving to Canada...??" comments. You learn all the right responses, but I can see that after two or more years I am more likely to bash folk round the head at the mere mention of it....

Carol

traceyparker1

Where in BC are you heading? We LOVE that whole area and initially will head to Vancouver but also tempted by Vancouver Island, especially the West side. Its amazing to see and hear other people's reactions to the move..we began talking about it and telling people of our plans last Feb (04) when we first applied. Initially, everyone asked us on a weekly basis if we had heard anything. After about 6 months of saying no, they seemed to stop asking - probably thought we were either making the whole thing up or Canada didn't want us!! As I am a teacher, I gave up my job at the end of the school year in June 05 as I couldn't commit to another full school year not knowing if the application would come through, etc. The questions started again and they all thought I was kind of crazy giving up work even though I had no definite YES!! Then the summer came and went and we got word last week so I immediately headed into the school I used to teach at to let all the kids and teachers know. The first words that greeted me "I thought you were in Canada?" Not to mention the "But can't you just move there with a UK/US passport....?" I have to admit, now that we are finally all done I feel that a part of my life is missing. I had become so consumed with checking eclient, chasing down the mailman, researching these forums. Now I'm in limbo..not that I'm complaining - I have to start thinking about our goods to follow list...aaggh!! Good luck everyone,
Tracey

TheTonkins

Oh... to have a "goods to follow list" to worry about
You must be so excited!

Anyway, we are off to the Shuswap or Okanagan Valley. Unfortunately, in the past year (since we were there) the Okanagan property market has gone a bit mad...so we are forced to look a bit further out now. However, we really like the idea of the peace and quiet in some of the other places. The lake at Nakusp is gorgeous.. BUT starts to get expensive again, for that very reason.

It is pretty crucial to be able to be near a large town year round as well.... which means Kelowna of course for the Okanagan, but there is also Kamloops (love that name). However we didn't like that town when we dropped by last time!!

In fact we are touring around in a big circle for four weeks, to look seriously at 100 Mile House-ish area, across East to Clearwater (views of the GLORIOUS Rockies!), Salmon Arm (favourite place... but also the most expensive of our trip, since it is at the very tip of the Okanagan!), then down to Nakusp, Rock Creek and Keremeos! Start and finish at Vancouver of course, so we get a chance to go up Grouse Mountain again!! I still REALLY want the Salmon Arm area, but it all depends on property.

We will see many different landscapes I am sure, but there are some lovely properties around if you look, and since so many of them say "set up for horses....."

Oh, we thought of Vancouver Island, but when doing our "weather research" (crucial for Canada!), we decided it was FAR too wet for us We have to be realistic, and even though the Island may be nice, we just don't fancy that weather. I also like snow (maybe my Scottish roots!), and there is plenty of that elsewhere!
We live in East Anglia right now...flat as a pancake .... no wonder we yearn for the Rockies

Good luck with your goods list...have fun!!

Carol

Tangram

"is it an omen" ..... erm no

Kazphillips

Congrats Carol - that's a quick AoR, if only it meant a quick processing eh!

Have a great time on your visit - this time next week our journey will have begun as we fly from Jersey to Gatwick

mhhp

Yes floating away in a dream is the right phrase, as we were in Venice that week celebrating our 10 year anniversary, (and it is really an ohmen, because sept. 29th is in add. to our AOR also our wedding day)

Just got back and are now in the midst of a packing mess.:scared::scared:

6 more days!!!!

TheTonkins

Oh fantastic mhhp!!! You must be so excited..it is certainly all happening now

Congratulations on your wedding anniversary, and just think of this time next week (...em I'm sure you are thinking of nothing else mind you..).

..and oh yes, I am looking on my AOR date as being extremely important in the light of your experience!

Good luck to you and Mrs mhhp, with landing, it will be brilliant, and we all look forward to hearing ALL about it when you have caught your breath!
Best wishes!

Carol

mhhp

Thanks so much. Everyone here has been so supportive and compasionate, I dont know how we could have done it without the moral backing of the forum.

For sure you will get a detailed account of the events to follow.

Back to packing now:scared::scared::scared:

coal

Congratulations on sending in your application and getting a super fast response...
I am about to post my application after some months of document gathering..

I just wanted to know if you sent ORIGINAL employment reference letters or photocopies? I am planning to send copies and retain originals incase of further enquiries. Is this what you did? Obviously your application wasn't returned so it must ok.
Any help much appreciated
Coal.