desire68

Hi All,
I need some help and i hope i don't confuse you all on the way. Firstly a little background. I came to Victoria BC in 07 with my family (wife and two children 3 and 6) on an intra company transfer. I worked for Xerox Uk for 9yrs and i'm about to complete my 7th year here and i'm now in Vancouver.

Ive ben renewing my WP yearly since being here as it was hard financially to start the process for PR. I wanted to renew again and was told that i had reached my 7yr limit for the intra company transfer(which was news to me)

My father loaned us the funds to start the application and i applied for the BC PNP in April. I received an email with my BC PNP file Number this week and i'm told that it takes between 14-16 weeks from the date of the application to receive an answer.

In the mean time my WP is due to expire on the 29th July 2014 so i'm thinking that i need to apply for a bridging open permit to cover my status between the BC PNP and the PR application.

Im confused with the open permit application as it asks for details of my children (now 10 and 13) as though they are only visiting me here in Canada. Questions like how long do they intend to stay in Canada and how much funds will they have while they are here. Is this the correct form for me to be using?

When we came to Canada from the UK in 07, my wife and i completed the forms ourselves as we found them to be straight forward. I must admit that they seem to have become a great deal more complicated since then.

Any help that you can offer my family and i will be greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Michael

Siouxie

Unfortunately, you won't qualify for the bridging open work permit until you have received AIP (approval in principal) from CIC for your PR application.

You can read more here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resourc...013/ob485A.asp

You will however be able to obtain a work permit using the Provincial Nomination approval and support letter once you receive nomination, whilst the PR part of the application is being processed.

desire68

Thank you Siouxie,

So just to be clear. I should send the WP application off at the same time as applying for my PR (with PNP approval and support letter?)
Regards,
Michael

Former Lancastrian

If you have the approval from PNP and support letter you can take a trip down to the border and have the work permit issued and pay the fee at the border. Children would be put on visitor records and the wife would be eligible for the SOWP until PR is approved.

desire68

Thanks for your reply. Is there a preferable border that i should go to? We're in Coquitlam BC.

JonboyE

Either Peace Arch (Hwy 99) or the Pacific crossing (Hwy 15 - 176 Street) will be convenient.

desire68

Thanks JonboyE,

I know them both well. I'll keep this thread updated with my progress.
Regards,
Michael

Former Lancastrian

Not on a Sunday evening on a long weekend

desire68

Yeah, been there, done that and will NEVER do that again lol.
Regards,
Michael

desire68

Just had another thought,
Should I fill out the WP application form before hand to save time, or do I need to fill it out at the border?
Regards
Michael

Former Lancastrian

No forms to be filled out at the border just present the PNP nomination letter and pay the $155.

desire68

Thanks,
I also just want to say that i really appreciate this forum and its members. God knows that anything to do with immigration is never easy but you guys an girls on here make things crystal clear. I haven't been on here since 07 and i feel like i never left. Thanks again for all your help.
Regards,
Mike

desire68

**UPDATE**
Hi all,
Today August 28th I received my BCPNP! I then went down to the boarder to get my WP renewed. By now the WP was 28days out of date. The first Canadian boarder guard really wanted to give my family and i a hard time. He wouldn't stop saying "You have been working in Canada illegally!" to the point where i got so frustrated that i just ended up asking him in as calm a voice as i could manage, "So what happens now?".
After telling us that he doesn't think he will be able to give us a WP, he told us to take a seat and he then handed our details over to another officer.
This guy talked with us and listened while we stated our case. He then told us that it would take some time but he would get the paper work for our WP sorted out.
What a gong show, an hour later we walked out with our WP and we can now proceed with the next leg of our process. Just thought i'd update this thread.
Regards,
Mike

Siouxie

Excellent new indeed, but tbh I think you were fortunate that you had an understanding CBSA officer. If you did continue to work after your work permit expired you risked not only being told to leave the country, but also your application for PR for working illegally - so you lucked out there.

Congrats on getting your BC PNP through - don't forget you have a limited time to complete the rest of the application.

desire68

Yep, understood. We are going to apply right away as we have 6 months to complete the rest of the application.