Rosie Lee

YAY! Congratulations.

vancouverpickles

Hi all, I have been following this forum for a while and only just registered. It has been so helpful to read people's post and view timelines.
My partner and I applied as common-law. Got sponsorship approval June 20th, and of course, heard nothing for months. Until Sept 24th, it suddenly changed to In Process and on September 29th to Decision Made! Super quick once they started.
The only question now is where do we go from here. The official letter has arrived at his parents house in the UK. Apparently it says he has until February 2013 to land. Is this the COPR? They never requested his passport. Are there more papers to sign? Will he get a residency card after he lands? And how/when does he get a SIN and is eligible to work? It has been such a build up to just get the application through and now I don't know what happens!
Thank you!!

SchnookoLoly

It sounds like it! You have to land within the validity of your medicals, so I'm guessing he had his medicals done Feb 2012. Obviously can't say for sure without seeing the form myself, but if I remember correctly, the form does say "CONFIRMATION OF PERMANENT RESIDENCY" across the top.

They don't always request a passport, sometimes they go straight to issuing COPR without PPR. Can't really tell when they do and don't, seems to almost be random! Everything you need to know about landing is on the Wiki here.

It takes I think 8-12 weeks for the card to arrive - you have to specify on your form a Canadian address for it to get delivered. I think this is all on the Wiki as well.

Someone else will correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that one he lands and has activated his PR, he is then eligible to work, so he should be able to go straight to whoever it is that issues SINs and do his application for one there. I don't know the rules about starting work before your SIN has been officially issued - not sure if Canada has a "emergency NIN" as the UK does, but a quick google for "applying for a SIN card" should solve that one for you.

Good luck!

michael.shaydo

Pleasantly surprised when I checked the status last night that we have a decision made. I'm assuming it changed Friday unless of course they work weekends at the London office.

It now says the office will contact my wife concerning this decision.

Can we assume it is a positive outcome? The wording I am guessing is standard but it doesn't really give you what is being sent.

What would normally be in this communication; passport request? COPR?
Just wondering as some people had indicated that passport request is not always made.

Either way...great start to the week when you see a change on the status!!

SchnookoLoly

As you said, it's generic wording so it's hard to say for sure, but it's porbably in the category of "cautious optimism".

As you've also said, sometimes they do PPR and sometimes they issue straight COPR - no way to tell based on what they've written on ECAS, you just have to wait to see what comes. My husband (the sponsored person) received his PPR by email, and then COPR was delivered by signed/registered post about 4 weeks after we sent the PPR paperwork back. No way to tell, though. (In our case, we received PPR on 26 June, and the ECAS status didn't update until 30 June with 'Decision Made'!)

michael.shaydo

Cautious is quite right!! but we're pretty excited to see what comes nonetheless. Every piece of communication has come via email so far so hopefully we hear something soon. Hopefully it's a nice quick week as we await the mail coming!! A lot of people seem to be hearing at the moment; it's nice to finally hear something back!

exenglishman

Once you have applied for your SIN can can start working. I also believe if you go to certain servicecanadas you can get your SIN the very same day (providing you have landed)

A note for people transferring from a '9' SIN too, you get a '5' SIN in 10 minutes, just go to a servicecanada, they give you the new SIN and send you a card in 4 weeks.

CanAngel

You apply for your SIN by going to a Service Canada office, there are several all over the country. You get the number on the spot, with your card following in the mail about 2 weeks later. You are eligible to work right upon landing.

vancouverpickles

Thanks so much for those answers. Really helpful and that wiki site is also super helpful.
It makes sense that the letter is a COPR because it states he had his medicals in February 2012.
Excited! Thanks for the help

vancouverpickles

Our status on ecas changed to 'decision made' and when I logged on using my partner's details (DOB etc) it came up with a new home address just as Vancouver, BC. So you could check to see if that has happened on ecas. We were cautiously optimistic but then we heard from his parents a letter was at their house. It looks like it might be the COPR as it gives a landing deadline. We never had a passport request.

lordchewington

COPR arrived today!!! Just picked it up from the post office, it's official! Time for a few (too many) beers, gonna drive to the border and flagpole tomorrow
So so happy, I can finally get back to work!
Thanks to everyone who gave their advice and shared their stories, it really has made this whole process more manageable!

Jim Humphries

Good stuff. Eight months start to finish.

SchnookoLoly

Yay! Very happy to hear it!! Hope it all goes smoothly upon landing, and good luck getting back to work!

michael.shaydo

Wow...that was fast; decision made on the weekend paperwork arrived today. My wife's COPR just arrived. She is currently doing her happy dance...albeit not a 649 happy dance but close!

Thanks to all for the advice on here and for those still waiting things seem to be moving along well so best of luck the rest of the way...the wait will be worth it!!

Pancakes

Hi,

going through my checklist, do the 8 photos need to be signed (other than by the photographer)? I can't find anything (but am beginning to go cross eyed!)

thanks

P.