Hi - I know exactly what you are going through!! We received our AOR in September 05 and then put our lives on hold thinking that there was no way it would honestly take the 36 months they expected.

All this time I was totally convinced we wouldn't make the grade and our application would be declined. We got our 90 day update letter in December 07 and submitted everything in the March. Still convinced we wouldn't get in anyway we went and booked a very expensive 2 week holiday with all the family for end of September this year - oh hindsight would have been useful!.

Within 2 weeks of this we got our Medical requests which we did within one week of the letter in a total daze and then collected our visas about 4 weeks later. So it seemed that everyhting stood still for forever and then suddenly - bam - it all happened so quickly.

I wish we had more confidence in our application though as we would have sold our house last year and gone into rented but I didn't want to give up our house only to find our application was rejected!!!

Having a nightmare trying to sell and now considering renting but as that means we wouldn't have much money to go with we have decided to 'land' in October for 10 days (while flights to NS are still cheap) and then come back to the UK, save as much as we can and then return permanently to NS when we have more funds. But we would have just got back from our big family holiday so have had to grovel to our bosses (and the school) for extra leave and find the money for another big trip abroad (us and three young kids).

Looking back the time has flown but I feel that the kids think we'll never really go - they've heard us droning on about "when we live in Canada..." for the last three years now!!

So my only advise is to stay positive and have confidence - it will happen (and sooner than you think - we got our medical requests within 3 weeks of returning our updated docs...). Unless you've committed a major offence in the last few years I would say you are there all bar formalities.

Fingers crossed you'll hear something definate soon.

Query, when you apply for PR and you are now living in Canada with a job permenant one, do you still have to prove that you have money in your bank account? because the way things are going we won't have a fat lot left!! will it go against you if you are already establised in the country and working a good wage, would they turn us down?

We know exactly how you feel and pretty much mirror what everyone else has said... we applied in Nov 05, got our medical request through last week, and had our medical yesterday... after hearing nothing for what felt like forever and our friends and family getting bored of us saying 'when we move to Canada', it all now seems like its gonna happen super fast!

Hang in there - and remember why you applied in the first place. Everytime we look at our little girl we just imagine what a better quality of life she will have in Vancouver, and thats all that matters!

From what I have read on the forum its a very rare case that you will receive a 'no' from them at this late stage. Its very scary though uprooting to another country, and the thought of saying goodbye to family and friends - but our motto is that if we don't do it now we will regret not having at least tried.

Good luck - hope you get your meds request soon

We feel exactly the same - "emotional chaos" as somebody said. We applied in March 2006 and once the initial excitement wore off we got on with living our lives.

Since applying, and having a long recce trip, my wife has changed jobs a couple of times, I've had problems at work, our family has suffered a death and celebrated a birth, and we've sold our house. As a result, Canada went from being at the forefront of our minds to the back burner. But now we're gathering our updated documents and realising that we could actually be living in another country in less than a year's time. Even though we've dreamed of it for so long, now it's getting closer it's a daunting thought.

Our parents obviously know we want to go, but telling them we may have less than a year left here could be emotional. We're looking hard at our possessions and working out what to take and what might have to be sold/given away once the visa arrives. We had also planned to study for more qualifications, but that has gone by the wayside because they would all take more than a year, time we may no longer have.

So, overall, we're currently feeling excited, nervous, anxious, rushed, thrilled and full of anticipation, all at the same time!

I understand exactly what you're going through, and can only wish you lots of luck! I keep telling myself that all this worry will be worth it in the end...

I know I'm an idiot. BUT I'd like to answer your question. I presume you mean you're here on WP? In which case now that you're PR is being processed whilst you are in this great country the 'financial' obligation will be relaxed. The idea of x money in the bank is so that you can establish yourself BEFORE or whilst you are finding work. (Which of course you have already done)

HTH

Resident Idiot

When I flag-polled a few weeks ago to validate my PR Visa, I was still asked for proof of funds, despite living here on a WP for the past 3yrs and owning a business etc. It seemed a formality for the immigration officer to be able to put a figure in the box, but the question is still asked and I can only assume they have the right to require proof if necessary.

OK, once again I proved I'm an idiot




However, friends of ours werent asked when they Flag poled last year?????

Only proven by bureaucracy in this instance, which means you can rest easy

The form that gets stapled into your passport when the PR Visa is validated has a box that immigration has to fill in, which asks for level of funds available. The officer that dealt with us suggested a figure that would be appropriate ($20k) and asked us to confirm that we had that amount of unencumbered funds.

It seems these forms have changed recently. Friends of ours went through the same process a couple of month earlier, and their form has words to the effect of "This document doesn't guarantee re-entry to Canada" printed across it. Ours mentioned nothing regarding re-entry at all.

whats the worst that can happen?

You come to Canada, don't like it and go home. I keep telling myself this and it comforts us. We did'nt burn our Passports at the airport. Even if we try and fail then at least I won't grow up an old man saying 'I wished I tried my dream to live in Canada'.

When you get here its not easy, you spend a lot of time running around doing things. Its easy to be drowned in more paperwork and annoying red-tape. What we did was take time out every day if possible or at least at the weekends to enjoy Canada and remember why we went through this whole effort.

I also think its good to have a timescale in your head when you get here. Our goal is to stay for at least 3 years so we can get our citizenship. Once we have this then we can always return to the UK for a few years and then give Canada another go later in life without all the visa hassles. I strongly believe that in 3 years we won't want to leave, but its good to have a target to get you over the ups and downs.

I opened the bedroom windows this morning to see the mountains looking down on me. It sure beats our view from our flat in Queen Park London!

Its scary, but arent most fun things?