Request our work permit

Both our passports arrived the 20th of March!

Now we can send of our papers to the Canadian Embassy to request our workpermit.
We tried to work out if the children needed study visas, and with a tight schedule, this could have upset the applecart in dates. However, we determined that they don’t, by combing the website for minors and their requirements; It still wasn’t totally convincing, but we are gradually eking info from the Canadian government websites. The Canadanian Embassy in Paris is convinced we need them, but on various sites it says we don’t need them. Our representative in Vancouver from the PNP cannot give us any information, other then all the info is on the website from the Embassy. There are several other things, I (Ton) have to apply for a work permit seperately. Do i have to send in proof of qualifications, diplomas etc? There is no information when you apply for a work permit with a letter of acceptance as a candidate from the Provincial Nominee Program.

Anyway we send the papers of yesterday (21/03) with Chronopost, our 2 forms IMM1295 to request a work permit for me and Tony and dependent children, the letter of acceptance from the PNP, photocopies of our passports and identity photos from all of us, proof of payment for 2 x fee workpermit. Now we have to hope this is all they need and it only takes 2-3 weeks.

In the meantime i have booked my flights, leaving the 26th of April, with 2 children a cat and 6 bags from Toulouse to Frankfurt to Vancouver. Tony has not booked his flight yet. We have taken an option from Lyon – Frankfurt – Vancouver for him and the dog, meeting us in Frankfurt.

We have also chosen our transporters, finally, Team Relocation – good references and nice guy here in Toulouse, used to live in the USA so knows a lot about moving. Lots of questions for him re: wine, visas, storage, etc. They are quite flexible.

Ton and Tony

The animals..a nightmare

Today (19/03) we learn that Buzz cannot fly from Toulouse as the plane is too small and doesn’t have a pressurized section for animals – there is no problem from Frankfurt. London is a nightmare, unless you think crossing from Gatwick to Heathrow with 8 large bags, 4 sets of hand baggage, a large dog in a cage plus a cat, not to mention 2 tired children, is a bundle of fun….
The options ranged out in front of us include driving one way from Toulouse to Frankfurt with a very expensive hire car (450 euros), throttling the beast, and looking for another solution. Tonight it looks like one or all of us going from Barcelona as a real possibility, but it isn’t easy to find out. Lufthansa is the only carrier and it is impossible to call them and ask if they take a dog on their Airbus A319. The reservation department consists of people who are specialised in knowing absolutely nothing about taking animals. The Lufthansa website gives lots of cargo connections, all of which only concern sending the beast on his own, and then via a specialist company. So we have to make multiple reservations, as it is only then that we can make a request for the dog which tales up to 3 days to confirm. Every day counts now, especially when you take in packing and planning. Our cat however can fly with us in the cabin from Toulouse to Frankfurt.

Zacky our cat

Buzz our dog

Official letter received!

Today, we received by TNT our official letter; Congratulations! We are pleased to inform you that you have been selected as a British Provincial Nominee Candidate.

Next step is waiting for our passports to come back, they have been send away to extend them. Then we can send in our official letter together with, yet another form, to the Canadian Embassy in Paris, who will issue our work permit for 2 years. Hopefully this will not take longer then 2-3 weeks. Our passports should arrive next week, then we can finally fix the dates for our flights and container. And when we do……………i hope the workpermit does not take longer then 2-3 weeks, if it does……Houston we have a problem, as flights and container will have been booked.

The story continues……….

Ton

Where’s the damn visa??!!

The interview was on 2 February, and unfortunately, we had just missed a committee meeting so then had to wait until Thursday 1 March for their decision. Chris Taylor mailed me at 15H03 PST and his message arrived on my outlook just after midnight. “Congratulations, your application has been successful!”. He would then send the papers off early the following week. However, the following week was involved signing papers not signed at the interview, but then 1 week later they should go off. But, they went off at the beginning of the subsequent week, and two weeks later they still haven’t arrived. Since it is impossible to contact anyone at the Canadian embassy, or that anyone at immigration might know, so we don’t know how long it will take to process the visa so we can actually leave and go to Vancouver.

So despite mounting euphoria, nothing can be definitely planned. Since we both sent off to renew our passports, neither of which are back, and they cannot say if we need to send our passports for the visa, it could take 2-5 weeks before we can go – booking a 3.000 euro flight not knowing the dates is tricky and frustrating. Since we are also trying to fit in a visit to the Cloggy family in Holland before we go, so it all gets very tight.

I did indulge at buying currency in order to transfer funds to Vancouver. However, it seems I am not very good at that as every time I block a rate, it subsequently goes up! Since the rate has risen 10% since November then it is not alarming, but missing out on a few thousand dollars does hurt. Then again, I think we are so lucky to be able to do this and to have the money to go. Life was not always that simple.

Waiting for a visa

When I checked my e-mails on Friday morning (2 March), there were 25, due to a server problem the night before. after taking the kids to school, I saw the one from Canada Immigration , a few lines saying that our application had been accepted. Nice feeling, and I sent a SMS to Tonnetje who would have been straggling home in a drunken stupor from a pub in Whistler. She arrived back at 01H30 (10H30 in France) and after seeing the SMS, called for an excited chat. Sure we expected it, but until it happens, well, it might not.
Then began a period of the phoney departure. We gradually confirm the move, but not really stepping into gear. And one week later we still don’t have the certificate that we have to send off to the Canadian Embassy in Paris – after numerous e-mails, we should get it on or around 10-12 March. Both our passports have had to go off to be replaced as they would run out during a two year work permit, and getting the permit modified is costly and messy, apparently.
We are now waiting for passports, trying to choose a removals company, working out exactly what date to go, and how to explain it all to the dog and cat, both of whom are going to go on two aircraft (Toulouse-Frankfurt-Vancouver) whilst spending 17 hours in a locked kennel – make that a cage. And we still don’t have a visa…….yet.
Both schools have been told, and we are now getting the end of Toulouse parties organised for the kids. they will need a big sendoff.
I also had to order some currency – and I lost my cool and ended up 3.000 dollars worse off. or maybe 3.000 dollars better off. I don’t know how currency dealers cope with the pressure.
At the moment we still have not packed anything or even thrown anything out. we have to place advertisements for all goods not travelling, especially electrical goods that are 220V as the savages over the pond only use 110V. However, next week should see some movement.
It is generally exciting, although no doubt as the day of reckoning comes closer, so it will get tense. And no doubt in a year or two it will seem quite bland or even a terrible decision…….

Tony

Vancouver 3rd best place to live in the world

Vancouver is the best city in Canada in which to live, and the third-best place in the world, according to an annual quality of life survey.

Of 215 cities polled, Vancouver came behind only the Swiss cities of Zurich and Geneva, Mercer Human Resource Consulting said in its annual Worldwide Quality of Living Survey.

Vancouver kept the same ranking as last year, while Toronto edged up one spot to 15th and Ottawa climbed three spots to 18th place. Montreal ranked 22nd and Calgary 25th.

Vancouver topped the other Canadian cities due to its natural environment and recreational sites.

It’s the relative nearness of the mountains, skiing, the ocean . . . as well as the moderate climate relative to the rest of the country.

Watch this funny video!!