And now the fun part

According to Canada Post our application arrived in Vegreville on Monday. So now we wait. Current processing time: 2 days. According to the latest estimates on the CIC site, in-Canada permanent residence applications are currently processed in 6 - 7 months, which means April/May 2008, which means we have only 182 - 213 days to go! Shall we open a pool? How many jellybeans in this jar? Pick a date and win!

That's that, mattress man

Okay, we're done, it's all in an envelope, ready to go tomorrow morning. Tonight was supposed to be quick and easy, just attach the photos and we're done, but it was actually very stressful, like applying to the college of your dreams, intensified 1,000 times. All of the moving and everything we've done up to now is basically dependent on the safe arrival and acceptance of this envelope. If for some reason I'm rejected as a sponsor or our application is otherwise deemed unworthy, we're basically moving back to Finland.
And so it was strange that, amidst all my hyper-organized control-freaking tonight, I found myself suddenly longing to be back there. It was a totally inappropriate moment for an attack of homesickness, if there ever was one. I think I miss the ease of it, the security of the happy impermanence that was life there. I wonder if I should have listened to the part of me that, when we were really actually uprooting and moving, was telling me to stay. I can think of as many neighborhoods there as here that I would love to live in, and I don't need anyone's permission to do so.
I know all of this is knee-jerk against the insecurity of our position here. I have specific goals, dreams, fears for our future, and I don't want to be told that they can't happen based on someone else's idea of of who can live here and who can't. I want a house and a family, and a good job for my man – so we can both have fulfilling careers rather than just one of us. I want a holiday so we can visit his folks or get sun. That's pretty much it. And that's all in this large yet surprisingly skinny envelope. So now I have to mail it and just wait. Ten months or so and then life can begin again. Mail it and figure out what to do in the meantime.

THE CHECKLIST - REVISED

FORMS (which are all online here)

For me:
-Application to Sponsor and Undertaking CHECK
-Sponsorship agreement CHECK
-Sponsorship evaluation CHECK

For him:
-In-Canada Application for Permanent Residence and Schedule 1 CHECK despite Mr. O's swearing at trying to fit all kinds of educational information into tiny little fields (solution: attach an extra sheet) and trying to remember every address he's lived at over the past 10 years – about 10 in 3 or 4 different cities. I can't even remember the address of the last place we lived in
-Spouse/common-law partner questionnaire TK - this one is tricksy, with all kinds of hidden documents required, such as proof of relationship, common residence, etc., so it is really 7 or 8 docs in one.

For both of us:
-Document checklist CHECK (how meta)

PHOTOCOPIES (not certified)

For me:
-proof of Canadian citizenship, i.e. passport or birth certificate CHECK

For him:
-passport (photo page and page with stamp of most recent entry to Canada) CHECK
-indication of status in Canada (i.e. work visa) CHECK
-birth certificate, er, population record CHECK
-original police certificates (i.e. not photocopies) CHECK
-proof of medical examination (copy of receipt) CHECK

For both:
-photocopy of marriage certificate CHECK
-photographs of the marriage, if applicable (huh?)

PHOTOS
-2 of him

PROOF OF INCOME
-a letter from my employer CHECK (delay: 1 week)
-an original Option C printout of my last notice of Assessment for the most recent taxation year along with printouts of all income slips (T4, etc.) CHECK - sort of. Fun with taxes! The nice CRA woman sent me the empty printout of my Canadian record, which unfortunately but understandably still listed me as single. To this I attached a copy of my Finnish tax statement, a translation of that (thanks Kristian!) and a letter explaining it all. (delay: 1 week)

FEES
-receipt from online payment - Following the advice in the guide, this is the last thing we'll do

At least we're getting closer. Each time I sit down I think we'll finish before I get up, but so far it hasn't happened. My docs held us up two weeks, and we still haven't filled in the last few forms.

Masters of Immigration

Now you can be one too, according to an article on website The Canadian Immigrant. Think they hand out honorary degrees?

Immigrants helping immigrants

Thanks for your email Carey,

There are several organizations in Toronto that you could contact about volunteer opportunities. You can find their contact details through their websites. These are listed on the CCRMs website at: http://www.ccrweb.ca/eng/links/links.htm#ON

I would suggest contacting:
- COSTI Immigrant Services
- FCJ Refugee Centre
- Catholic Cross Cultural Services
- Matthew House
- Romero House
...among others

I hope that this gives you a good starting point!

Kind regards,
Colleen


At 10:14 AM 21/09/2007, you wrote:
>Hi Colleen,
>
>My husband and I recently moved (back) to Canada; I'm Canadian and he's Finnish. He >volunteered at a refugee centre in Finland in his teens and it changed his life. Now that we've >immigrated ourselves, we're looking for a way to give back. Is there a centre in Toronto
>that could use our help? We speak a few languages and I have my ESL teaching certificate, my >husband has computer skills. But we could just help out around the place, talk with people, >whatever. Please share any contacts you might have. Thanks!
>
>Warm regards,
>Carey
>
>
>
>
>--
>No virus found in this incoming message.
>Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.488 / Virus Database:
>269.13.27/1020 - Release Date: 20/09/2007 12:07 PM


"FAMILY SEPARATION: Who Pays the Cost?"
Participate in our Family Reunification campaign at www.reunification.ca

"LA SÉPARATION DES FAMILLES : qui en paie le coût?"
Participez à notre campagne pour la réunification des familles à
www.reunification.ca
_______________
Colleen French
Communications and Networking Coordinator/
Coordinatrice de la communication et du réseautage
Canadian Council for Refugees/
Conseil canadien pour les réfugiés
6839 Drolet #302
Montréal, QC, H2S 2T1
Tel:514-277-7223 extension/poste 1
Fax: 514-277-1447
email: ccr4@web.ca
website: http://www.web.ca/ccr

Fun with taxes

So here's a reversal that reminds me of my first days in Finland: Nice Canadian tax lady bends the rules, grouchy Finnish tax lady toes the line.
I hesitatingly called the CRA last week to ask about the infamous Option C printout and the person on the end of the line was very helpful. Before she could even try to take a printout, which she assumed would be blank but I thought might be useful anyway, she had to update my address, which was a serious task. Akin to changing your PIN number at the bank, changing your address at the Canadian Revenue Agency is a many-stepped process, which involves answering questions about your tax history and other info that, if it is all five-plus years old, is actually very tricky. Because I had no tax history (at least, for the last while) she had to come up with other, security-type questions that only I could answer, in order for the system to let her in to change it. What was my first address in Finland (I could remember the street but not the number)? Where did I live in Toronto before I moved (as in, all three addresses since I started working)? I was feeling a bit embarrassed until she said she was surprised I could remember that much, considering the fragmented state of my file (okay, so she didn't use the word fragmented, exactly). Then I felt better, and she updated my address and sent me the blank form, strongly suggesting I call Finland and get a statement from them. Thanks!
Then I tracked down the international number for the Finnish verotoimisto, and got up bright and early Tuesday morning to call them inside office hours. I had this idea that they would be flexible and accommodating, kind of like your mom, or the owner of a small business. The woman answered in English, but she really didn't seem happy about it. I wasn't so happy to be up at that time either, but we choked our way through a short convo, the gist of which was that a) a statement of my 2006 income was already in the mail, as per their usual schedule, to my Toronto address, and b) no, it wasn't in English, nor could they send me an English version. And that was that, no negotiation. Kiitos, hei hei.
So the thing arrived yesterday, and now the next delay will be to get it translated. I can either scan it and send it to my dear friend in Finland, or figger out a place to get it done here. Either way, it'll be another week before we can send Mr. O's application.