Just an update, if you have provisional health care while awaiting permanent residency, do not forget to file for regular health care coverage once you receive PR. I forgot in the craziness of everything and when I went to the doctor last week I found out my card was expired. When I called the Regie to request a temporary extension so I could see the doctor while waiting to renew they informed me I could "renew" because I never had a permanent coverage, only temporary provisional while awaiting PR. Luckily it wasn't too much of a hassle to straighten things out, but better to not have any problems and I am not sure how other provinces may deal with this.

Happy New Year!
Nothing new, just wanted to remind everyone that they need their PR cards if traveling outside Canada with any intention of returning hassle free.

I have been busy with work and life in general and have neglected my postings...
I landed on June 17th, 15 months after first applying. It was quite dull; went to the immigration office in downtown Montreal, got called back into a cubicle, answered the "have you been convicted of a crime? do you have any dependents?" questions. He didn't like the picture I brought for the id card (FYI, should be color picture, not black & white, and very light/bright) so he retook it. Signed a paper & I was off. I received my PR card in the mail about three weeks later, snazzy!
I still need to find the time to go exchange my driver license and call to update the Regie about my status ( my medical started under my work visa and doesn't expire until next year so this isn't too urgent.)
I haven't attended or practiced my french since May, time and motivation is low. It isn't too necessary at the moment since most of the work I do at my job is for projects in New York City. But, if I ever want to really fit in, which I do, and if I want to find another job or go back to school, which I do, I will need the french. More watching of DollarClip on Musicplus I suppose...

...and phhht to the CIC for doing one last thing to annoy me.

The "interview" was easy, went to the CIC headquarters in downtown Montreal at 8:30, got called into a back room (large open office full of cubicles) about 9:05. The officer asked for my passport, photograph, and CSQ. I offered up my work visa (FYI, if you have a current visitor's record, student or work visa you are technically required to return them when you land or switch to a new visa type before their expiration) which he took. I didn't bother getting a new photo taken after what I had heard here about them not being "good enough" for CIC standards; I just brought in one of the extra ones I had from the local do-it-yourself photo booths in the metro that I had taken back in March 2002. He looked at it and said "oh, this isn't good enough, we will have to take another one." If anyone really cares, they only want color photos and they must be very bright/light for them to accept it. Otherwise, they will just retake the photo there. He gave me the receipt from the PR card application and a form with the phone numbers of the local offices to change my SIN to a permanent number and the Health Insurance office to let them know my status has changed (I received my health coverage in May due to my work visa and he ahd a record of this.)
Including photo taking, total interview time 8 minutes!

And how they got their final dig... They calculated my residency for citenzinship beginning on August 4, 2002- when I applied for my visitor's visa extension instead of from my initial entry in November 2001 or my PR application of March 2002. It means a loss of about three months I should have had (50% of time prior to landing counts towards the 3 years), but there is no way to correct the mistake. He said it was because I left the country (for two days to visit family in NJ) so my clock started from then. Grrr.

I received my health insurance card yesterday. I can finally, after 15 months, go to a doctor and have it paid for by the taxes I am paying here!
They seemed to have messed up on the validity dates though, it was supposed to only be effective for the length of my work visa (since I am still waiting on PR) but they added six months to that date. From what I can figure, they transposed the day and months, so I am OK for another 14 months.

I spoke with the CIC call centre again on Monday as well, no good news. They said that it is typically taking seven months after receiving AIP to get your application processed, not including the final wait for an interview. When I pointed out it took me 10 months just to get AIP, he insisted it was still another 7+ months after that. I mentioned that I hear from plenty of people that are getting processed in 4-6 months total time, he said he didn't believe me, and if it was true to tell him their case numbers so he could prove to me they were lying. WTF?!? Anyway, no hope left on that front. I will continue to work and now can plan on doctors visits as well.

Just an update, that there is no update. I didn't want people to think I had abandoned the site, but I have had no action on my application yet. 13 months and change...

Still no word from CIC. They did update e-client, showing they received my Illinois police clearance on the 17th of March and my CSQ on the 11th. I faxed them both to CIC on the 8th, so good to know they finally processed that. It still gets a little frustrating, all of the newer applicants getting PR within 4-5 months. Especially when the CIC agent tells me it takes about eight months after receiving AIP, apparently that is only for 'special' cases like mine and a few others.

My job is good so far, but very stressful. It is difficult getting back into the grind after being unemployed so long. It is much easier to work at a desk for nine hours than to be standing on a concrete floor and lifting heavy boxes at Réno-Dépôt. Although, I have this enormous pressure I am putting on myself, due to a fear of failure, because I am so worried about losing this job. It just seems, with starting over with a whole new life, that so much hinges on each move I make. There isn't that support system built up yet, the knowledge that one can always just fall back on plan 'B' or something. I also am so impressed with the perfectness of my job (minus the low pay and a major lack of HR related information) that I really do not want to lose it.