Road To Canada Forums

Hi Everyone,

I've been lurking here for a few weeks and thought I should finally post a question, mostly for those who were able to get their PR:

While daydreaming about my new Canadian Life at work, and trying to plan the future, I am wondering if anyone here can report on the amount of time you had on the visa before it expired?

That is, after you get your passport back from Buffalo (if you applied in the States) with the visa stamped, allowing you go get your PR once you land, how much time did you have to make final plans, pack, say your good-byes, etc., etc before landing. Should I count on having a few weeks or more than a month to tie up everything before moving?

Thanks a lot!
Jason

Your visa will be valid until you medical expires ( one year) so for instance I had my medical done on 25th October 2005, I got my passport back April 15th (i think) so i had until 25th October 2006 to officially land. There is no reason why you can drive across the border - land - then head back to finish up saying goodbyes though.

THANK YOU!!!
(that clears everything up)

And I always forget about the option to land and come back.
Thanks again,
Jason:)

I have a question: did they ask for your passport to be valid for at least a year when they sent your passport request?
My husband's passport is gonna expire in 17 months and it takes at least 2 month to get it renewed... We've submitted our medicals at the end of march to Seattle (SW). I have no idea when they are gonna give us the VISA....

The validity of the visa will also tied to the validity of your passport as well as your medical, so as an example, if your passport is going to expire in 2 months when they issue you your visa, then you will have to land before your passport expires.

If the medical exam was done 2 years ago, then CIC may ask the applicant to redo the medical when the PR visa is ready to be issued. Then the expiration of the PR visa would be tied to when the new medical results would expire.

However, you should realize that you could conceivably cross the border (land), then just cross back to the states and continue to organize your emmigration. After you have landed, the only requirement for renewing your PR status is to live in Canada for two years of the five from the date of landing.

Therefore, you could land, come back to the states, and finish doing whatever you have to do and then move to Canada two to three years later.