It’s official!

One of the last remaining obstacles to our impending relocation to the Pacific Northwest coast of British Columbia has been officially surmounted. Yesterday – in the post – I received the Confirmation of Permanent Residency (COPR) that marks the virtual culmination of the process of becoming a full time inhabitant of Canada.

Hoo – bloomin’ – ray!

All that now remains in this regard is for me to ‘land’ on the continent and for this temporary visa to be exchanged for the actual PR document. Fears that the expiry of my medical certificate at the end of April – the which is normally used as the deadline for landing once the COPR has been issued – might cause a problem have been excised by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) extending the visa period for a year – to May 2016.

The whole process – which has felt for much of the time as though it were indeed doing its best to live up to the ‘Imperceptible’ tag – has actually taken about two weeks less than a year. Given that the CIC website originally indicated that the expected processing time would be around eleven months, I guess I shouldn’t complain.

It has – however – felt like an eternity!

Well – this is it:

One factor in our case for the process seeming quite as extended as it has is that we made a first abortive attempt to set things in motion back in 2012, when the Kickass Canada Girl had moved – temporarily as it turned out – to Victoria. For those with a predilection for completeness here follows the complete trail of my posts documenting the whole shebang…

• A Tough Occupation – May 2012 – an introduction to the PR process
• A Word from our Sponsor – May 2012 – the part that the Girl would have to play in the process
• Prerequisites – May 2012 – a description of the documentation that would need to be gathered before completing the application
• Doctor, Doctor – June 2012 – my first visit to the doctor to acquire a medical certificate
• A Little Application-1 – June 2012 – details of the complete sponsor’s application
• A Little Application-2 – June 2012 – details of my own complete application
• Leave to Remain – December 2012 – first attempt abandoned
• Residency Revisited – February 2014 – the process restarted a year on
• Residency Revisited – Revisited – February 2014 – further information gleaned concerning the process
• Spot the Difference – April 2014 – second medical and police certificates are obtained
• Momentous Day – June 2014 – the completed application is at last submitted
• Cause for Celebration – August 2014 – the Girl is approved as a sponsor
• In the System – August 2014 – our first appearance on the Electronic Client Application Status (ECAS) site
• The Waiting Game  – November 2014 – introduction to the London sponsored applicant spreadsheet on the British Expat website
• Signs of Life – November 2014 – request for payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)
• Glory Be! – March 2015 – finally – the application appears as ‘In Process’ on the ECAS
• Hallelujah! – May 2015 – and now it switches to ‘Decision Made’
• It’s Official – May 2015 – this very post – I have my COPR!

Phew!