GETTING READY – TRIP ARRIVAL
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RECOMMENDATIONS
The best season to
travel and settle down in Canada is from April to November (Spring,
Summer and beginning of Fall). The least recommended months are from
December to February, due to the extremely low winter temperatures.
An arrival at Canada in winter can make the
experience too hard to endure for you and your family.
Be aware that
the educational season starts in the first week of September.
However, new students will always be admitted to school, no matter
the time of the year.
To save money, it is
also advisable to know that prices of fare tickets often are more
expensive in holiday season and in December, January and June than
in low season.
As soon as possible,
plan your trip to Canada carefully and in advance enough to be able
to choose the most convenient date for your personal situation,
which will prevent you from go beyond the visa expiration date.
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PACKING
Congratulations
!!.
By this time of the
process your family and you will be experiencing a special feeling of happiness,
expectation and also of uncertainty regarding your future. You may be about to
give the most important step in your life and it will affect your and your
family's future in a positive way. Moving to a country like Canada is a big
change that will certainly give you new opportunities.
However, take into consideration that the successful development of future
events, will depend to a great extent on your planning and your good assessment
abilities to make decisions. To help you in your project, you will find some
tips below, based on the experience of other immigrants who followed the same
path before you.
Have
into account the following general considerations to start your trip in the
smoothest way
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Ask
your airline about the maximum weight for luggage in kilos you can take with
you, for your whole family. Keep in mind that total weight when you pack for the
whole family. Paying for extra baggage is not always justified, especially for
used articles that will probably have a short life in the future, for example:
toys, clothes, shoes, appliances, etc.
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Make
sure your hand baggage doesn't surpass the size and weight specified by the
airline. Remember that you cannot take metal or cutting objects, or those banned
by authorities.
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Ensure
that any case weight is within the weight allowed by the airline (20 or 22 kilos
per case, depending on the line). Remember that, if any case exceeds the allowed
weight, you will have to pay extra (approx. $60 dollars). The other way of
solving this problem is taking some weight from that case and locating it in
another one, which not always works. This embarrassing situation is quite common
in international airports with inexperienced travellers who ignore these types
of restrictions.
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Have your basic, important
and recommended documents ready. Also carry a list of all the valuables of the family you are bringing to
Canada.
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Exchange
your money into local dollars (Canadian dollars is best) in a well-known and
serious bank or exchange agency. Fake notes (quite common in some countries) may
get you into serious trouble. Remember that it is always possible to get money
from automatic machines, in Canada as in most places in the world, from your own
bank account in your country, by services like INTERACT, Redebank, Visa, etc.
Consult your bank. Another option is turning your money into traveller's
cheques.
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If
you bring packages for other people in Canada, for example for relatives or
friends, make sure to know what they contain. Avoid inconvenience.
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Choose
carefully the clothes you will bring. Everyday clothes in Canada usually depend
on the weather and it varies form day to day. By experience, don't bring lots of
clothes because you will have to purchase appropriate shoes, boots, coats, etc.,
especially for the cold snow season. Besides, especially children, would like to
start dressing like the other Canadians.
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Since
books are usually heavy, choose carefully and minimise the amount of books to
pack. Especially your professional and technical books.
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Re-confirm
and keep handy the telephone number of the person who will pick you up from the
airport, along with the address of the house or hotel where you will stay when
you arrive in Canada.
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Ensure
that all what you are bringing is allowed in Canada (see Articles you can
bring to Canada)
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BASIC DOCUMENTS
The
following is the list of documents you should keep handy on your arrival at
Canada:
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A Canadian Immigrant Visa
of Permanent Resident for every family member.
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Passport from the country
where you come from, valid to travel, for every family member.
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Two copies of the detailed
list of the family valuable objects you are bringing to Canada, such as
appliances, valuables, professional equipment, etc. Write on this list the
estimate price (aprox.) of every article.
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Two copies of the list of
articles your family will bring in the future.
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Enough funds to afford your
family's initial expenditure, as stated in Chapter 5.2, for a period of about 6
months. On arrival, you may be asked by Immigration to proof that you actually
owe those funds, such as the money itself or some evidence to prove you owe it.
Officials will then make down how much you are bringing.
NOTE: These
documents should be at hand and ready to be put forward on demand of
immigration and customs officers. Don't pack them in the baggage cases.
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RECOMMENDATIÓN
The copies of the
lists are one for the Canadian authorities, and the other for you.
You can get a form with this purpose from the Canada Border Services
Agency on the Internet site:
www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/formspubs/clientgroup/travel/settlers_canada-e.html |
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IMPORTANT DOCUMENTS
According
to your personal situation, you should bring to Canada the following documents,
for every family member:
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Birth and baptism certificates
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Wedding certificate
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Adoption documents, if
applicable
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Divorce or legal separation
documents
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School documents or
certificates, trade or professional certificates and licenses for every
family member.
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Reference letters or WORK
CERTIFICATES form previous employers
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A resume including your
education, qualifications and work experience. Medical certificates.
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Certificates of vaccination,
immunisation, dental registry, etc. for every family member.
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IMPORTANT:
Have
all your documents translated into English or French by a qualified
translator before you come to Canada, especially degrees,
qualifications, birth certificates, etc. This will avoid some
inconvenience in the future. |
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RECOMMENDED
DOCUMENTS
- An International Driver's
Permit.
- A certificate of reference
by your country insurance company, stating how long you have been associated,
and that - hopefully -you had neither accidents nor traffic offences.
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IMPORTANT
Car insurance for new
non-experienced people and newcomers are rather expensive in Canada - maybe
between $350 and 450$ per month. As an immigrant, it is all vital to
be able to produce some evidence to show the years of driving
experience and your good record with the insurance companies in your
country, in order to lower the insurance month fee.
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ARTICLES
YOU CANNOT BRING TO CANADA
You won’t be
allowed to bring the following articles to Canada:
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Fire weapons, explosives or
ammunition.
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Narcotics and drugs, with the
exception of prescription drugs or medicines.
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Meat, dairy products, fruits,
plants of vegetables.
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Pets or endangered species of
animals, or manufactured products made of animal parts such as fur,
feathers, bone or ivory. Antiques with cultural value or articles having a
historical significance in your country of origin. However, you will be
allowed to bring some important artistic family objects or jewels that you
may have inherited.
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More than 200 cigarettes (if
you bring a greater number, you should pay a custom tax) for every people
over 18 years old if you arrive in Quebec, Alberta, Saskatchewan o Manitoba,
or for every person over 19 if you are immigrating to Ontario or other
province.
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More than 1.5 litres of wine
or 1.14 litres of any other commercial liquor (if you bring more, you should
pay the customs tax for the exceeding quantity) for every person over 19.
For any doubts, or
further information, you can communicate with:
Canada Customs and
Revenue Agency
Customs, Excise and Taxation
Information Services
2265 St. Laurent Boulevard
Ottawa, Ontario K1G 4K3
Telephone: 1 (506) 636-5064 or
(204) 983-3500
(when calling from outside Canada)
1 800 461-9999
(toll-free, from inside Canada)
Web site:
www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca
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