Advice on work permit option

Thanks for reminding! Yes, we will take the quarantine seriously :slight_smile:

Please check if it’s for all vaccinated travelers. I’ve read it’s only for Canadians and PR holders. WP might not be included.

Hi All - Reading through all your posts here.Very detailed and helpful!

I am also from TCS and going to initiate my CA Visa this week.I have few queries and would be great if one of you can help.

  1. While TCS team is looking through documents, can I finish my medicals on my own or TCS has to initiate the request?

  2. I am currently in India, does anybody know the average time internal teams take to finish their due diligence.

3.Also if any of your friends have travelled recently from India to CA through TCS,how much time did it take for them in total to get the Visa in Hand.

Thank you!

Canada Visa Team from TCS is really slow in their response and they messed up every step in the process for me. I lost nearly 3 months because they missed to send relevant documents to Attorney.

Follow closely with them and involve your BRM and Canada Immigration HR (check with your local HR for the name) to get response for emails. They will ask for different levels of approvals every few weeks and forget they did that and ask them again after few weeks, so be ready to get frustrated :slight_smile:

Regarding medicals - For India, the process is initiated by TCS I believe, could be different in this covid situation.

Actual process with IRCC takes only few days to 2 weeks, but overall from GMS request to Visa in hand, it could take 2-4 months based on follow ups with Visa team. I had to escalate every step of the way, even until last day to get the WP approval letter. Hope they improve their process and be transparent.

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Thanks Jose for your inputs.Really helpful!

Here’s my landing experience 7/12…took taxi from Detroit airport to Windsor. Officer asked questions about why I’m here, what documentation do I have, vaccination status and goods to follow list at the Tunnel toll plaza. took ~15min then handed over yellow slip along with documentation to go to the Customs area. Surprisingly, Didn’t give BSF goods to follow form to fill. Officer at the Customs asked same questions and took documents went inside and came back after ~30min with work permit copy. There were no one except us at that time.

Weird thing is that Drivetest didn’t allow to exchange DL when went next day said to come after 14days even after saying exempted from quarantine said they make their own rules doesn’t necessarily follow federal rules.

yeah each province can have their own rules other than federal rules… drivetest is provincial entity i think.

Btw congrats you made it and got work permit…

Did you cross the border also in taxi? or left taxi on US side and then walked at border to enter Canada?

crossed border in taxi. it’s actually ‘Metro Cabs’ official taxi/cab services for Detroit Metro Airport…seems like these taxi drivers cross the border several times taking passengers everyday as every officer familiar with the driver as they have some casual chat when greeted.

Thanks @srhere

do you mind sharing which CC did u apply or made in your list or the best CC to get?

@Takita Great to hear your experience. Congrats on your safe landing.

Just a quick question, it may be very basic question, once we get approval here in USA for work permit, we will have to send our passports to VFS for stamping as per my understanding. Then what work permit stamps Canada border force does. I am a little confused here.

Please guide.

approval letter issued if it’s approved after applying for WP. Then depending on your situation you may need to send your PP if you don’t have a valid Visitor visa or if they ask you to send PP even after having one or not having one to get a stamp after approval. the actual permit is issued at the border with approval letter and visitor stamp as a consular processing at the border which is again a letter with WP # with details such as start date, end date, any remarks, etc.,. The approval letter is like a bridge to get actual WP at the border. approval letter doesn’t constitute as a WP. hope this helps…

Thanks a lot @Takita . It really helped, pretty clear now what will be the process. By any chance, do you know how long it takes for pp stamping after approval and what is the fastest possible option.

I really admire this community and all those who have been helping. This is really working as a guide for us.

Thanks everyone :blush:

takes ~1week if sent to NY location. No ‘Premium processing’ like option here when the regular processing itself takes ~1week premium speed.

Thanks a lot @Takita for all the inputs😊

By the way, any idea what all needs to be closed or put on hold before moving out of US. I mean anything to do for SSN or DL etc or any other document.

You can keep a/c or cc open and opt for a usps mail forward to get to a new canadian address. You’ll just have to go to a usps and ask for ‘movers guide/mail forward form’, fill out and can give back there it self or drop off at any usps drop boxes. I did successfully started receiving mails from my us address to a canadian address after ~3weeks.

I didn’t do anything with SSN or H-1B. @Jose, @srhere, @swamiom, Did you do anything like updating, submitting anywhere anything before/after move?

DL - Like I said in my earlier post, I was told to come after 2weeks for DL exchange at Drivetest even for exempted category. I’ll post my experience once I exchange DL.

I didn’t do anything with the SSN but will love to know if we could withdraw our money!!!
Experts @srhere @Jose - any idea on withdrawing money from our SSN or transfer to Canada ?

By “withdrawing money from SSN” do you mean 401k money? that’d be taxed heavily if you try.
I think there was an option in 2020 that you can withdraw with a lowesr tax, showing economic hardship due to pandemic. But that clause expired in December 2020

There is a way to withdraw SSN money once acquiring minimum 40 credits by signing some form stating permanently leaving US and don’t come back again, but I’m not 100% sure.

Experts can advise if anyone did it or know the process.

Ok, understood. But what’s SSN money? 401k balance?