Spouse Outside Canada - FBI & Police Clearance Certificates

While the paperwork from CIC is somewhat different for Police Clearances depending on whether you're filing an Inside vs. Outside Canada PR application, the paperwork for the FBI and California DOJ is not. And since in both cases, the Police Clearances get sent directly back to you so you can send them to the appropriate agency, the end result is the same. With this in mind, we got Nickie's fingerprints and have sent the paperwork in today with CIC's Outside Canada version of the cover letter.


FBI fingerprinting:

1. Write to the FBI to request an FD-258 Blank Fingerprint Form - Note: this may not be necessary as fingerprinting agencies seem to have this form
   
2. Bring the form and your picture ID to a local police station or fingerprinting service and be fingerprinted, preferably by a fingerprinting technician
   
3. Send the following items to the FBI at: (9/30/06)
   

   FBI CJIS Division – Record Request
   1000 Custer Hollow Road
   Clarksburg, West Virginia 26306

   1. Complete cover letter (provided on FBI website)
   2. PC-1 request letter from CIC (also provided in Appendix B)
   3. Fingerprinted FD-258 form
   4. $18 fee (money order or certified check, or online with credit card)
4. Wait 8-10 weeks for processing
5. The FBI will mail back either the fingerprint card stamped with "No Record" or an FBI Identification Record
6. Sponsor sends originals to Case Processing Centre - Mississauga (CPC-M) with rest of forms
   

California Live Scan:

1. Fill out a BCII RR8016 Request for Live Scan Service (provided on DOJ website)
   
2. Bring the form and your picture ID to a Live Scan site
3. PC-1 request letter from CIC (also provided in Appendix B)
4. Fingerprinter completes the bottom of the form and keeps the original, you get two copies: one to send to California DOJ and one for your records
5. Send the following items to the DOJ at: (9/30/06)
   

   California Department of Justice
   Record Review Unit
   P.O. Box 903417
   Sacramento, CA 94203-4170
   

   1. Copy of completed form
   2. PC-1 request letter from CIC (also provided in Appendix B)
   
   
6. Wait a few weeks for processing
7. The DOJ will mail you a clearance letter
8. Sponsor sends originals to Case Processing Centre - Mississauga (CPC-M) with rest of forms

So in short, if you find a Live Scan site that is also equipped and certified to do ink fingerprinting, you can combine these two sets of steps. We brought the FBI cover letter and instructions, the DOJ cover letter and instructions, to such a site to get both done at the same time. Ink fingerprints were about $15, Live Scan was about $17.50 plus $32 California processing fee. Then we put the appropriate paperwork in each envelope, FBI and DOJ (we used a large padded envelope for the FBI mailing to protect the fingerprint card) and sent them certified mail with receipt. This way we will know be able to document the date received.

RV sale - YAY!!!

The "Deed" has been done! We have so much to be thankful for.

Because the RVing season is basically over, I knew finding a buyer would be much more difficult than during the summer. I had exactly one response to my ads, and upon viewing the RV they loved it and immediately commented that it's "sooo clean!" and made me an offer on the spot.

We went to her bank together and I was present while she bought a bank cashier's check from her bank. I made a point of going immediately to a branch of my bank just across the street from hers. It cleared immediately, with no 2-day "hold" like they sometimes do.

Since DMV's website is not forthcoming with clear information on the paperwork let me just outline it here.

• Fill out and sign Certificate of Title (pink slip). Top portion goes to you, bottom portion to the buyer.
• Fill out and sign a Bill of Sale (REG 135), found on DMV's website here. Keep a photocopy for you, original goes to buyer.
  
• Fill out and sign a Notice of Transfer and Release of Liability (aka NRL) (REG 138), or you can now do it online here.
• Buyer brings Bill of Sale (REG 135) and Certificate of Title (pink slip) to DMV. There will be a transfer fee, and if I understand correctly, the buyer will also be required to pay the sales tax at that time.

We are immensely grateful because when I met the buyer at the storage facility, I found that there had been an RV fire just on the next aisle, a few feet away, the previous day. Yes, almost immediately after weeks of problems and setbacks had culminated in finally getting the RV washed and waxed, the RV was splattered with soot and charred debris! Even so, there was PLENTY to be thankful for. Despite the burning debris flying from a total of 3 RVs going up in smoke, ours was not one of them! And all our irreplaceable photos and personal belongings had only just been cleaned out, so that if it had caught fire only a couple weeks prior, we would have lost some of the things we most cherished. Thank you God!!!

What's more, the RV owner whose rig had malfunctioned and started the fire was fully insured, so the 2 families whose neighboring RVs caught fire will be getting reimbursed for their losses. My deepest thanks to God as that whole thing went 1000 times better than it could have.

Spouse Inside Canada - Health care considerations

I've sent an e-mail to the Ministry of Health inquiring if one can apply for OHIP (Ontario Health Insurance Plan) upon arrival to settle in Ontario, or after submitting a PR app (in anticipation of CIC confirmation), or if one has to wait until CIC confirmation to apply and then still wait another 3 months for coverage. The amount of time Nickie will have to go without health coverage is a major consideration, if not the most important one, for us to determine whether it's better to do an Inside Canada or an Outside Canada application. Knowledge is power. :)

Follow-up: The e-mail address given for eligibility questions doesn't appear to exist. I filled out a feedback form on their website pointing this out. I will try by phone tomorrow (8:30 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.). It says if you're in Toronto you can call 416-314-5518 (there's a toll-free number for the rest of Ontario), but I assume I can also call long-distance from here and get through.

Follow-up: I called and was told that you must have the written confirmation from CIC first before you will be eligible. The date of eligibility to apply will be based on the date on the letter. The 3-month waiting period begins then.

Next step: Find out about how long the confirmation usually takes, and whether CIC just sends it or you have to request it.

Follow-up: I can't seem to find an answer on this anywhere on the web. CIC has an 800 phone number but that's only usable from within Canada. For those outside Canada it directs you to your nearest Consulate. I will call the Consulate General in Los Angeles between 8:30 and 10:30 a.m. to ask those questions. (213) 625-7154.

Follow-up: Oops. That's a fax number and there's no phone option for immigration questions. So I faxed my questions and await an answer.

Spouse Inside Canada - Health care considerations

The Canadian Medicare system (Canada's national healthcare system - no relation to U.S. Medicare for seniors), while apparently regulated by the Federal government, is administered by the provinces. So each province has its own requirements for eligibility, waiting period if any, etc. Each province seems to also have its own website to help people immigrate there. Ontario's is excellent and is found at Settlement.org.

I don't know about the other provinces, but Ontario's system doesn't require you to have Permanent Residency status. According to the FAQ at Settlement.org , as long as you have filed a PR application and "have been confirmed by Citizenship and Immigration Canada as having satisfied the medical requirements for landing", you can apply for a Medicare card. There is a 90-day waiting period. All this meansPublish that if we do an Inside Canada app, Nickie doesn't have to wait 12-15+ months for medical coverage (9-12+ months for her PR plus 3 more months waiting).

I don't know how soon the medical confirmation from CPC takes, but this is good news if we decide to do an Inside Canada app. Which, more and more, seems to be the way to go. Why pick up and move twice when we can do it once and be done with it? Yes, there's the risk that her app would be denied, but it seems like a small chance that will happen. Even so, what's the worst that could happen? We'd have to move twice after all?

RV prep - Wash and wax

Hallelujah!

After many (and I do mean many) trials and tribulations, I have finally managed to get someone to actually show up, and wash the RV within the restrictive parameters set by the RV storage facility.

I took out a free ad on CraigsList and will wait a bit to see what kind of response I get. I'll post flyers at local RV parks, too. I just can't see spending $90 or more just to get 3 lines or so in an RV magazine, unless I absolutely have to.