Visas ... Priceless

OK, I know that's MasterCard ...

We received our passports with the permanent resident visas attached on Thursday (4 October 2007). For the newbies out there (present and future), I will give a detailed description and quote completely everything in the envelope in an amendment to this post.

Here's why it took a bit to announce this news: I was, um ... "recovering" from one aspect of the paperwork. I'm feeling better now, especially after receiving wise words and advice from the "Grand Dame" (sp?) of our U.S. to Canada blogging community, L-girl.

On the "Confirmation of Permanent Residence" form (which, by the way, has the old-fashioned computer printer paper feed holes on the sides and -- get this -- actual carbon paper) for Alan, under item 43: Conditions, it says "Must report for medical examination, surveillance or treatment." It's not very prominent, not highlighted or anything. And it's not referenced in anything else the CIC enclosed.

So what the *&%$#@! does it mean?

I wrote to L-girl and this was her reply with her aforementioned words of wisdom (permission to quote was given):

I hope I will not add to your worries when I tell you I haven't heard of a medical restriction on a visa before. However, many of the US-to-Canada emigrants who write me don't disclose a lot of details. It's very possible someone had it, but didn't tell me about it.

If it were me, I would not contact the consulate about it.

Here's what I would do. If there are any instructions or directions about this follow-up or monitoring, follow them. If there aren't, just go about your business, landing, moving, as if it weren't there. If they haven't told you "you must do this or that," then don't worry. Perhaps Immigration will tell you something when you land. Perhaps not.

The medical exams are such a bizarre area of the process in the first place. We all jump through all these hoops for the medicals, then we get our visas, we land, and it's like the whole thing never happened. There's no record of it with our provincial health care, for example.

The way I see it, you got your passports with the visas, you're ready to land. If more follow-up is needed in Canada, you'll do it. But until you know what that is, you can proceed as if the restriction isn't there. I think asking the consulate for more info is like being a squeaky wheel, possibly getting more scrutiny than you want.

Obviously if they've given you a procedure to follow, I'd follow that. Other than that, I would ignore it. If the follow-up or monitoring was that important, wouldn't they have told you how to go about it? As I said, perhaps they will mention it at landing, or perhaps not.

Your applications have been processed and accepted, and you've got your visas. That's all you need.

That's my take, for what it's worth.

It's worth A LOT. The support and help of our online "family" is priceless, too!