SINP process

Mrs McSweeney

We have just started to fill in the details for a SINP application ("Saskatchewan Immigrant Nomination Program").
I thought it would be handy to start a thread about this specifically, as the different types of work permits tend to get quite confusing. I'd love if otrher people who've already started/completed the process can add their experiences too.

So far we've found that there's an awful lot to the SINP but I think it's reasonably logical. You can start to fill it in online, & attach digital copies of relevant doccuments, and SAVE what you've entered so far. This is handy, as there is a lot of detail & you can't afford to make any mistakes.
If you are doing your application digitally, I've read that you should NOT then send a hard-copy application as well, though I also read a comment online that you should send it, but tbh this doesn't make sense to me, as you would effectively be submitting a second application.

We are in the early stages & haven't yet got everything sorted out, but I look forward to anyone else's additions.

againstthetide

I submitted ours approx three weeks ago. Still hasn't been touched at all.
As you say it is quite involved but makes sense and is logical.
The office are really good at returning callls and have always answered my questions quickly and without fuss.

Ms. Ka

I am over here through the SINP process and if you submit it online then you dont need to post it. You must bring all the documentation with you as they will have a look at it when they are issuing your work visa and when you apply for a permanent resident visa.

Where in Saskatchewan are you moving too?

Mrs McSweeney

Ms. Ka wrote: »

Where in Saskatchewan are you moving too?

Thanks for the info. We're planning to move to Lloydminster. Wherabouts are you?

So far we've got (or sent off for) a variety of doccument items; off the top of my head I'm not sure which ones are required for the SINP application, which are for my OH's employer, and which are for other aspects of working/living in Canada.

Our list, so far, includes...
1. Birth certificates, long version
2. Valid current Passports
3. Copies of Leaving Cert exam results & Degrees (& evidence of other third level studies, not completed but still sufficiently long in college to be recognised in some instances)
4. Driver History info (from Motor tax office)
5. Police clearance for all countries lived in (for more than 6 months). These are applied for individually to each country, and some are far more detailed, and expensive, than others.
6. Code of Conduct - a separate form you need to sign for the SINP
7. Common Law Declaration (or Marriage certificte if relevant)
8. Most recent No Claims certificate from car insurer
9. No Claims certificate from home insurer, if there is such a thing.
10. Evidence of all innoculations that children have received.
11. Driving Licences


That's all I can think of for the moment, but please add on any items you think of.

bstar

on the police certs you only need them when you send away the federal paperwork after you get your SINP nomination. These expire after a year so if you get them now they will likely expire before the federal review, Unless you are very lucky time wise.

Ms. Ka

I am a couple hours away from you in North Battleford. I have driven through Llyodminster and it looked like a busy town. You seem to have covered everything.

The 3 things I would mention is that your driving history has to be less than a month old when you apply to get your driving licence. I got caught with that and was a bit annoying but on the plus side you don't need to sit a test. Also if you have submitted ( I don't think you had to but I was being over eager:() your qualifications latin scroll and they will look for a translation. If don't have to submit it, don't do it as it costs about €150 to translate!
Also if you have health insurance keep it going for the first 3 months of being here as the free health insurance doesn't kick in till then.

eoc 78

we filled out the forms and send them off nearly five months ago and still no word back just make sure to check them serve times check every thing is in date .

Mrs McSweeney wrote: »

We have just started to fill in the details for a SINP application ("Saskatchewan Immigrant Nomination Program").
I thought it would be handy to start a thread about this specifically, as the different types of work permits tend to get quite confusing. I'd love if otrher people who've already started/completed the process can add their experiences too.

So far we've found that there's an awful lot to the SINP but I think it's reasonably logical. You can start to fill it in online, & attach digital copies of relevant doccuments, and SAVE what you've entered so far. This is handy, as there is a lot of detail & you can't afford to make any mistakes.
If you are doing your application digitally, I've read that you should NOT then send a hard-copy application as well, though I also read a comment online that you should send it, but tbh this doesn't make sense to me, as you would effectively be submitting a second application.

We are in the early stages & haven't yet got everything sorted out, but I look forward to anyone else's additions.

Mrs McSweeney

bstar wrote: »

on the police certs you only need them when you send away the federal paperwork after you get your SINP nomination. These expire after a year so if you get them now they will likely expire before the federal review, Unless you are very lucky time wise.

Thank you, I didn't realise that the year's validity referred to the federal review (as opposed to the APPLICATION to Federal depts). Or is this the same thing?
I expect my OH will have completed the SINP stuff very soon, with the approval coming in within the next 2 months I hope. I thought that he would then be submitting the Federal stuff nearly straight away as he plans to travel to Canada as soon as possible. Maybe I have missunderstood this part of the process.

Mrs McSweeney

Ms. Ka wrote: »

I am a couple hours away from you in North Battleford. I have driven through Llyodminster and it looked like a busy town. You seem to have covered everything.

The 3 things I would mention is that your driving history has to be less than a month old when you apply to get your driving licence. I got caught with that and was a bit annoying but on the plus side you don't need to sit a test. Also if you have submitted ( I don't think you had to but I was being over eager:() your qualifications latin scroll and they will look for a translation. If don't have to submit it, don't do it as it costs about €150 to translate!
Also if you have health insurance keep it going for the first 3 months of being here as the free health insurance doesn't kick in till then.

Thanks for the heads up, so our driver history that we've just applied for is unlikely to be useful as it will certainly be more than a month old - at least it is only €6 to apply for this so we will do it again when the time comes.

I've highlighted a bit that I don't really understand. I'm guessing that this is nothing to do with driving licence/history & more to do with College qualifications?

I gave up our health insurance a while ago as I just couldn't afford it any more, but I am aware that it is (required?) advised to have this in place, I will look into it a bit more, but my OH does have medical & dental cover with his job. Not sure if we will also be covered under that or will need our own private insurance while we are there too.

bstar

he will submit the federal stuff as soon as he gets the sinp nomination but receiving the nomination within two months is extremely optimistic as they are currently running at 6-10 month processing time for nominations. We know people who have been waiting since Nov last year and have yet to receive a response.

The cert is only valid for a year from when you get it and it has to be valid at the time that the federal cic review the paperwork.

bstar

Mrs McSweeney wrote: »

I gave up our health insurance a while ago as I just couldn't afford it any more, but I am aware that it is (required?) advised to have this in place, I will look into it a bit more, but my OH does have medical & dental cover with his job. Not sure if we will also be covered under that or will need our own private insurance while we are there too.

Medical covers for jobs all take 3 months to kick in aswell so you will need some travel health insurance for these 3 months.

Mrs McSweeney

bstar wrote: »

Medical covers for jobs all take 3 months to kick in aswell so you will need some travel health insurance for these 3 months.

Thank you, I thought this might be the case but wasn't sure.

I suppose if we take out the insurance HERE then there will also be a 3 month wait at least, and a year-long policy contract?? Not really what we want/can afford! Obviously I understand the need to have it in place BEFORE he reaches Canada, but while an Irish person with an existing policy would be covered, someone with a new policy will still be left waiting the 3 months or whatever.
I will look into it to see what exactly is required.

bstar

if he gets backpacker insurance or similar he will be covered from the day he gets it. if you go on one of the IEC threads they generally have recommendations. we got ours a while ago so I forget who it was with

Ms. Ka

Yes I was referring to your college qualifications being in Latin. I didn't know about the health insurance wait time & had cancelled my Irish one. Luckily I didn't need to go to the doctors, I would hate to think what it might have cost.
Really surprised about waiting time for SINP, like I said before it only took me about a month to get and that was back in April. I know my work here were in contact with immigration a lot so that might have speed things up.

Mrs McSweeney

Ms. Ka wrote: »

Yes I was referring to your college qualifications being in Latin. I didn't know about the health insurance wait time & had cancelled my Irish one. Luckily I didn't need to go to the doctors, I would hate to think what it might have cost.
Really surprised about waiting time for SINP, like I said before it only took me about a month to get and that was back in April. I know my work here were in contact with immigration a lot so that might have speed things up.

I too am surprised by the delays as our friends had only a few weeks to wait (in early summer). I wonder if there are other factors affecting the speediness of the application processing times, such as country of origin, type of job offered, skill levels etc.

bstar

I think you just got lucky Ms Ka.

Alot of people I know who said they got it within a month or so, I found on further questioning they meant an LMO and the SINP was still in progress. So not saying that's what your friends are saying but there are a lot of people confusing the 2 so its causing mixed reports.

Mrs McSweeney

Can I ask you both to help me clarify this....
Sorry for all the questions but we feel more confused than ever!!

Do we...
Submit our SINP application
Wait to receive a nomination (correct term?) from the SINP (is this the first stage of their processing, or the final stage?)
Then send off the Federal paperwork (and does "Federal" refer to Permanent Residency [PR] or does it refer to something else?)
Then fly out to Canada & get an LMO at immigration
Settle in Canada with your new job etc
Then at some point receive the final SINP stuff

Or is the sequence different?

Also, can you clarify, if possible...
We have printed off a copy of the postal version of the SINP form, but it's got far more "required" stuff listed on it than the current online version of the SINP application. As the postal version may not be terribly current (found it online somewhere & printed it out), has there been a recent change to the application process?

Thanks a million folks!

bstar

Yep its in that order, but once you get the nomination your finished with sinp. The rest is all managed federally to get the PR.

Yes there is a different checklist online than postal but online is upto date and correct. So is postal, I think for the postal they just ask for everything they may need whereas online they ask for essentials as it is easier to get more if they need it.

Ms. Ka

Mrs McSweeney wrote: »

Can I ask you both to help me clarify this....
Sorry for all the questions but we feel more confused than ever!!

Do we...
Submit our SINP application
Wait to receive a nomination (correct term?) from the SINP (is this the first stage of their processing, or the final stage?)
Then send off the Federal paperwork (and does "Federal" refer to Permanent Residency [PR] or does it refer to something else?)
Then fly out to Canada & get an LMO at immigration
Settle in Canada with your new job etc
Then at some point receive the final SINP stuff

Or is the sequence different?

Also, can you clarify, if possible...
We have printed off a copy of the postal version of the SINP form, but it's got far more "required" stuff listed on it than the current online version of the SINP application. As the postal version may not be terribly current (found it online somewhere & printed it out), has there been a recent change to the application process?

Thanks a million folks!

So I got my SINP and after checking a few things with emigration & my employer I booked my flights and was issued a 1 year work visa at the point of entry. When I got my SINP letter/email it gave me a list of what I had to do next and getting the visa issued at a point of entry wasn't listed. When I arrived in Canada emigration took their time with me as they weren't sure what to do with me (very scary!)

Once in Canada, I then had to apply for a permanent residence visa ( this is taking ages as they haven't even looked at my file yet- that's what they told me when I phoned).
This is how I got here but please double check everything as rules might have changed.
Good luck.

Mrs McSweeney

Ms. Ka that's a bit mad that they didn't tell you about the point of entry Visa.

Is it possible to clear immigration here in Ireland (Dublin airport?) or does it only happen once you physically land in a Canadian airport?

When you booked your flights, did you do this after you got the SINP letter? I'm assuming you would wait for that. Is the visa issued along side the SINP letter or do you actually apply for it & get it at point of entry? Sorry if my questions are a bit confused!

Ms. Ka

You cant do immigration in Ireland it has to be done at the point of entry in Canada so if you are transferring between 2 Canadian airports make sure you leave enough time to do it.

I booked my flights after the I was issued the SINP, you get the visa in your passport at the point of entry not with the letter.

Good luck

Mrs McSweeney

Ms. Ka wrote: »

You cant do immigration in Ireland it has to be done at the point of entry in Canada so if you are transferring between 2 Canadian airports make sure you leave enough time to do it.

I booked my flights after the I was issued the SINP, you get the visa in your passport at the point of entry not with the letter.

Good luck

Great, thank you!

Mrs McSweeney

Just wondering, if anyone currently has a SINP online application started, are you able to get into it tonight?

We can open it but not edit most of it tonight (some minor bits opened & were partially editable), for some reason.

Mrs McSweeney

We're a step further in the process now.
Having submitted everything a few weeks ago we got a reply after 6 days (I think) requesting further information, & a few items that my OH mis-scanned/forgot to attach to the original submission.

They also asked about custody of my older son, who is not my OH's son. They wanted us to have info regarding permission to bring my son to live in Canada, and wanted a letter from my son's dad giving permission. Thankfully my son turned 18 this week, and as an adult is no longer in anyone's custody, I hope that the SINP & Federal offices are accepting of this. My ex would most likely not have given permission.
We don't even know if my son will want to live with us, there's a good chance he will stay yin Ireland, but we needed to have him on the application so the option is available to him if he wants it.

They emailed back to say they got everything, and didn't ask for any more info etc, so hopefully that means they are happy with everything. Hopefully not too long to wait now, have started researching cold-weather-clothing!