Things to Prepare Before Flying to Canada

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The wait is over. You’ve just been granted immigrant status to Canada after months of preparation, submission of your application, and waiting. Now, the next step is to prepare for your imminent departure to Canada.

After securing a passport, an immigrant visa, and the Certificate of Permanent Residency issued by the Canadian Embassy, one must begin to think of the appropriate departure date for Canada. This must, however, be well before the deadline set for the immigrant visa.

Moving from the Philippines to Canada requires meticulous planning and organization. Keep in mind that precise criteria may differ depending on your personal circumstances, visa type, and the province to which you are transferring. Here’s a broad timetable organized months before the journey.

Table of Contents

6-12 Months Before the Flight

Research the Canadian Immigration Requirements

Understand the immigration process and regulations specific to your visa category.
For the most up-to-date information, visit Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) official website.

4-6 Months Before the Flight

Gather Important Documents

  • Passport
  • Visa approval documents
  • Birth certificates
  • Marriage certificates
  • Academic and professional credentials
  • Medical Check-up and Immunizations: Schedule a medical check-up as required by
  • Canadian immigration
  • Ensure all necessary vaccinations are up-to-date.

3 Months Before the Flight

Secure Accommodation

  • Research and finalize your accommodation in Canada.
  • Consider short-term options upon arrival, if needed.
  • Arrange Transportation: Book your flights to Canada
  • Consider shipping larger items or furniture if needed.

2 Months Before the Flight

Financial Planning

  • Open a Canadian bank account.
  • Inform your Philippine bank about your move.
  • Plan Health Insurance: Arrange health insurance coverage for your initial period in Canada.

1 Month Before the Flight

Packing

  • Start packing non-essential items.
  • Make a checklist of essential items to bring.
  • Notify Service Providers: Inform utility providers, internet, and other services about your move.

2 Weeks Before the Flight

Visit Family and Friends

Spend quality time with loved ones before your departure.
Finalize Packing:

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Pack essential items for the journey.
Check baggage restrictions for your flight.

1 Week Before the Flight

Check Weather Forecast

  • Pack appropriate clothing based on the weather in your destination.
  • Emergency Kit: Prepare a small emergency kit with essential documents, medications, and some basic necessities.

Days Before the Flight

Travel Essentials

  • Ensure you have all necessary travel documents and tickets.
  • Pack a small bag with essentials for the first few days in Canada.
  • Inform Authorities: Notify relevant authorities about your departure.

Upon Arrival

Settle In

Attend orientation sessions if available.
Start the process of obtaining the necessary local documentation (health card, social insurance number, etc.).

Preparation of Settlement Funds

A migrant must prepare the necessary settlement funds (show money), in the amount required for his family’s size. Preferably, it must be in Canadian dollars. To verify this, one must check the official website for Canadian immigration.

If family members are landing on separate dates, as this is allowed provided that the principal applicant must always be the first to land, he must bring with him the entire settlement fund amount as required for the whole family. As soon as the amount is entered into the system, family members arriving at a later date are no longer required to show proof of settlement funds.

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It is wise to have a bank draft for the majority of the money from a Philippine bank with ties to an authorized Canadian bank. The Bank of the Philippine Islands (BPI), which has the Bank of Nova Scotia listed as a depository bank in Canada, can issue a bank draft.

The bank draft may need about two (2) weeks to clear, so it is also prudent to have enough Canadian dollars for that duration.

Required Seminars in the Philippines

Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar

PDOS (Pre-Departure Orientation Seminar) is conducted by the Commission on Filipinos Overseas. It is a half-day affair and is being held only at the CFO Manila Office along President Quirino Avenue for immigrants to Canada. Schedules and other information regarding this seminar can be found at the CFO website

A sticker is placed on the passport after attending the seminar. At the airport, Philippine immigration will check it. PDOS is a Philippine government requirement, and one is not allowed to leave the country without the PDOS sticker.

As there are no reservations for slots and scheduled seminars tend to be full, one must come early to get this done.

This seminar proves to be helpful, and thus there can be no loss of time or effort for attending it.

Canadian Orientation Abroad Seminar
The Canadian Orientation Abroad (COA) is an optional seminar conducted by the Canadian government through the International Organization for Migration (IOM) and orientation sessions for refugees before their departure to Canada. The main objective of the programme is to increase the integration outcomes of refugees resettling to Canada by supporting their pre-departure preparation.

The seminar may help prepare immigrants for the challenges ahead in their new home. It is recommended that one attend.

Gathering of Documents

Gathering of Education Credentials

The Philippine Educational System has some setbacks as it compares with the Canadian System. As patterned after the American system, basic education has 10–11 years. The Canadian education system, on the other hand, as patterned in the British system, has 12 years. Because of the difference, education credentials in the Philippine System have to be assessed and translated into their equivalents in the Canadian System before obtaining a value.

Philippine PRC credentials do not have bearings in Canada. If one’s profession is regulated in Canada, he has to pass through credential assessment and, in addition, take a province’s board examination.

As a necessity, one must gather and prepare the following education credentials for every member of the family:

Original diplomas and grade transcripts for high school, college, and other advanced degrees. If the diploma is not in English, provide an official translation to English (usually the school can provide this translation).

For married members, the PSA-issued Marriage Certificate helps explain differences between the name on the passport and that on school records.

As assessments may be necessary depending on the profession of a family member, these additional documents are needed:

An official certification from your school that English is the medium of instruction for the course you graduated from.

If already available, certifications on English proficiency by IELTS or TOEFL

School-issued course descriptions of every subject taken and shown on your official transcript may be required if you choose to undergo a special assessment to apply for membership in a regulated profession.

Preparation of Other Official Documents

The following official documents must come in handy, as they may be needed from time to time:

Original and copies of birth certificates (PSA-issued), especially for children of school age.

Get a notarized LTO certification on your driving history from the Department of Foreign Affairs if you intend to drive in Canada (years of experience, no criminal records, etc.).

The DFA attaches a certification with a gold seal and a red ribbon to the LTO certificate, attesting to the validity of the certificate. You apply for this document at the LTO, and get the document from the DFA. It takes about a week. Without this document, you may have to live with a learner’s permit (equivalent to the Philippine student driver permit) for a full year before you are allowed to take a road test exam for a driver’s license.

Original and copies of your employment certificates, in case you have to prove work experience.

Originals and copies of all other relevant training you may have attended, apprenticeships you have undergone, and certifications you may have earned. Internationally recognized certifications, in particular, may be helpful.

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