Sombori praaaaaaaaaise the Lord, PPR is here!

First of all, as a member of the silent readers association, I’ll like to thank everyone who contributes to this thread. See ehn, we fight when everyone is fighting, we settle quarrels in our minds, we laugh at @Ifeoma77’s quips and nod in concurrence/amazement at @Ladymarshall’s write ups. We dance when @Yemiblaze unleashes his new and improved shekere belly dancers for PPR updates, We silently remind @Topsmamen of answers to questions he’s responded to a hundred times before and just wonder in astonishment when @Joo2018 links some new pertinent information, like Bros we dey hail oh!!!

Timeline
IELTS: L,R,W,S – (8.5,9,7, – 2nd August 2018
ECA: WES - (Masters): 27th December 2018
Score: 456
EE Profile: 2nd January 2019
ITA: 10th January 2019
Medicals: IOM Abuja
PCC: Abuja
AOR: 22nd February 2019
MEP/BIL: 10th April 2019
Biometrics: 15th April 2019
PPR: 27th August 2019
VO: Ottawa
Single Applicant

Decision to Travel
Guys, I’ve seen people who are living la vida loca in this country, houses on point, top notch jobs and careers, flying from one country to the other for vacation, summer, and Christmas. They have their family support system around and can enjoy all the Ofada rice and bokotor that their hearts (and stomachs) can contain. Them get two head I always believed that there was money to be made here and that it was better to hustle here than go be a second class citizen in another man’s country. So you can imagine how unwilling I was to commence this journey.
First I heard of the Canadian Permanent Residence program was in 2012 through a senior colleague who just upped and resigned. Ahhhhh brother show me the way! He gave me the contact of his Canadian immigration lawyer who asked me to go and learn French. Shooooo, se na by force? Then in 2016, another friend told me about the Express entry process saying he just spoke to some immigration consultant in Lekki and that it had been improved upon. Really? Oya guy, give me the number sharply! I called and the consultant explained the process, asked some questions and said I was qualified. All I had to do was write IELTS and pay for their services. Tor, how much? Oga started calling million million, imagine, in this economy? Commot for road jare.
Then my baby sister processed her admission to a Canadian university and stumbled on this thread in the process. Baby girl started to disturb my life, just check it out naaaa. I said laye, who has time to be reading for English exam. Omo, the day I went to drop her off at the airport, my eyes cleared. I said ok, this is the condition – I’ll write the IELTS. If I pass on the first trial that means I’m meant to do this.

IELTS
Thank God I hadn’t visited the thread, my heart for cut! I registered for the exam and studied using the online resources only. Practiced my listening, reading and speaking. Two days to the exam, I realised I would have to write 2 essays. Yekpa! Ran to YouTube, and checked out the band 9 videos, what were the rules? Learnt what I could and left the rest to God. It was when I got to the centre that I realised this was some serious ishhhhh! People were rewriting for the umpteenth time, Father! I just put my head down, did my best using the rules I had learnt and the result came out great on the first trial. That meant I was in, no retreat no surrender. On to the next.

ECA
I finally came to the thread in Part 6 and read all the way from part 1 – part 6. Saved the different pertinent information I got on word documents and created an EE folder on my laptop. I used WES and evaluated my MBA. This process almost frustrated me. My transcript plug in OAU Ife turned out to be a fraudster who had been sacked for eating peoples’ monies for transcript, N28k went down the drain. No problem, we move. Got someone else who finally processed it for me. I sent my NECO certificate using the info I got from the thread, it was very straight forward. Unfortunately, the guy at the Abuja office told me he had no input with when it was going to be sent from Minna and I was on my own. Got another contact for Minna from the thread, called and he was asking for plenty money like that. By then, my patience and pocket was running low. I refused to send anything, las las WES acknowledged receipt and I got my report after Christmas. 4 full months after!
I created my EE profile after the jaiye jaiye on the 2nd of January (as per New Year resolution things). Thank God for @Newmum0615, all the different questions she answered and points she made helped me select my NOC and prepare my reference letter. With CRS at 456, I got ITA on 10th January.

MEDICALS
I got the details for IOM Abuja from the thread and sent a mail on 11th. I was given an appointment for 22nd which was fine and gave me time to prepare myself. Everything went smoothly, doctors were friendly though a bit slow.

PCC
A friend whom I found out had gotten his PPR gave me a contact in Abuja. She came to my office to collect the fingerprints and brought the certificate to me when it was ready. Paid N15k

POF
I did a 6 month Treasury bill investment with First Bank, attached my bank statement for 6 months showing the outflow for the treasury bills as well as a reference letter. I scanned all of this as one document titled Proof of Funds (learnt this from the thread as well).

WORK EXPERIENCE
I had just changed jobs (different NOCs) and decided to use my previous job NOC. This one gave me headache oh and took a lot of time! Those who worked in Bank Operations know you don’t have a job function for an extended period of time. Finally found a job description on the thread that mirrored mine and got my reference in the CIC format. Also got a reference letter from my current employer. I scanned my previous job reference letter, previous job offer letter, confirmation letter, present job reference letter, offer letter, confirmation letter and one payslip as one document titled Proof of Work Experience. Both reference letters had the business cards of the supervisors attached.
For application submission, I used a dollar card as I didn’t want stories that touch. AOR February 22.

POST AOR
Medicals and BIL took almost 40days which was not the trend at the time. Finally Medicals passed and Biometrics given at VFS Abuja. I also got the process from the thread (See ehn, God go bless all of una, both the contributor and the contributee. Una try well well). Biometrics was uploaded same day. Then the waiting started.
See those Indian people, dem can give person heart attack. Just as they were discussing IP1 and IP2, I logged on to my profile to find out it had changed to IP1. Same day, @Joo2018 gave a dissertation on what that meant, I wanted to cry! But I encouraged myself in the Lord, of course my case is different!!! I had pasted on my laptop sticky notes, a PPR story that had a 28th Nov AOR and by 18th February had collected his passport. Every morning, I’ll look at it then check immitracker to see the trend.
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Silence! Like, my profile did not shake. No ghost updates, no ADRs, nothing. Someone will ask a question here and I’ll start second guessing everything I did/uploaded. Someone asked another question and @Ladymarshall gave such a robust response that I decided to PM her. Told her my head was turningoninown and I needed to know what to focus on with regards to my preparations for the Canny life. People, that woman is sound! She gave me a workable list of things to focus on and my brain stopped doing gbish gbish. Anytime I was feeling some kind of way, I went back to that mail. Thanks babes. God bless you big time.
I raised a CSE after 3 months (found the process on the thread) to find out my Visa Office, Ottawa. Ok nah. I had no plans to request for GCMS notes, Team @Ifeoma77!!!
Silence. 4th Month, 5th Month, processing time exceeded 22nd August, 2019. It became real mehn. Sent a mail to Ralph’s office (found the email and format on the thread) on Friday to find out status. Was just antsy all weekend, couldn’t focus on anything. Monday still no change, Tuesday morning, raised another CSE stating that normal processing time had exceeded blah blah. Wasn’t satisfied so I finally buckled and requested for GCMS notes through my sister. Still wasn’t satisfied oh, told her to call on my behalf - Technical issues. If I hear it! Try again jare. She finally spoke to an agent who told her background checks was still ongoing but there were no issues with my file. This was already past 8pm. I grudgingly told her thank you.
I still couldn’t relax, couldn’t sleep. This PPR thing ehn! I switched off my data and played Candy crush on my phone from 9pm to 1:44 am, still no sleep. I was like wait oh, na this time PPR mail dey drop make I check again. Switched on my data and pampam, Ready for Visa Mail!!!! You can guess how the rest of the night went.
First thing this morning, VFS Abuja to submit my passport (found the process on the thread) before they change their mind.

I promised myself every time I checked the thread to read PPR stories that I was going to pay it forward, so I apologize for the length of this report. Had to reactivate my profile to post this.
Newbies I kept repeating “found the process on the thread” because of the repetitive questions for issues that have already been answered severally. Questions are welcome as long as they add to the general body of knowledge not repetitive questions that just serve to clog up the conversation. Please take time to read through, save pertinent information in formats that are easily accessible to you and this process will become really easy to you.
Thank you to the MVPs who keep answering questions and help make this process less stressful. God is waiting for you guys in the Mapleland. The blessings in store for you ehn….. God bless you real good.
It has ended in praise.