Hi everyone, finally on this thread. Received PPR on the 12th of April, 2019 and COPR on the 7th of May, 2019. I intend landing sometime in June. I am considering living in Hamilton, Ontario. Please is there anyone in Hamilton, I will really like to connect. Thank you.

ObamaInCanada:
My PRE-ITA to COPR story…..the eagle just landed

ITA: 29 October, 2018
AOR: 30 October, 2018
MED/BIL: 29 November, 2018
Biometrics: 29 November, 2018
Ghost update: 12 April, 2019
PPR: 13 April, 2019 (dated 12 April) (162 days post AOR)
COPR: 7 May, 2019
Single Applicant
VO: Ottawa
No ADR

INDEED IT HAS ENDED IN PRAISE.

Thank you @Stephanie09 @teepee4Him @DrMrsCk @Zara01 @Topsmamen @raphrulz @Avidreader748 @IOA18 @mosky47 @ladymarshall @joo2018 @Ifeoma77 for your kind congratulatory remarks.

@IOA18, I can relate but don't worry as you have desired it and have put things in motion, God will do it for you. I await to celebrate with you.

My PRE-ITA to COPR story…..the eagle just landed

ITA: 29 October, 2018
AOR: 30 October, 2018
MED/BIL: 29 November, 2018
Biometrics: 29 November, 2018
Ghost update: 12 April, 2019
PPR: 13 April, 2019 (dated 12 April) (162 days post AOR)
COPR: 7 May, 2019
Single Applicant
VO: Ottawa
No ADR

Decision to Travel.
I had completed my masters in the United States as of May 2018 and was torn between coming back to Nigeria and remaining in the US. A lot was at stake remaining in the US, one of which was the “arrangee marriage” thing (if you know you know) which I was not interested in. For personal reasons, I couldn’t get myself to being part of such scheme. I had a promising job in Nigeria before travelling to the US for my masters thus after weighing the prospects and options available to me, I decided to return to Nigeria, Yes to Nigeria *winks
I was reabsorbed in my former work place but prior to returning I encountered an Indian who told me about the express entry stuff. I read up about it and told myself that I was going to give it a shot upon returning to Naija, so doing I can be working and waiting for a positive turn around.
Came into Nigeria and commenced work. Two months after, I told myself its time to strike…Nigeria is not for you. Infact, each time I went to work and came back, Lagos Traffic kept reminding me that we are finished in this country…run run run…Thus, the endeavor began.

WES
I registered for WES on 9th September 2018, paid WES fees, and sent my U.S. master’s transcript to WES (for no fee). Yankee good. I didn’t have to deal with the WAEC palava because I had foreign masters. I sent my certificate through Hellofax to WES. My evaluation report came out on the 16th of October 2018, thus missed the October 15 draw.

IELTS
Thanks to God, I was able to demolish IELTS in one sitting at Ikeja. Scored LSWR 8.5, 8.5, 7.0, 8.5 (I for ask for remark of writing but ka o di wa, I dash British Council). Picked up my result at the BC office, 20 Thompson Ave, Ikoyi, Lagos. I used internet sources for my preparation. Basically Youtube videos and simulated prep exams which I wrote and marked using the score sheet provided online.

Upfront Medicals
I did my upfront medical at Children’s Practice Ikoyi. Booked ahead of time and got a slot for October 3. The process was quite straight forward. However, Children Practice is no longer on the list of physicians who carry out upfront medicals in Nigeria thus I will not expound on the process. The process is however similar to others.

ITA
Everything was good to go save for the ECA report thus I was pained when I couldn’t enter the pool for the anticipated October 15, 2018 draw. The WES evaluation report finally came a day after the draw. All the same I created the profile, submitted and kept waiting for a draw. On 29th October, 2018. God showed his mercy and I got an ITA.

AOR
AOR was October 30, 2018 the next day after the invite. (I no gree wait o, the journey was still a far one and I needed to start..lol)

Application Components

FBI PCC: I had been in the U.S for more than six months thus was required to submit an FBI PCC. I applied online and paid $18 as the required fee for processing. For completion of the process, a finger print card was to be completed and sent using courier. I printed the card using A4 paper, visited Alagbon police station and had them assist me in taking my prints. I sent the printed card to FBI using DHL. It cost me 18k for the courier (more expensive than the processing fee I had to pay FBI…smh…issalrit).

Nigerian PCC: I used the opportunity of doing the FBI PCC to do the Naija PCC. At Alagon Police Staion. The entire process took about an hour thirty minutes and it cost me 6k (U got to shine your eyes, this guys can even collect 20k and behave like its normal)

Reference Letter: This was quite easy for me. Of course I adapted the “Whom It May Concern” format (am I a learner?). I explained to my employers that I needed a reference for something entirely different and requested that a particular format be adopted. They asked that I prepare a draft and send to the HR. I did using the CIC format and sent same to them. My reference letter came out that same day from HR signed by the authorized officer of the firm. I was really excited.

Digital Photo: I took the digital photo at studio 24 at Awolowo and paid about N2,400 for the hardcopy and soft copy.

Travel History: Had traveled to USA, Ireland and Dubai, thus had to scan all pages of my passport with visa stamp, entry and exit stamps.

Proof of Fund (POF): For POF, I had saved a reasonable sum, up to 50% of the entire sum required plus extra. I received the remaining 50% from my mother as a gift and had a Gift Deed drafted, executed and notarized. I submitted the following documents as POF:
1. A Summary page of POF: This page contained a breakdown of my POF and the table of attachments in relation to the POF.
2. Reference Letter from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (GT Bank): Got this in CIC Format at GT Bank , Awolowo branch, Ikoyi, Lagos
3. Letter of Non-Indebtedness from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (GT Bank)
4. Bank Statement of Account from Guaranty Trust Bank Plc. (GT Bank): I printed just four months jare
5. Snap shot from XE currency converter showing Canadian equivalence of available fund.
6. Notarized Gift Deed.
7. Evidence of Transfer of funds to my GT Bank Account from my Mother’s Bank Account in pursuance of the Gift granted.

Payments
I paid upfront the required sum of about $1040 CAD for the visa, biometrics, RPPF etc .

Post AOR
After my AOR, the wait started. The then trend was that medicals took 24 to 30 days to pass. Of course thought mine was going to be so fast. In my head I had arranged a powerful application that any VO will easily navigate and grant an approval. However, the ways of CIC are not the ways of men. I gave up and waited for 30 days.
On the 29th of November, 2018, I woke up to an email from CIC that medicals have been passed and a Biometrics letter requesting that I go to the VFS centre for Biometrics. I did that on the same day at VFS Lekki on my way to work. I went with my intl. passport, two photocopies of the intl. passport, the Biometric request letter and got Biometrics done. After about 3 to 4 hours, Biometrics got updated on my application platform on the CIC website as complete.

A feat achieved, I felt good that things were gradually progressing and taking shape. I believed I was going to get a passport request latest by December, 2018. Really and truly that didn’t happen. I kept checking my application account to see if there are any changes, for where? I started studying trends on Immitracker, Candavisa and Nairaland and started making projections. Well over time I understood that there were just many variables which affected turn around times. Even some people with ghost update, who you would assume will get PPR immediately waited for almost a month.

I traveled to my hometown for the Xmas with expectations on the outlook of January 2019. The New Year commenced and the struggle intensified. I couldn’t wait to resign my job. I became irritable by the slightest but I held my peace and always told myself….it’s a matter of time.

Fast track to April 3, 2019 I called the CIC and the agent informed that my eligibility was recommended passed and security noted started. All this while, I have always been told over the call that my security and eligibility was yet to start but that my criminality and medical had been passed.

After this good news, I just had the feeling that the hour was near. On 8th of April and 11th of April, 2019, I called CIC but my status remained the same since the last update. On the 12th of April, I got to work and randomly decided to check my profile. Gbam, I saw a ghost update…. (Application/profile updated will show but when you enter your dashboard, you see no changes). At this juncture, I knew as per the current trend that my application had been approved, I raised my hands there and then and said a thank you prayer to God. I am sure my colleagues didn’t understand.

To satisfy my curiosity, on my way home, I called the CIC and the agent informed me that my file was worked on a day before and that my application was approved . He noted that the Visa Officer will reach out to me shortly on next steps. I smiled and thanked the agent. I knew from my extensive research here on Nairaland that PPR emails were usually sent at the early hours of the morning between 2am and 4am. I slept with one eye open waiting for the email to land. At 2pm, I woke up but no show. I slept back and finally at 2.30pm, I woke up, checked my phone and there was the email….Ready for Visa/Pret pour Visa from CPCO-FinalRequest.
My people, this was early Saturday. I just knelt down and began to bless the name of the Lord. (I62 days post AOR)
Snapped my passport photo at Studio 24, Lekki
Submitted the PPR letter, Intl. passport and passport photo at the VFS center, Freedom way, Lekki on Monday 15, April, 2019. Paid N17, 798 for passport transmission.

PPR to COPR
It took 2 weeks from PPT submission to have my CIC account updated. It read approved on 30 April and stated the counterfoil number and expiration date of the immigrant visa. I received notification on 1st May, 2019 that the passport had been dispatched from Accra. I then received my visa cover letter via email from Accra on 3 May, 2019 and finally the notification via sms that my processed passport was ready for collection on 6 May, 2019. I picked up the white envelope containing my passport and COPR today being 7 May, 2019.

Miscellany
Indeed this is a journey for the patient and I can’t thank my Nairaland family enough for the contributions made here. I make bold to say that there is hardly any query one may have that has not been answered in this forum. I read through thoroughly from page 1 of part 6 where I joined. God is indeed faithful and may his name alone be praised. I encourage everyone to be strong whilst praying that your Canadian dreams come to fruition.

INDEED IT HAS ENDED IN PRAISE.