HOW I BECAME A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF CANADA | Chapter 1: The Year 2021

A weight lifts off my shoulders and the ball that has been clenching my stomach for the past month and a half disappears as soon as I close the door behind me. I smile. Today is Friday, March 19^th, and I just returned my company laptop and access card because I got fired from my internship yesterday, after two months on the job. I wasn’t a good fit, but the job wasn’t a good fit for me either. I was sad and in shock for a few hours yesterday, but then I had my best night’s sleep since starting that internship. With this new sense of freedom, I decide maybe it was a good thing they let me go.

Today is such a beautiful day: the sun is shining, and birds are chirping, and it’s 8 degrees out, and I feel great from having slept through the night, and people look happy. Or maybe that’s just me. Could not imagine feeling this way after losing my job. I don’t have class this afternoon and now that I don’t work anymore, I will use this extra time to make some progress on gathering the necessary documents for when I am ready to apply for permanent residency (PR).

This is my fourth month in Canada. I landed in Toronto, Ontario last year on December 1^st, but I haven’t seen much of the city because I’ve been in lockdown ever since. I am attending the Schulich School of Business, but all my classes are online because of the Covid-19 pandemic. I started my one-year Master of Marketing program (MMKG) last year in September while I was still home in Yaoundé, Cameroon. I went home from the U.S. only partly because of the pandemic, but mostly because I already wanted to leave the country. Also, my immigration documents were expiring. I spent three years and three months in Chicago as an international student on an F-1 visa; I completed an MBA then worked for some time until my employment authorization document expired. By the time it did, I could not wait to go back home before moving to Canada.

I am also on a student visa in Canada, and I hold a valid study permit. My plan is to apply for PR through the Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Express Entry program, or the Ontario Immigrant Nominee Program (OINP) Masters Graduate stream. Based on my research and from the information I gathered during webinars for international students at my school, these two programs are my best options. Among other requirements, with CEC, I would need to have at least twelve months of Canadian work experience in the last three years. The OINP Masters Graduate stream opens very randomly and infrequently, but under this program, I would need to show proof that I have graduated with my master’s degree, have resided in Ontario for at least one year in the last 2 years, and have settlement funds of at least $14,000. For these reasons, I know it won’t be possible for me to apply for PR before the end of 2022 or early 2023, with my card hopefully arriving sometime in 2024 or 2025. This timeline doesn’t bother me at all; I am totally fine with it. However, I like to prepare early so when the time comes, I have everything or almost everything ready.

One of the standard requirements for PR application under all types of programs and streams is to provide recent police reports for every country where the applicant has lived for at least six months in the past ten years, or since the age of 18. In the U.S., that report is called Identity History Summary and is issued by the FBI. I have completed the first two steps in the request process and the next one is to submit my fingerprints.

So today, as I walk out of the office, I head to the closest National Pardon Center where I will give my fingerprints before mailing them to the U.S. In Cameroon, the police report is the Bulletin No 3 – Criminal Record. I never got around to getting it when I was home last year, so I asked my older brother Louis to request it on my behalf, using the power of attorney I sent him last week.

***

Today is April 14^th. I am reading about the new TR to PR temporary public policy from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). This policy is aimed at temporary residents seeking permanent residence. This is a public policy and not a new immigration program, but for as long as it’s in effect, eligible candidates outside of Quebec, including international students, will be able to apply for PR if they have graduated from a Canadian institution between 2017 and 2021. They must also currently be in Canada and be working a full-time job at the time of application.

Looking at these and other eligibility requirements, I realize they are a bit more flexible than those of regular PR programs. Even the $1,050 application fee is lower than that of other programs, and there is no requirement for settlement funds. There is, however, a 40,000-intake cap. The policy will come into effect next month, on May 6^th, and end six months later on November 5^th, or once the cap has been reached, whichever comes first.

I am very interested, but I will complete my MMKG program in August and am not currently working. Also, with the 40,000 cap and considering the immigration challenges international students have faced because of the pandemic, I wouldn’t be surprised if the cap is reached before November 5^th. I secretly hope that doesn’t happen so that once I graduate and get a full-time job, I can apply.

***

On May 7^th, the day after the public policy opened, the intake cap is reached. Oh wow… people were really waiting for this! I think to myself. I am almost mad that they didn’t waste any time, but I can’t blame them – I know I would have been the first to apply if I were eligible.

Hmm… Interesting, I think to myself again, when I find out that there are three streams under the policy that do not have an intake cap. They are for French-speaking international graduates and essential workers who intend to live outside of Quebec. That means until the policy closes on November 5^th, eligible francophone temporary residents will be able to apply. French is my native language and I absolutely intend to live outside of Quebec. I immediately start looking at other requirements. This is serious, so I switch from my phone to my laptop and sit upright on my bed. I don’t know why but my heart starts pounding and I feel a rush to do something quickly.

Under these streams, results from a French test are required as proof of language proficiency. I am not thrilled at the idea of taking a test to prove that I can speak French, but it’s fine, I’ll do it. For the next few days, I try to get a hold of someone at Alliance Française so I can schedule my Test d’Évaluation de Français (TEF) since I do not see session information on their website.

A week later, no one has picked up the phone or returned my calls. So, I decide to send an email instead. The lady who replies informs me that the closest test date is in late October. Results take 3 to 6 weeks to come out, which would push me over the November 5^th application deadline. I ask if there is absolutely no available date before then, and she confirms that there are none. All sessions are full due to an overflow of registrations. Once more, I am not surprised, but I sigh in disappointment. Without those results, and even if I had my degree and a full-time job already, my application would be rejected.

Okay, no big deal. The results are good for two years anyway, so I ask to be put on a waitlist so that whenever I get my results, I’ll keep them until I am ready to apply through CEC or the OINP Masters stream as initially planned. I’ve since received my Identity History Summary from the FBI and Louis mailed me my Bulletin No 3 - Criminal Record, so at least I have some stuff ready.

***

The past few months have been so challenging. It is now September 20^th, and I still haven’t found a job, even though I’ve been looking outside of my dream. I have completely run out of savings and my financial situation is deteriorating by the day. I had to reach out to my mom again for help with rent, which I hated doing. She already does so much and I hate to feel like I am consuming too many resources. I have been using my credit card to pay for day-to-day expenses, though I have already exceeded my credit limit. I have bills that are past due, and I almost did not complete my program since I didn’t have money to pay for tuition. Luckily, I got a loan at the last minute that helped cover part of the cost. My mom also helped.

The final semester of the MMKG program ended last month and since then, I’ve devoted 100% of my time to job search. Well… that and looking for a new place in Toronto because I needed to move out of my student residence in North York. I am now in my new place and have completed my degree, which I am grateful for. However, I have been feeling a lot of shame around not being able to find a job. Four days ago, my dream company rejected me for the seventh time in a row. And… I don’t know… I just feel like God has abandoned me. I feel lonely. And exhausted.

***

At the end of the month, my older sister Sophie and I have a call during which I share only part of my situation. I tell her about my immigration plans and mention the TR to PR policy.

“I don’t think it’ll work,” I say and proceed to explain why. “I still want to take the test though, even if it’s to apply for PR next year or in 2023. The only thing is, I… don’t have the money to pay for registration fees.”

“How much is it?” Sophie asks.

“About $450,” I respond.

She volunteers to pay the fees when I am ready to register, and i thank her.

On October 4^th, I reach out to the lady at Alliance Française again to see if she can move me from the waitlist to the next available test date. She says she only has one spot, on October 26^th. I register and Sophie pays the fees.

***

After 8 months of looking for a job, I finally got an internship. It is with Siemens. It was supposed to start on October 25^th, but I got an email from my manager saying my access card is taking longer to be issued. I’ll need that card even though I will be working remotely because it needs to always be connected to my work laptop. So, my manager asked me to go to the office the next day instead. This is a bit of a pickle because my TEF exam is on that morning. Luckily, I won’t have much work to do; plus, my trip to the Siemens headquarters in Oakville will only be to meet my manager and pick up my laptop and card.

So, on the morning of October 26^th, I head to the North York test center of Alliance Française and after taking my exam, I am on my way to Oakville. The internship is full-time and will last until February of next year, but when I was interviewing for the role, my manager said there was a possibility for an extension. He asked if I would be interested, and, of course, I said yes. I am excited to start!

***

Brrr! It's so cold today, I think to myself as I pass my right hand through the sleeve of my sweater, shivering just a little. I close the bathroom door and head to my desk to open my work and personal laptops. It is 9:14 a.m. on Thursday, November 4^th. I am still designing the cover of my memoir and haven’t quite figured how to make the background triangles exactly as I imagine them, so I will be working on that when there’s not much work on the Siemens side.

When I open Gmail on my personal laptop, I find an email from no-reply@cci-paris-idf.fr. It was sent two minutes ago. The subject line reads “Votre attestation de résultats au TEF CANADA.” Basically my test results. Wait, what?! But I thought… I thought results took at least a month to come out?! It has just been a week! I laugh a confused laugh, but I am happy too. I open the attachment to read my scores. They are excellent. Wait, does that mean I can try for TR to PR? I wonder. The deadline is tomorrow, and I just received my test results. But then… I remember the reasons why this might still not work.

Although I am working full-time, this is an internship with an end date that is included in my contract. The requirement to apply under the TR to PR public policy is to be working a permanent full-time job. Then there is the fact that I don’t even have the money to pay the $1,050 application fee. I just started my internship last week and will be getting my first paycheck tomorrow. My internship is paid at $25 an hour and I know the first paycheck usually only accounts for one week of work considering payroll cut-off dates. In my case, that is exactly $1,000 gross income for a 40-hour workweek. After taxes and other deductions, I’d be lucky if $800 were deposited into my account.

And even then, I have so many past due bills; I even recently got a letter from my cell phone provider saying they would cut off my line if I didn’t pay all my bills by next week. I haven’t been making monthly payments on my student loan either, which has accumulated late fees, just like my credit card balance. My first paycheck wouldn’t even be enough to cover all the things I need to pay for immediately. My mom just sent me money to pay for this month’s rent and considering all that she’s already doing, I can’t possibly ask her for more. My sister Sophie paid for my exam and it’s not even her job to take care of me, so I won’t go to her either. And what about proving that I have a degree from a Canadian university? Yes, I completed all my degree requirements in August, but I haven’t paid all tuition fees and until I do, the school won’t give me my degree.

I am confused and unsure what to do, but at the same time, I want to believe that I didn’t just receive my results the very day before the deadline for no reason. If this is coming from God, then I know He will help with the rest, too. I am going to apply under the TR to PR public policy tomorrow. But where am I going to find $1,000? 

As the day goes by, I continue to think and look for options to find the money. I know I can’t go to my or any other bank because of my financial profile. Plus, I need the money like right now; I don’t have time to go through lengthy application processes. I remember seeing ads for same-day loans on my trips to Western Union when I needed to pick up the money my mom sent me. They mentioned it was possible to apply and be approved for a loan in under 10 minutes. I am absolutely not familiar with these types of loans, but I’ll learn tomorrow when I apply. I also start gathering all my PR application-related documents under one folder on my laptop. At 10:38 p.m., I create an account on the dedicated PR portal.

***

It is now the next day, Friday, November 5^th. As expected, I received my first paycheck from Siemens and my account balance is just over $800. $833, to be exact. I plan to complete my work early today so I can spend the rest of the afternoon looking for a loan. At 4:30 p.m., I head to the closest Western Union on Bloor Street to apply for one of those same-day loans. I only need $1,000.

“Alright, I’m gonna need your last two pay stubs,” the lady at the counter says, looking up at me through the glass window, once she’s done reading the completed form I just handed to her.

“I uhm… I only have one?” I clear my throat. “I just started a new job and got paid for the first time today,” I respond, slightly embarrassed but trying to sound confident.

“Oh I see… well, we can work with the pay stubs from your previous job too,” she responds, because she doesn’t know that I haven’t worked since last March when I got fired from my first internship.

I explain that I am a recent grad and that my Siemens internship is my first job. When she asks for proof of address and notices I’ve only been living at my current address for about two months, I explain that I moved to Toronto from North York when I finished school at the end of August. Why do I feel like I’m lying? 

I show her my unique pay stub; the amount on that stub is less than the $1,200 cost of my rent, so she asks more questions. I once more explain that the income on the pay stub is from one week of work only since I started my internship last week, and that my next paycheck will be twice that amount. I open my offer letter on my phone to show her how much I’m getting paid. I still feel like I’m lying and the fact that other people can hear us isn’t helping. I have poor credit, but it doesn't look like it matters too much for these types of loans. After more questions from the agent and more truthful answers that I give as if I’m a liar, she asks for my banking information to initiate the transfer.

“The money should be in your account in the next 30 minutes,” she says.

“Amazing, thank you!”

I hear nothing about the interest rate on the loan because it doesn't matter right now. What matters is I got the loan and I know I’ll do everything I can to pay it off as soon as possible.

I run home to start my application for Canadian permanent residence under the uncapped TR to PR public policy for French-speaking international graduates that opened on May 6^th and closes at 11:59 p.m. tonight. I didn’t get my results for no reason. If this is from God, then He will help me. 

It is 6:32 p.m. when I start filling out forms and uploading documents. I don’t have a full-time job, but I use my full-time internship documents from Siemens.

As proof of current employment, they ask for a copy of a work permit, an employment letter, and most recent pay stubs. I do not have my post-graduation work permit (PGWP) yet because I just applied for it last month. However, I do have the work authorization document IRCC sent me that proves I have applied for the PGWP, and therefore am legally allowed to work while I am waiting for a decision to be made on that application. I don’t have an employment letter, but I do have a contract that contains the same information they are looking for. I don’t have two or more recent pay stubs, but I have the unique one from today.

As proof of completed study in Canada, they ask for a final transcript and a completion letter from the school or notice of graduation. I do not have official transcripts, or a notice of graduation, or my degree, because I have an outstanding balance with Schulich. However, when I was applying for my PGWP last month, I was able to download final grade reports from my student account. One of the requirements for the PGWP application was also to provide a program completion letter from the school; when I requested it, I didn’t even think they would issue it to me considering my situation. But they did. Because of the pandemic, many things aren’t running as usual and schools haven’t been able to issue signed official documents, so IRCC has been accepting the next best thing. So, I upload my grade reports and program completion letter.

I double-tap my phone screen next to me on the table. 8:04 p.m. I pick up the phone to open my mobile banking app. The $1,000 loan is there. I continue to work on my application, checking and double-checking everything looks good until I am ready to submit it at 9:50 p.m. I pay the $1,050 fee and the receipt is available to download immediately. Six minutes later, I get a submission confirmation email from IRCC. Because the portal was created specifically for the temporary policy, my application is not linked to my IRCC account. It is only when I receive an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) that I’ll know an agent is ready to start working on my application. Then, I will be able to link my PR application to my IRCC account to get updates. That account is where other immigration applications are housed, such as my study permit, visa, and PGWP applications.

I pray this works but I don’t want to put too much weight on it and be disappointed if it doesn’t, but I also want to believe that I didn’t get my TEF results for no reason, but I am also a bit scared so I leave it up to God to decide, but I am also worried.

***

My stomach reminds me I haven’t eaten since 2 p.m. I go down to the shared kitchen in the townhouse where I live to cook dinner.

When I come back up to my room, it’s a few minutes past midnight. I log back into my account on the portal, just to see. I don’t know… maybe it disappeared. It didn’t. A black banner at the top of the page says the portal closed at 11:59 p.m. on November 5^th, 2021, and it is no longer possible to submit an application. I don’t know why, but this makes me smile. I close my laptop to get ready for bed with that smile on my face.