Category Archives: Official Information

How to Get G1 Driver License in Toronto

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And again, quite a long time without posts… hope this one will be useful for new immigrants in Canada.

Last week I decided to take a test for G1 driver license (so called student’s license that’d allow me to take a driving test and then buy a car). After a short research I’ve figured out that I’d need to take the following steps:

  • Get a letter from Ukrainian consulate that’d proof my Ukrainian driver license validity.
  • Go to a drivers test center, pay something about $100, get my vision checked and then take G1 test.

This is it :-) So, on monday I went to Ukrainian consulate on Bloor Street West (next to High Park). I paid $40 for the translation and approval of the validity and it took them 3 days to finish the work. Procedure was pretty straighforward and I really liked the experience of working with Ukrainian consulate.

When I got the papers, I went to the test center in the Downsview Park. They checked my vision, asked me to pay $85 and gave me the test papers. In 15 minutes I was a proud owner of a G1 drivers license and now I’m going to prepare for the driving test.

Hope this helps someone.

Starting Over: Changed My Employer

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It took a long time before I decided to continue writing about our life in Canada. I wasn’t writing too much because many interesting and (sometimes) disturbing things were happening here, but now it looks like everything is fine again so it is time to tell our story here (see this and other following posts) :-)

So, as you maybe noticed in this post’s subject, I’ve changed my work place. It was quite a painful process because my new employer is a company from the US. Actually, there were many factors which made this process painful and one of them was the fact that we didn’t know (we weren’t sure) that a US company could hire non-canadian citizens who are temporary canadian residents now. At the end we’ve retained really great lawyers (the best immigration lawyer in Canada and one of the best in the world) and they’ve helped us to fill all papers and make it easy to switch to the new employer.

My new employer is Scribd.com – online document publishing company which is in top-500 sites in the Internet now (and growing). My primary duties there as a Scalability Expert are “simple” – our site needs to be able to keep up with growing popularity of the service. :-) I still work remotely from Totonto, company’s head office is located in San Francisco, California.

So, here we are, I’ve started writing new posts again :-) And, to emphasize the major idea of the post I’d like to say it again: if you’re not a canadian citizen, you CAN switch to a new employer even if it is non-canadian company (at least it works for the US companies).

Applying for Permanent Residence with an Arranged Employment but without HRSDC Letter

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I’m going to apply for PR really soon, and thankt to my employer I’ll apply with 10 points for arranged employment. But as all people on Earth we’re pretty lazy and don’t like an idea of waiting few months for HRSDC confirmation letter… Today I called to CIC hotline and asked them how can we apply w/o this letter and they said, that if I have a valid work permit now, I can apply with photocopy of my WP attached now and then, when I’ll get new WP, I can send its photocopy to them. So, I don’t need to have a WP valid for at least one year from application date as mentioned in official docs.

Tomorrow I’m going to review all my paper ready for application and will describe this process thoroughly here. Stay tuned ;-)

How to Find Family Doctor in Ontario, Canada

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If you need to find Family doctor for yourself or for some of your family members, you can use great service from CPSO (The College Of Physicians And Surgeons Of Ontario). Doctor Search provides information about individual physicians, including practice address, telephone number, qualifications, etc., and whether they are accepting new patients.

Canada Health Care System or How to Get Health Card in Ontario (OHIP)

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OHIP Card

Before last week I thought, that temporary residents of Canada are not eligible to use Canadian health care system. But few days ago my boss said, that we are eligible. After not so long research I’ve figured out that we’re eligible for Ontario Health Insurance Plan. According to OHIP site, almost all Ontario residents are eligible for provincially funded health coverage (OHIP). To be eligible for Ontario health coverage you must :

  • be a Canadian citizen or have immigration status as set out in Ontario’s Health Insurance Act, and
  • make your permanent and principal home in Ontario, and
  • be physically present in Ontario 153 days in any 12-month period.

OHIP coverage normally becomes effective three months after the date you establish residency in Ontario.

To get OHIP health card, you should should fill application in one of Ontario Ministry of Health Offices. When applying for a new health card, you must bring three original documents to prove citizenship/immigration status, residency in Ontario and identity.

You may be asked for additional documents. For example, if your name has changed you may need to provide a marriage certificate or a change of name certificate.

After filling application and applying to one of Ministry of Health offices, we’ve got our health cards and now we can use Canadian health care system. I was wondering how different this system comparing to xUSSR countries systems. One of most interesting ideas of this system is idea of Family Doctors. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

A general practitioner (GP) or family physician (FP) is a physician/medical doctor who provides primary care. A GP/FP treats acute and chronic illnesses, provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. Some also care for hospitalized patients, do minor surgery and/or obstetrics. The term general practitioner is common in the United Kingdom and some other Commonwealth countries, where the word “physician” is only used for certain specialists and not for GPs.

Yesterday we’ve got one family doctor for me and my wife in shopping mall near our home. IMHO, this idea of family doctors is much better, than our Ukrainian health care system based on set of polyclinics with huge line-ups. So, maybe, Ukraine will get such or some similar system one day and we’ll be able to have better health care system.

У нас есть домашний телефон!

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После небольших задержек в подключении мы все-таки получили домашний номер телефона и подключение к Bell! Наш новый домашний номер: +1-905-861-9378. Для подключения к данному оператору не понадобилось ничего, кроме заполнения формы заявки на их сайте. Оплата за подключение будет включена в первый месячный счет. Это было действительно просто!

Кстати, если Вам необходимо позвонить в Bell 611 Repair Service не из сети компании Bell, можете воспользоваться следующим телефоном: 1 800 668-6878 (бесплатно с любого телефона в Северной Америке).

Получение Номера Социального Страхования (SIN)

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Одной из самых важных вещей, которые необходимо сделать новоприбывшим канадским резидентам, является получение Номера Социального Страхования. В реальности процесс этот очень прост – Вам необходимо посетить ближайший офис Service Canada и заполнить Ваше заявление. Вместе с заявлением Вам придется подавать и некоторые дополнительные документы. Если вы – skilled worker, имеющий разрешение на работу, то вам будет нужен только Work Permit (заверенный в Citizenship and Immigration Canada Government of Canada).

Информация о работе офиса SDC в Бремптоне (обслуживание – только на английском языке):

  • Адрес: 18 Corporation Drive, Brampton, Ontario, L6S 6B2
  • Телефон: (905) 790-2525
  • FAX: (905) 789-3885
  • E-Mail: ontario.inquiry@hrsdc-rhdcc.gc.ca
  • Часы работы: Понедельник-Пятница с 8:30 до 16:00
  • Самые занятые часы: с 9:00 to 12:00

Когда Ваше заявление будет обработано (это может занять 15-20 минут), вы получите бумагу, которая будет являться доказательством получения Вами Social Insurance Number, а через 3-5 рабочих дней Вам по почте пришлют Вашу пластиковую SIN card.

Полезная ссылка: Официальная информация SDC о получении SIN

Алкоголь – по талонам :-)

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Захотелось нам недавно пивка… Подумали мы и поняли, что нигде с самого момента приезда не видели ни капли спиртного… Это нас, признаться, немного смутило, т.к. двух пьяных человек за это время мы повстречали, да и по телевизору (в кино) они всегда горе заливают виски :-)

В результате проведенного опроса среди жителей Канады выяснилось, что продажа алкоголя (пиво у них – алкоголь) в стране ооочень жестко контролируется государством и, по сути, никто, кроме нескольких (или одной) государственных корпораций, торговать зеленым змием права не имеет… Как результат – в стране ооочень низкий процент алкоголизма, а курящих (с табаком – практически такая же ситуация) – ваще почти нету. Еще немного поисков привели нас на сайт компании LCBO, которая имеет право торговать “напитками” у нас в городе. Сегодня мы отправились в ближайший магазин…

Итак, мы – в магазине! Скажу честно – мне это понравилось. Очень много спиртного со всех краев нашей необьятной планеты и все в одном боольшом магазине. Все рассортировано по странам и по типам напитков – очень удобно. Результат похода в магазин – одна (тестовая) бутылка пива “Славутич Светлое (Imported from Ukraine)”, бутылка Corona’ы, некоторое количество местного пива, посоветованного знакомым коренным канадцем и, на закуску, литра Martini Bianco ;-)

Вот, вроде бы, и все, но я решил написать отзыв на экспортный Славутич… Ну, что сказать… То, что продают в Украине – наааамного хуже того, что везут сюда (как и предполагалось перед тестированием)! Экспортное пиво – менее горькое и имеет более мягкий приятный вкус (больше похоже на чешский старопрамен или будвайзер).

Больше нет 90-дневного ограничения на перездачи IELTS!

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Согласно официальному заявлению IELTS, 90-дневное ограничение на перездачи экзамена IELTS отменяется с Мая 2006 года!

From 1 May 2006 the policy on candidates re-taking IELTS will be amended. The restriction on re-taking IELTS within 90 days will be removed and candidates will be able to repeat the test whenever they wish.

The current restriction on repeating the test within 90 days at any centre will remain in place for all candidates until the end of April 2006. All candidates from 1 May will be able to repeat at the next available test, regardless of the date of their previous test.