Express Entry - Submitting the documents and the great wait

In the grander scheme of things...

Here we are. We had submitted our documents back in May 2018 (with the police certificates being sent directly by the HK police. MrHKer sent his UK police certificates inside the application though).

• Sep 2017: IELTS
• Nov 2017: It started here with submitting our application
• Dec 2017: Acknowledgement of receipt
• Feb 2018: Invitation to apply
• Apr 2018: Confirmation of submission/ Acknowledgement of Receipt
• Jul 2019: Request for Medicals*
• Jan 2020: Request for Medicals
• Mar 2021: Request to complete the Permanent Residence application
• Apr 2021: Request for Medicals 
• May 2021: Passport Request

Between May 2018 and Jul 2019, what a long wait, right? To be honest, it was expected as the Canadian immigration officers, while super nice and helpful, are also very thorough after all. So, it took a year to get our medical requests and that was great timing, because our baby was on the way 👶! 

Honestly, even the process was further delayed, it was perfectly ok, while MrHKer had to notify the Immigration Officers of the change in family composition... which meant MrsHKer did her medicals without the X-ray (deferred to after delivery). Moreover, this extra wait was nothing for how longer COVID (that dastardly vile thing!) made us wait 👎! Back in Jan 2020, when we were asked to do the medicals (MrsHKer could now do the X-ray and BabyHKer could do his medical check), COVID19 just struck us and quickly spread globally 😨.

And the wait went on. For another year, because as we all know, everything went into lockdown, travelling was no longer safe and COVID kills. 

Only in Mar 2021, when the Canadian Immigration asked us if we were able to travel, we were affirmative and finalised the process. Our boxes:

And here we are in Canada 👪. So, this is the CN tower in Toronto:

And our lovely neighbourhood: