PR

I created my PR profile in March 2025, when little Norzang was barely a month old. Life was overwhelming, yet I pushed myself to sit for IELTS, hoping to secure a competitive score. Unfortunately, my marks weren’t enough to strengthen my profile. In September, my wife and Norzang travelled to Bhutan, and with a quiet home and renewed determination, I decided to attempt CELPIP—even without much practice. Three days later, my results came out. They weren’t perfect, but they were good enough to push me forward. Within the very next month, I received my ITA. My wife and I could not have been more thrilled.

Since TNC Consultancy had helped create my PR profile, I contacted them again to continue processing my application—especially because they had assured me of a discount for returning clients. That was when the real journey began. I paid CAD 4,200, received a checklist, and thankfully, because I had been gathering documents for months, I managed to compile and submit nearly everything within two weeks. IRCC gave me the standard two-month submission window.

The one document that worried me from the start was the Indian Police Clearance Certificate, since I had studied there for three years. TNC told me to inform them if any document seemed impossible to obtain. I clearly explained that getting an Indian PCC was beyond my reach—I had no contacts in India anymore. I followed up again after a few days, but there was no response.

Meanwhile, my wife—who was still in Bhutan and preparing to return to Canada—was able to secure our Bhutanese police clearances while she was in Thimphu. Around the same time, due to new IRCC policy changes, PR applicants were required to submit upfront medicals. We got ours done at Imperial Medical Clinic near Walmart in Richmond. I also reached out to my former chief at the Bhutanese Embassy in Brussels and obtained a supporting letter for my home country work experience.

Then, during the final week of our submission period, TNC informed us that my wife needed to return to Thimphu because she was listed as a non-accompanying dependent. This was shocking. Had they advised us earlier, we could have acted accordingly. We had paid for timely, proper guidance, yet crucial advice came at the very last moment. With no other choice left, we prepared a justification letter to avoid receiving a Procedural Fairness Letter from IRCC.

To make matters worse, the consultant suddenly told me that without the Indian PCC, they could not submit my application at all. Desperate, I sought help from my friend Phurpa, who was in India for diplomatic training and had connections through FSI. My hope was that he could expedite the process through the proper authorities. I waited anxiously, but days passed without a response.

Stressed beyond words, I then contacted Lhamo Tashi in Dehradun. Coincidentally, he had just returned to the city and welcomed a newborn daughter—beautiful news that felt like a good omen. Despite being busy, he was willing to help, but he needed a bonafide or proof-of-residence letter from my university. It was a Saturday, but I emailed them anyway, worried. To my relief, they issued the letter within hours.

I forwarded everything to Tashi, who also advised me to apply online so he could follow up locally. I informed him, but again, no response afterwards—understandably, he had family responsibilities.

Running out of time, I decided to take matters into my own hands. On Tuesday, I visited BLS after reading online that they accepted walk-ins. I arrived around 11 a.m., but the security guard told me I was 12th in line and the office closed at 1 p.m. I placed my name anyway. Unfortunately, I wasn’t called in time and had to leave for work.

The next morning, determined not to lose another day, I informed my employer that I would arrive late and planned to queue up early at BLS. That night, before my alarm even rang, I woke up and saw a message from Phurpa—he had somehow managed to obtain a PCC from Dehradun Police Station. My wife and I were overjoyed. I submitted it immediately, contacted the consultancy, and headed to work with newfound relief.

But the relief didn’t last long. Just after boarding the train at Lansdowne, TNC called saying that the document was from the local police station and IRCC required it from the headquarters. My frustration was beyond words. This was advice that should have been given at the very beginning—not at the final hour.

With no other option, my wife and I decided to visit BLS again the next morning, this time aiming to obtain an official receipt showing that the PCC process had been initiated at the Indian consulate. We woke at 4 a.m., reached downtown BLS by 4:45 a.m., and were the first in line. After waiting three hours, the doors finally opened at 8 a.m. Inside, we faced another hurdle: my BC ID listed my previous address, which did not match my current home address. To avoid delays, we decided to pay the service fees—CAD 165 in total—and submitted the application.

We immediately forwarded the receipt to the consultancy, and my wife followed up for the final confirmation. On Friday the 28th, after weeks of stress, frantic coordination, unexpected obstacles, and countless early mornings, my final PR application submission was completed.