I never really understood what a visa was. I rang Helen Gregory today at the IEU to try and make some progress on the visas we need to get into Canada. David reminded me recently that the Canadian consulate can be a bit slow in getting the visas processed, and not to dilly-dally about getting the applications submitted. Unfortunately before we can submit the visa applications, we had to get passports, and you may have read one of the other blog entries about the multiple attempts we had at getting that right. And of course before we could get the passport applications in, we had to had to have the kids birth certificates and what not. Obviously we aren't that organised, because we had no idea where these might be, so we had to reapply for new copies of them. As it stands now, we should have all our passports in the next couple of days, and the visa applications are sitting here on the table ready to submit as soon as we have those details.

Oh, by the way, the visa applications from the Canadian consulate don't actually mention the word visa. The are called a Work Permit application. You fill them out so you can get a work permit in Canada. Apparently a work permit and a visa are the same thing, but I find it confusing that they get called two different things.

Anyway, the official documentation arrived from Canada today, saying that the exchange is now official from their end too.
It's all good mate.