Yolaine Maudet

(Translated from French) YM : Yes (laughs), yes. Every time—the biggest file to complete is the permanent residency. There’s a medical section too: you see a doctor, etc... Since I’d been working in Quebec for about 2 years, I had no extra steps because they said I spoke French and English well enough, but I’d imagine for someone from... I don’t know, Latin America, etcetera, it’s different, but (coughs), it’s a process where you justify, explain why you want to stay in the country, but I was amazed... You have to give... your report cards from school... Essentially, your whole life from the time you were 12 years old! ... The places you’ve lived, all your employers, proof from them that you’ve worked there... You dip back into your past (laughs) to build a file to live here, but it’s... so many papers, and you can’t forget anything... it’s, yeah. Hmm

KB : And for each visa, did you have to leave the country, and...?

YM : Yes, what we call in Quebec “tour de poteau” here . Not sure you’ve heard it, but it means I received my immigration papers but couldn’t have them approved by Montreal immigration services; I had to go to the US to do the “tour de poteau,” then come back. So I could have taken the opportunity to go to see my family in France to do it, but I went quickly to the United States to do the tour. . My friend and I drove to the US one afternoon. . We just did, the tour.

KB : Did you celebrate after the tour ...?

YM : When I got my... It’s funny cause when you get your permanent residence paper, the agent officially declares: “You are now a permanent resident. You have the same rights as a citizen, except the right to vote.” And you repeat some words, confirming everything on the sheet—your contact, date of birth, etcetera ... And when she said, “We’re all done,” I was with my friend and we hugged each other. It was like: “Oh!” I really celebrated that night. I bought champagne and said “Finally, no more paper worries. I’m a permanent resident!” (laughs) But really, the process lasted nearly 18 months. There’s a separate selection in Quebec, because it’s a bit different from immigration services; then once Quebec accepts you, it passes to the federal level. Eighteen months’ waiting, papers, medical visits... So once you have it, you’re happy! (laughs)

Biography:
Yolaine Maudet was born in Poitiers, France in 1980. She went to university in Bordeaux, France where she received two degrees in communications. She moved to Paris for work and stayed there for four years.

Yolaine decided to immigrate to Canada after visiting a friend in Montreal, Quebec. She got a one year work and travel visa, which was available through an agreement between France and Quebec. Yolaine arrived in Canada in 2008 and initially lived with her friend in Montreal. She applied for an eighteen-month work visa after her first six months in Canada and later applied for a three year visa. During this three year period, Yolaine received her permanent resident status.

In Montreal, Yolaine found a job with a communications company where she still works. There she deals with marketing and communications. Yolaine is also a musician and writes a blog about music in her free time.