landing experience

[Pitt]

Hi LA2003,

Thanx & here is my timeline....



Applied: 11/01/2001
File # 01/05/2002
Initial *** 12/10/2002 (Interview waiver)
Medical 05/22/2003
Passport request 08/21/2003
Landing papers 09/04/2003
Landed in Toronto 10/09/2003

[ks1974]

Thanks for all the info. The question I had is how much money settling amount do u need to show.
Also do you have to deposit it in the bank in Canada or you could show and bring it back into US .

Thanks,
ks1974

[Pitt]

For ks1974,

I carried a cashiers cheque for the amt I listed on my application. The lady officer did not ask to see the cheque but just asked how much I was carrying with me at the point of landing.

I would advise you to carry the amt you listed on your application as well just to be on the safe side. In some posts I have read that they have been asked to show proof of funds.

I did not open a bank acct in Canada. Brought the cheque back to the US.

Hope this info helps.

Nita.

[forfoo]

Hello,

I am now planning to land on Canada around the end of this year, through the Seattle-BC border. I wonder whether one can land on Canada on public holiday, such as weekend (Sat and Sun) or Thanksgiving. If you do, how can you apply for PR (maple) card? And how can you apply for the SIN card? Also, anything else we should pay attention to (if you do land on holiday)?

Thank you very much in advance!

-f

[cnatar02]

as far as i know, for the landing process, you can pretty much do it anyday through a border point or at any canadian airport. the immigration folks will have to be there 24 by 7 by 365. you are not required to complete your PR card application seperatly as it would be taken care with your initial landing process. but as far as applying for your SIN card, you need to be in canada for atleast one worknig day. i guess, they dont work on sat/sun or any other public holiday. so keep that in mind when you land there. at the minimum, you need to complete your landing process, apply for PR and apply for your SIN card along with your landing process trip to canada.

[ani70]

Hi,
I will be visiting Toronto during Mid November to collect my PR card(I landed in Sept 2001 ,so have my IMM1000)
Per earlier postings from u guys I am little bit confused about Immigration Officers behaviour at POE.I will be travelling from Chicago will stay for couple of days in Toronto and return back to USA again.Will go via rented car.
At POE I don't want Canadian Immgration officer to take back my valid I94..but I don't want to lie to them also
Will it be a problem if I tell them that I will be visiting to collect my PR card(Showing them CIC call letter?) and then return back to USA and will permanently move to Canada within 2 months time
Will appreciate from you guys past expecrience which POE is better as far as Immigration Officers are concerned if I travel from Chicago?
In August 2003 I went via Buffello/Niagara border and I was through within 2 minutes!!But this time I am little bit worried!!
Appreciate you guys feedback/advice
Regards

[forfoo]

cnatar02:

Thank you for your information!

And as for SIN, do you need to apply for it while you are landing first time, OR you may be able to only apply for PR card at the initial landing and apply for SIN card later (say the next time you go to Canada)? Any problem with that? Thank you.

-F

Originally posted by cnatar02
as far as i know, for the landing process, you can pretty much do it anyday through a border point or at any canadian airport. the immigration folks will have to be there 24 by 7 by 365. you are not required to complete your PR card application seperatly as it would be taken care with your initial landing process. but as far as applying for your SIN card, you need to be in canada for atleast one worknig day. i guess, they dont work on sat/sun or any other public holiday. so keep that in mind when you land there. at the minimum, you need to complete your landing process, apply for PR and apply for your SIN card along with your landing process trip to canada.

[cnatar02]

it depends on your situation and needs. i would suggest you to apply for your SIN card as well, if you can. for maintaining your PR status in canada, you need to file for your tax returns anyways in jan/feb 2004. for that, you sure need your SIN number. so its upto you. i dont think it is absolutely necessary to apply for your SIN card unless you need it for employment or bank account opening in canada on your first trip.

others - if i am wrong in saying the above on applying SIN card, please comment on it and give your thoughts.

[forfoo]

cnatar02:

Thank you a million!

-F

Originally posted by cnatar02
it depends on your situation and needs. i would suggest you to apply for your SIN card as well, if you can. for maintaining your PR status in canada, you need to file for your tax returns anyways in jan/feb 2004. for that, you sure need your SIN number. so its upto you. i dont think it is absolutely necessary to apply for your SIN card unless you need it for employment or bank account opening in canada on your first trip.

others - if i am wrong in saying the above on applying SIN card, please comment on it and give your thoughts.

[glrao]

Myself and my wife filled for canadian PR and got approved. We had baby born in USA, we did not add her to the PR process.

1. Will there be any issue because we did not add her
2. Since she is US citizen she can travel to Canada without any visa. Will there be any issue if we take her with us for landing process.


Please advice.

[glrao]

I have mentioned more than $10,000 in my appication should I be taking the entire amount when I go for landing....

[desi145]

Hello Pitt,Tanvi and others
I am planning to land in near future. I have few questions.
Even though I mentioned toronto in application, can I goto vancouver for landing.
Do you have a copy of goods to follow document? If so, can anyone please attach it , which I can modify.
Do I have to be there on weekday? Can I just go on christmas time and come back same day or next day?

Thanks,
Kalpesh

[tarantula]

Yes, you can go to Vancouver. The peace arch post at Blaine,WA is open 24 hours/7days. So you can even go on the weekend. But if you are planning on applying for a SIN card(which enables you to work in Canada), you will have to do that on a weekday. FYI, thanksgiving is a working day there.

Link to border wait times:
http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/customs/g...es/menu-e.html
http://www.aaawa.com/travel/border.html

Link to goods to follow:
I think this is the one. Look at form b4 also.

http://www.ccra-adrc.gc.ca/E/pbg/cf/b4a/b4a-00b.pdf

[desi145]

Thanks tarantula for your fast response!

Kalpesh

[glrao]

Hi

We sent our passport for stamping, they just return the passport without any stamping or letter ... but they did not return our photos what does it mean.. Any idea pls

[desi145]

Hi Tarantula,
Can I fly directly from SFO to vancouver and come back same day. I am not interested in SIN card or anything. Just wanted to land by the given deadline and come back to US?

Can you provide me the link for SIN card office website ? How far is it from YVR ( vancouver international airport)?

Hi fromEast and others..

Anyone leaving in bay area, california...wants to drive to vancouver for landing process? If we have 3-4 persons..we can rent a car to take care of landing process over thanxgiving or any other weekend?

Thanks,
Kalpesh

[tarantula]

You can fly from SFO to vancouver but I doubt the flights are cheap. You may get better deals flying from SJC to Seattle/Vancouver flying alaska or southwest. It's only a 2 hr drive from Seattle to the border. There should not be any issues with the i94 when flying into Canada (since it's considered a domestic flight). You will have to do immigration/customs at the airport . If you are applying for the SIN card by mail, you will have to send in your original documents such as CPR etc. which is a risk. I do not know the website but I do know you will have to mail to an address in New Brunswick. It should be available under the hrdc link I posted above. See that link for other HRDC offices around Vancouver. There are quite a few of them in and around Van.

[desi145]

Hi Tarantula,
Thanks for your prompt responses. I called airlines yesterday, they are giving tickets for 175$ roundtrip to vancouver. SJC to seattle is also around 160-180 range. I just want to land and come back next day. I am not interested in SIN at this point. That should be okay right?

If I come back in flight from vancouver, Do they put some kind of stamp that I left the country on this date?
Also I have a relative in toronto area, so I am planning to give their address for PR card at the airport. should that be okay, or has to be someone in vancouver area?

Thanks again,
Kalpesh

[tarantula]

Kalpesh,
That's not a bad deal you are getting on the tickets. I don't think they remove the i94 at SFO and give you a new one at Vancouver. As for a stamp, immigration may put one in your passport. Try creating a new thread if you want to be dead sure of this issue.
Yes, you can give any Canadian address, it does not have to be in the province you are landing.

[Pitt]

Hi Kalpesh,

I flew into Pearson Int'l last month. They did not take out my I94 and nothing was stamped on my passport on the way in.

On the way back to the US the passport was stamped by immigration officer & I was only asked how many days I was in Canada.

You should not have any problems.
Good luck
Nita.

[desi145]

Hi Nita, Tarantula,

Thanks for your responses. That helps.

Kalpesh

[IAmTiredOfThis]

Am I required to open an account at all in Canada once I land ?

I understand that I should be carrying around $10,000 in cashiers check, but why can't I just bring them back to US after landing ??? Do I have to leave all that sum in Canada if I don't intend to relocate anytime in the near future ?

[Pitt]

For IAmTiredOfThis,

I did not open a bank acct. Just brought the money back to the US.

I did carry cashiers cheques for $10,000. But I was not asked to show them. Just asked how much I was declaring at the point of entry.

I think they want you to show the amt you declared when you applied.

Hope this helps.
Nita.

[raokris]

Hi,

I had received the landing papers in September itself.

Currently I am contemplating a trip to Canada either towards Dec end or in the month of Jan since my PR Visa is valid until Feb 2004.

My PR Visa has the wrong Passport Number - the 1st digit is wrong and so also on the COPR. However, when I received a phone call from the Buffalo Consulate that it should be ok and the Immigration Officer can correct this. Has anyone faced this issue before? Hopefully there should be no issues.

The current question in mind is

I will be taking the COPR, Passport, Proof of Funds documents. Are there any other documents needed? Do I need a local address in Canada?

Also in my application I had mentioned Ottawa as the preferred
choice of destination. Can I land in Toronto or Vancouver instead?


Thanks,
Krishna

[can_immig]

Hello All,
First of all I apologize if this not the right thread to ask this question.
I am planning to visit Toronto early December to get my PR stamped and come back to US, either next day or a day after.
I am little confused whether to go by road or fly. I would really appriciate if someone can let me know what would be the best way. And as I mentioned I am planning to come back the next day, do I need carry huge bagagge or can I just take one bag and declare all items in goods to follow.
I am also nerves about the questions which will be posed at the immig/customs canadian port. Especially what should be answered about the job in US.

Lastly,
If anyone out here planning to visit in the same time frame from around MA/CT area. I would be more than happy to share the ride (Road/Air).

Thanks in Advance.

[tarantula]

We landed successfully on 11/27 at the Peace Arch border crossing (WA). I told the officers that I was returning back to the US and that I would be in Canada after a month since my h1 was expiring in a month. They did not ask for declaration of any money, though I was carrying 5k in cashiers check. All they asked for were the passports and the relevant forms (cpr and b4e - goods to follow), nothing else.
We also applied for our SIN cards the next day at an HRDC office. It seems the PR card is now being mailed in 3-4 weeks. The whole process, immigration and customs, took about an hour and was smooth. It's better to have your forms filled out and organized before hand. The goods to follow document needs serial numbers for high value items, like car, electronics etc and photos for jewelry.
PS: The sales tax for buying a car in BC is a whopping 14.5% !!!

[IAmTiredOfThis]

Landed on Nov 27th, Vancouver airport. Pretty much the same experience as mentioned by others. Not too many questions. Took my photograph, didn't see the cashiers check (I had 2 checks of US $ 5k each). The officer did remind me that I cannot travel back to Canada on the visa issued with the landing papers.

[rim]

I just got back from canada last week.
Landing was ok but at the border [Massena, NY] they did not want to see the money and also they told me that I dod not need to give them goods to follow list. I can bring my goods in next time [I told them I will be going back to canada soon].
Before that I went for Special registration and did exit interview. That person was rude [US INS].
I applied my SIN, opened bank acct. I heard from my relative over canada that they received PR card by mail [in 2 weeks].
Now when comimg back using VT - Montreal border the US INS guys were very nice. The only problem was they refused to do special registration although I insisted.
Well, then I was planning to go to local INS [at orlando, FL] within 30 days but in the mean time that rule got scrapped and now local INS office does not want to do the registration.
I do not know what to do now. I don't want to beg then for SR

Take care,
Let me know if you know any people in similar case.

[Niza]

Originally posted by rim
I just got back from canada last week.
Landing was ok but at the border [Massena, NY] they did not want to see the money and also they told me that I dod not need to give them goods to follow list. I can bring my goods in next time [I told them I will be going back to canada soon].
Before that I went for Special registration and did exit interview. That person was rude [US INS].
I applied my SIN, opened bank acct. I heard from my relative over canada that they received PR card by mail [in 2 weeks].
Now when comimg back using VT - Montreal border the US INS guys were very nice. The only problem was they refused to do special registration although I insisted.
Well, then I was planning to go to local INS [at orlando, FL] within 30 days but in the mean time that rule got scrapped and now local INS office does not want to do the registration.
I do not know what to do now. I don't want to beg then for SR

Take care,
Let me know if you know any people in similar case.

Hmm!! This SR (Special Registration) is a pain (both for INS officers and us). But I think you are OK. You did everything in you part. I would suggest you to keep a paper where you should write down the date, name of the officer who told you that you don't need to do SR.

[can_immig]

Pardon my ignorance. Could someone explain what SR means?. It would be helful to me for my trip this week.
Thanks,