landing experience

gretzky,

thank you for your post. Could you share some information about the way back? Did you enconter some issue as you mentioned here?

thanks
gretzky said:
My wife and I landed at Toronto Pearson Airport on March 4, 2005. Overall, it was quick (40 minutes in total) and easy (officers were friendly and very unlike the US immigration I encountered on the way back). In summary:

1. Flew in from Boston - arrived just before 0900hrs; airport was practically empty with no lines in immigration or customs.
2. Immigration process took about 20 minutes including photos for PR; gave friend's address.
3. Was asked three questions at immigration - a) do you have a Canadian address where you will be staying?, b) do you have any children? and c) how much money are you carrying with you? (did not ask for any evidence).
4. Immigration officer said that I should not leave the country for another six weeks until I get the PR card or I would have to apply for a travel document on the way back.
5. Then on to customs - took another 20 minutes; gave excel version of the goods to follow list; told the officer I was carrying more than USD10K (he didn't care to fill form E677, which I had already pre-filled in the event they asked for it, which they didn't).
6. Visited HRDC office in downtown Toronto (St. Clair/Yonge Street) to apply for SIN - took five minutes; gave Canadian friend's address for mailing the cards. Here again the contrast between Canadian HRDC and the US Social Security Administration (with whom I have had to deal with on a number of occasions) is stark. No points for guessing which one was unpleasant.
Click to expand...
 
metaman said:
Arun,
I wish I can take my car and settle in canada :) Its not as simple as that especially with a good paying US job. Finally it all comes to money. I am trying to find a job in Canada and so far no luck. I get very few interviews and they offer me entry level programmer for $60,000 (CAN) in Toronto. I live in a small city in US and make over $75,000. My wife is employed too. Not figuring the exchange rate and just comparing the quality of life, I decided to make my move, but no jobs yet ...........
I guess the only thing that was easy about Canada is the immigration.
Thanks
metaman
Click to expand...

Hi Metaman,

I agree with you. Its very difficult to start the life in canada.(ofcourse every start of life in other countries initially very difficult).

Seems to be preference change people to people. Even after you got the high paying job in US, your wife also working and bought the house, what else you need ? Many people in your situation including me like to settle in US if this kind of situation. Again preference change people to people.

In canada, you need to struggle a while for getting all these. I just said I will move to canada if GC not approved. But I understand I need to struggle a while to start a life in canada.

Thanks
Arun
 
Could you guys please start another forum to discuss these matters. I know it is important to discuss these, but it fails to serve the purpose of the forum subject... and people may miss questions asked by other members.

meetme
 
Responses to questions asked

1. Documents I took for landing - a) passport, b) COPR, c) cashiers' check, d) bank statement, e) goods-to-follow list, f) form E677 (required when importing/exporting monetary instrument in excess of CAD10,000 from/to Canada; can be downloaded from CIC website), g) marriage certificate and h) copies of diplomas.
2. Documents actually used during the landing process (and this may very well vary from one immigration/customs officer to another) - a) passport, b) COPR and c) goods-to-follow list.
3. On the way back, the US immigration officer was just gruff and unpleasant. The first officer I met asked me to fill in a new I-94 since I had changed employers from the last time I had left the US (I have a valid H1B visa from an old employer and the old I-94 showed the name of the old employer). I was then directed to another officer who tore the forms that I had just filled in per the first officer's instructions, saying I didn't need them. After a few brusque questions, he let me in.
 
Recently got my Candian PR Landing papers and I am thinking landing using Greyhound bus, instead of driving a rental car. Will that be a problem?
 
Greyhound bus wont wait for you near border

Based on what others have written before (you can do a search on Greyhound) the bus wont wait for you as it could take half an hour or so to do landing formalities. You can take a cab to the border and then catch bus once you enter Canada from the Canadian side.
 
Hi Gretzky

Congratulations on your landing. Do update us when you receive your PR cards.

Did you open a bank account while in Canada ? If you did can you give us a brief analysis of the type of accounts you considered and what kind of account you finally settled on ? Im sure you must have studied the pro's/cons's fees/returns etc of various accounts before deciding on one.
Thanks
 
Hey Texan,

I may end up taking Greyhound and getoff at border and
finish landing and take another into canada. I going to stay there for a week ( little vacation ) and come back.

I live in Texas too, I will update you about my landing experience.
 
I shall highly appreciate if someone can help me on this.

I landed at Niagara Falls via Peace Bridge and there were no issues in landing.I provided a friends address at Toronto.
the lady told me that My PR cards shall have to be collected personally when I get a letter detailing when/where to pick them up.Otherwise she was helpful and gave me some print outs detailing Canada details.

At the Customs there were no issues and provided some basic goods I have in the US.

At the SIN card office at Niagara Falls the Lady told me that why I was applying at Niagara Falls when my address was in Toronto. Fortunately my brain clicked at that time and I tried appearing dumb before her and asked her is this the number that one needs if his employer wants to bring him from US to Canada for working and her attitude changed. She even gave me a card with due stamping that my SIN card has been applied at Niagara Falls and said I could provide the same to my HR.

Now the strange thing happened to us is that my wife's PR card came and mine and my son's PR card letter came asking us to
Appear for a photo as it had some issues. We however received our SIN cards.

Now I need to travel back to Toronto and my doubts are

1) Will the Canadian officers let me and my son in with just the COPR attached to the passports and the usual Immigration visa stamped?

2)I am going to use a rental car and shall they let us rent it and take it to Canada? I heard there is some Canadaian PR stuff you should not tell?

3)Can we use the commercial transportation to go to Canada?

4)If anyone has gone for the photo session shall they give us the PR card after the photo session then and there or shall they still mail them to the address one gives them?

5)How long does the photo session take ?

SG
 
Banking in Canada - reply to texancanadian

It's a long story and it in trying to be succinct here I may not be able to describe my entire experience and thought process. Bottom line, I did not open any bank account in Canada.

I had two objectives with regards to Canadian banking:
1. Build Canadian credit history.
2. Legally avoid filing tax returns if possible.

I visited three banks (RBC, CIBC and TD) and spent the better part of a day to get the details on how to achieve these objectives. Responses were varied across all three (CIBC - clueless and indifferent, RBC - nice but clueless, TD - very responsive and a class above the other two) and each of them had a variety of accounts to choose from (including USD accounts).

To build credit history, you need a credit card and you can do that only if you have a Canadian mailing address (while I could have used my friend's address, I didn't want my financial details to be sent to him). If you open up a checking or savings account, it doesn't help with your Canadian credit history. Moreover, any interest earned in savings account would be taxable, i.e., I would have to presumably file some tax return (a hassle I could do without for now). Finally, if I do decide to permanently move to Canada, I was told that with my net worth, I would have no problems getting an unsecured credit card and quickly developing a credit history. BTW, only TD said that they could tap into my US credit history.
 
To jeevan_2005

jeevan_2005 said:
I shall highly appreciate if someone can help me on this.

I landed at Niagara Falls via Peace Bridge and there were no issues in landing.I provided a friends address at Toronto.
the lady told me that My PR cards shall have to be collected personally when I get a letter detailing when/where to pick them up.Otherwise she was helpful and gave me some print outs detailing Canada details.

At the Customs there were no issues and provided some basic goods I have in the US.

At the SIN card office at Niagara Falls the Lady told me that why I was applying at Niagara Falls when my address was in Toronto. Fortunately my brain clicked at that time and I tried appearing dumb before her and asked her is this the number that one needs if his employer wants to bring him from US to Canada for working and her attitude changed. She even gave me a card with due stamping that my SIN card has been applied at Niagara Falls and said I could provide the same to my HR.

Now the strange thing happened to us is that my wife's PR card came and mine and my son's PR card letter came asking us to
Appear for a photo as it had some issues. We however received our SIN cards.

Now I need to travel back to Toronto and my doubts are

1) Will the Canadian officers let me and my son in with just the COPR attached to the passports and the usual Immigration visa stamped?

2)I am going to use a rental car and shall they let us rent it and take it to Canada? I heard there is some Canadaian PR stuff you should not tell?

3)Can we use the commercial transportation to go to Canada?

4)If anyone has gone for the photo session shall they give us the PR card after the photo session then and there or shall they still mail them to the address one gives them?

5)How long does the photo session take ?

SG
Click to expand...

1) You can enter using your COPR using a private vehicle (in your case rental car should be fine)

2) I do not believe there is any issue here. You should be able to rent a car & take it to Canada.

3) If you use commercial carrier, you need to apply for a travel document at the nearest CIC for $50
4 & 5) I dont know.
 
gretzky,

Did you get the exit stamp when you left Canada? I am just wondering how you can proof you have been stayed out of Canada for certain time when you come back again, like 3 years after.

thank
kh
gretzky said:
It's a long story and it in trying to be succinct here I may not be able to describe my entire experience and thought process. Bottom line, I did not open any bank account in Canada.

I had two objectives with regards to Canadian banking:
1. Build Canadian credit history.
2. Legally avoid filing tax returns if possible.

I visited three banks (RBC, CIBC and TD) and spent the better part of a day to get the details on how to achieve these objectives. Responses were varied across all three (CIBC - clueless and indifferent, RBC - nice but clueless, TD - very responsive and a class above the other two) and each of them had a variety of accounts to choose from (including USD accounts).

To build credit history, you need a credit card and you can do that only if you have a Canadian mailing address (while I could have used my friend's address, I didn't want my financial details to be sent to him). If you open up a checking or savings account, it doesn't help with your Canadian credit history. Moreover, any interest earned in savings account would be taxable, i.e., I would have to presumably file some tax return (a hassle I could do without for now). Finally, if I do decide to permanently move to Canada, I was told that with my net worth, I would have no problems getting an unsecured credit card and quickly developing a credit history. BTW, only TD said that they could tap into my US credit history.
Click to expand...
 
Question on the Photo session

I had landed in Canada and I have been called for taking a photo at some Toronto address and wanted to know if anyone has gone for the photo session?Shall they give us the PR card after the photo session then and there or shall they still mail them to the address one gives them?

SG
 
Kahada, Good question. Looking at all the post, I'm still not clear, on how does Canada know that one didn't stay for all those years--given that there is no stamp from US on the passport?
 
Responsibility to prove is on you not on Canadian Govt

Onus and responsibility for proving time spent in Canada is on the individual and not on CIC.
ie if they say you are not compliant with PR residency requirements it is your responsibility to prove otherwise.
Thanks
 
I have a question and any help will be appreciated:
I am going to Canada next month/landing but then staying there.
I am planing to buy a pickup truck to haul my stuff and the sell the truck over there.
Do I have to register teh truck in the US or can I just drive it with the title sign and receipt form the owner that I paid for it.

Thanks
 
They want to see title

Johar,
They will want to see that the title of the car is in your name and the ownership is undisputed before they let you import it.
Also somewhere I read it is ideal to fax the title to the border post you are entering 24 hrs prior to landing so there are no delays at the border.
 
So you are suggesting that payment and a sign title with my name will not be sufficient. I mean when I buy it that person will sign and add my name in the title which is then used as owner ship and one can transfer the car to their name but I can do this in Vancouver instead and take the truck with me without registering it over here and waite for the printed title... to arrive in the mail.. I will have the title with other person name and signed by the opther person with my name is the next owner...

Thanks
 
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