I live in Detroit. Last week,I landed in Canada to complete my PR process
and also got my H1 revalidated in Toronto Consulate!
Wanted to share my experience.Thanks for some detailed replies in the forum.
First Canadian PR Landing process...
I landed in Sarnia,Ontario which is close to Port Huron, Michigan.
We took a rental car to Canada. Read somewhere that there were problems with taking a owned car.
Crossed the Blue Water bridge.
First there is a toll booth. Paid the toll.
Second booth is the Canadian Border Protection Immigration Officer.
Some question ,Country of citizenship , how many people in the vehicle, firarms any...
What is the status in Canada. I said Iam landing.
She gave a slip and asked us to go to the immigration office to the right.
Drove there.Customs officers asked us to step out and they searched the whole vehicle.
We had some Indian food. No questions were asked.
Then they asked us to go inside. There was no line in this immigration office.
I handed over the CPRs and passports. We signed the documents. The office asked if we were
going to move today, I said no but planning to move in another 2/3 months after I find
a place to live and a job. He said ok.
He asked for an address. I gave my friend's address and said we will be staying here
temporarily when we move. He was ok with the answer. He gave us the copies of CPRs and passports
with the immigration seal and PR# written on it. He said I should be receiving the PR cards within
8 weeks to the address I gave.
There wasa currency exchange building next to the Customs building. Actually
it was drive thru. Got $100 equivalent Canadian dollars. Its good to have Canadian money. Its convenient.
Drove down to Toronto. There were not many rest areas or towns between Sarnia and Toronto. It was isolated. If traveling with kids its better to travel by day.
Stayed in Bond Place in Dundas street in Downtown. Old but nice hotel.
Dundas and University are perpendicular streets.This hotel was convenient in many ways.
There is a Scotia bank in Church and Queen st. From Bond place ,the bank is 5mins walk.
Just have to walk south of Bond street and go left in Queen st.
I walked and paid the fees the morning of the appointment. The bank opens by 9.30.
My appointment was at 2pm.
There are Tram cars which come every 5 mins. There is also a subway(Dundas)right next to the hotel.
If its summer and if you do not have kids, you can walk from Bond place
to Simcoe Ste. but Tram is better.
We took a Tram car around 1pm to the University intersection.
Ticket fare is 2.75 /person and it can be used once only.
Got down at Univeristy. Walked to Simcoe st. Showed the appointment letter.
I don't think that the Consulate was crowded that day. They let us in immediately, it was around
1.20pm.
You CAN take kids under 13, although the letter says you should not.
Went inside, they asked for D156, D157, H1b-797 and Fees receipt. It's good to have this together before you go
to the consulate. They place all in a blue folder and asked
to stand in line. This line is like checkin process. Gave the blue folder and then they asked us to sit.
I have been to Chennai consulate. Toronto consulate was small and there were
only like 30 people sitting indside. All the officers looked relaxed. May be it was not a busy day.
Called us after some time for fingerprinting and then again asked us to sit.
Finally they called us for interview. He was a very cool guy. I already had H1bs visas in the passport
with the same company. So this was just a revalidation.
Two questions 1. Where i worked. 2. What do I do for the company.
Thats all! Asked us to pick the passport around 3pm the next day. Don't go before 3pm.
We went there 5 mins before 3 and we saw a small line for collecting passports, in the cold weather.
The Consulate will not give the passports before 3.
Collected the passports.
Drove down from Toronto thru Port Huron. Again in the booth the officer asked us to go
to immigration to get our I94s. It was not crowded but they were little slow. Very detailed.
It look about 40mins for the process. Again some questions about what i did and where I went in Canada.
So after that all set, entered Michigan!
and also got my H1 revalidated in Toronto Consulate!
Wanted to share my experience.Thanks for some detailed replies in the forum.
First Canadian PR Landing process...
I landed in Sarnia,Ontario which is close to Port Huron, Michigan.
We took a rental car to Canada. Read somewhere that there were problems with taking a owned car.
Crossed the Blue Water bridge.
First there is a toll booth. Paid the toll.
Second booth is the Canadian Border Protection Immigration Officer.
Some question ,Country of citizenship , how many people in the vehicle, firarms any...
What is the status in Canada. I said Iam landing.
She gave a slip and asked us to go to the immigration office to the right.
Drove there.Customs officers asked us to step out and they searched the whole vehicle.
We had some Indian food. No questions were asked.
Then they asked us to go inside. There was no line in this immigration office.
I handed over the CPRs and passports. We signed the documents. The office asked if we were
going to move today, I said no but planning to move in another 2/3 months after I find
a place to live and a job. He said ok.
He asked for an address. I gave my friend's address and said we will be staying here
temporarily when we move. He was ok with the answer. He gave us the copies of CPRs and passports
with the immigration seal and PR# written on it. He said I should be receiving the PR cards within
8 weeks to the address I gave.
There wasa currency exchange building next to the Customs building. Actually
it was drive thru. Got $100 equivalent Canadian dollars. Its good to have Canadian money. Its convenient.
Drove down to Toronto. There were not many rest areas or towns between Sarnia and Toronto. It was isolated. If traveling with kids its better to travel by day.
Stayed in Bond Place in Dundas street in Downtown. Old but nice hotel.
Dundas and University are perpendicular streets.This hotel was convenient in many ways.
There is a Scotia bank in Church and Queen st. From Bond place ,the bank is 5mins walk.
Just have to walk south of Bond street and go left in Queen st.
I walked and paid the fees the morning of the appointment. The bank opens by 9.30.
My appointment was at 2pm.
There are Tram cars which come every 5 mins. There is also a subway(Dundas)right next to the hotel.
If its summer and if you do not have kids, you can walk from Bond place
to Simcoe Ste. but Tram is better.
We took a Tram car around 1pm to the University intersection.
Ticket fare is 2.75 /person and it can be used once only.
Got down at Univeristy. Walked to Simcoe st. Showed the appointment letter.
I don't think that the Consulate was crowded that day. They let us in immediately, it was around
1.20pm.
You CAN take kids under 13, although the letter says you should not.
Went inside, they asked for D156, D157, H1b-797 and Fees receipt. It's good to have this together before you go
to the consulate. They place all in a blue folder and asked
to stand in line. This line is like checkin process. Gave the blue folder and then they asked us to sit.
I have been to Chennai consulate. Toronto consulate was small and there were
only like 30 people sitting indside. All the officers looked relaxed. May be it was not a busy day.
Called us after some time for fingerprinting and then again asked us to sit.
Finally they called us for interview. He was a very cool guy. I already had H1bs visas in the passport
with the same company. So this was just a revalidation.
Two questions 1. Where i worked. 2. What do I do for the company.
Thats all! Asked us to pick the passport around 3pm the next day. Don't go before 3pm.
We went there 5 mins before 3 and we saw a small line for collecting passports, in the cold weather.
The Consulate will not give the passports before 3.
Collected the passports.
Drove down from Toronto thru Port Huron. Again in the booth the officer asked us to go
to immigration to get our I94s. It was not crowded but they were little slow. Very detailed.
It look about 40mins for the process. Again some questions about what i did and where I went in Canada.
So after that all set, entered Michigan!
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