Landing in Toronto by air

S

simone1

Registered Users (C)
Hello All,

I am planning to land by air in Toronto. I have a couple of questions:

1. Is it better to land by air or should i go b road ? Are there any technical problems invloved in landing by air?

2. I am on AP in US. would i have any problems coming back to US becasue of the canadian immigration stamp in the passport.

3. What should i tell the Canadian imm. if they ask me about my job in US. Wont they take it negativley that i am landing and yet have a permanent job in US.

Thanks for your help
 
Thank you for your reply.

I think i didnt put the first question correctly. I meant if there is a difference in procedure of one enters canada by land compared to air. e.g (document stamping, convenience, mre thourough screening etc.).

Also i saw in couple of posts here that people were called to pick up the PR cards from the cic office ... is it true ???. i was under the impression that PR cards are mailed to an address that is provided at the time of landing. i guess in this case it will be very difficult for me to go back to canada since i am planning to come back in couple of days after landing. Any suggestions ???
 
Just in case it helps, you can be a canadian PR and yet work in US (hold an H1) till 3 years. So don't be worried about that aspect. Infact, if you hold an H1 in the US, the canadian govn knows it very well (canadian govn can even tell you where/when you were issued your H1, what ur SSN is and which consulate you went thru too), just keep that in mind and in future every time you fill any govn form in canada, do declare that H1 time out of canada. You can travel back and forth with in US and canada, you aren't doing anything wrong, anymore (this is a recent law, earlier PRs weren't allowed to hold an H1 in the US and thus there were many issues regarding that).
 
Thanks for your replies. It really helps. Actually i am on AP at this time but it looks like that wont cause any problems either.

I have still not decided whether to go by land or fly into Toronto. I have heard that if one crosses the border by land there is less scrutiny and the immigration process is smoother compared to going there by air. is it true ?? any experiences....
 
What do you mean by scrutiny It is the same process if you go by border or by air, they have just to verify your landing document, look at proof of funds, verify your Passport details and stamp your goods to follow. If you have valid AP you can use that at border or at Toronto airport while you depart for US from Canada (you have to face BCIS, BCBP is at Toronto Airport)
 
Ray,

2 friends of mine who held an H1 in the US and had a PR here were caught at the border by the canadians. One at niagara, he was driving, this was early '01. Another in '99! at the airport.
My friend who was caught at the airport, she was very much working for a canadian company then, but just 3 months back she was on H1 in US and the canadians were suspicious ....it seems within 10 min they pulled her entire US history to the point they knew when she got her F1 in US and when she got her PT, whcih state issued her driver's licence, which company filed for her H1 and dates she got on it. The guy who was driving had no stamp of h1 on his passport, he was coming to canada to settle anyways, but his PR had been valid for one yr while he was in the US on H1, the canadians again seemed to know every single detail of his US history. After 9/11, INS and CIC had announced that they had merged their records to track all the people who were abusing their PR by going to live in US since it was open border then, no visa required.
 
I tend to agree with Ray on this. Also, there are a lot of people interested in knowing the same. So far, I could only find the following info off the google forums and I guess you folks may have checked these out already:

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...lm=vc59p7pq23gpe2%40corp.supernews.com&rnum=5

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...40news01.bloor.is.net.cable.rogers.com&rnum=6

http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...kgicsv7du3r8fcesv1kjpsqvidlh%404ax.com&rnum=9

I'll do some more digging, for the sake of pure curiosity. Likewise, do post your findings, if any.

Thanks.
 
Maple card - Help Urgent

Urgent - Help

Hi,

I have a question need your guru to help. I landed in Canada last year. However, I have never live in Canada though I have a friend address. I have not change my landing paper to maple card yet. And I am going to do that. I wonder if there is any question will be asked on the border since I should change the card last year. And my car is still in US plate.

All of these will be questioned by the border? Can I tell me I am currently living in Canada?

Thank very much for any inputs and suggestions.
BILL
 
Ray,

I don't know what exactly the relation between the 2 countries is but since i know of these 2 cases of my extremely close friends, there's got to be something going on there for the canadians to know of both my friends' US history. Esp info like the state they had drivers' license from and the date when PT was issued, these time frames when both my friends had no relation whatsoever with canada, it's puzzling.
At the least, it makes one take precaution since last thing one wants is to lose out on both counts, especially after the pains one has to go through to get and maintain canadian PR.


Bill,

Perhaps you should take the bus? Coz a car with US plates and also your insurance card in the car will have the US address and it's very suspicious?
 
Everybody,

Here is a case of my friend who got PR in Canada back in 1999. Then he came to USA as a student, changed his F1 to H1 and living here in USA for last four years. In 2002, he had applied for the Canadian Citizenship and he has got it in 2003 wihoout any question asked. This is very amazing and it goes against Priya's examples. I would like to support Priya's comments but these contradictory cases make me confused. So, I think CIC might be having access to all info and if they want they can find it out. Soemtimes somebody slip thorugh the cracks like my friend did. After 9/11 it is very likely that they are sharing some information...now to what extend that they know and God Knows. My friend obviously lied in his citizenship application saying he is there for last three years but I will think 100 times before taking that chance.

muntasir
 
thank you

First thank all of you for the help.

I was suggest to get a rental car to go to Canada to complete the maple car. I talked to the Vehicle importer organization. THey told me that I can import my vehicle now. However, I do not know what kind of problem will happen in the border.

Bill
 
Speaking of sharing information, one of my friends went for the interview for canadian immigration. His I-485 was in process at that time in US. He was told in the interview that if he needs to get the canadian immigration the US immigration will be informed about it and his I-485 will be cancelled. Now i am not sure if my friend is telling the whole story or not, but i am just wondering i this can happen, can the Canadian imm. inform the US imm. about your intent and also would the US imm. cancel/reject 485 processing based on that. Any experiences......

I am on AP and my I-485 is in process, i have got my Can imm. visa stamped already, wonder if i will have any problems....?
 
My case is a good example I guess:

I got canadian immi in 2000. I landed there in 2000 and never went back. IN 2002 I had applied for I-140 and I have mentioned that I am a landed immigrant in Canada (You just can not hide it as the stamp is there in the passport). My I-140 got approved without any RFE. I am not sure whether they will ask me to give up the PR when they approve my I-485 (Probably a year from today). From my case, I think that the immigration does not care how many places you can keep your PR. I don't think that matters at all for other immigration agency.
 
maple card

Ray,

Thanks for the input.

I am going to Canada to change Maple card and decide to live there since I want to apply for Citizen later. However, I have not lived there for a while. I do like to have this period of time "in canada". May be I can NOT import my car anymore?
 
muntasir,

Your case is the other way around so perhaps it won't be a problem for you. What i mean is, though you got your canadian PR in 2000 *but* you never pursued anything in canada, you pursued it in the US. Now, US doesnt care if an H1 holder got any status in canada or not as long as he/she is living in the US which you were, so according to them everything you do/did is lawful. The question arises when try to pursue anything in canada coz canada does care of your US status since here you have to meet certain requirements to maintain your PR. Which is what simone1 seems to be interested in, not the US point of view but the canadian.


Simone1,

You can pursue your US status and hold your canadian PR. But you can't pursue your *canadian time period towards canadian citizenship* since you are in the US (lawfully speaking that is). But, you can still maintain your canadian PR and be in the US since canada now allows that.
 
Canada PR Vs US GC

This is an excellent thread. Lot of useful information. Thanks to everybody.

I would like to present my scenario.
+ I'm in the labor stage of US GC process. Don't know when I will come to I-140 or I-485 stage.
+ I'm planning to start Canada PR process now.
+ I have my H1 Visa valid for another 2 1/2 years.

My questions are as below:
+ Will I have any conflicts when I fill out my US GC I-140/I-485 forms if I have my Canada PR in process?
+ Will I have any conflicts in filling out my Canada PR papers when I'm in US GC Labor/I-140/I-485 stage?
+ Are there any gotchas that one should be aware of while they have these two processes in parallel?

Thanks,
Rupa
 
The Canadian Immigration application forms do not have any field asking which other country's immigration you have applied for.

So rest assured, they will only know what ever you disclose. ;)
 
Canada PR Vs US GC

Thanks 'Rays of Hope'. Do you know if they ever ask about any other countries permanent residence status in US GC Labor/I-140/I-485 forms?

Thanks again!!
 
Priya 7
I think you are wrong. The time spent in US can count towards your Citizenhsip ( If you don't disclosed them). I know close friend of mine did it and recently got his citizenship.
 
Trueman,

What i said was what the *candian law* states.
What your friends did and what some of mine did too, was *unlawful*. Please bear that in mind when you claim my stating the law as wrong because you sound like endorsing the unlawful act.

Besides, your friends got lucky doesnt mean everyone will. As i said already, i know of people who got caught. Please don't misinform people coz it can really land them in big time trouble.


Thanks
 
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