QUESTIONS regarding IMMIGRATION to Canada(Port of Entry - Vancouver, BC)

R

ruxil

Registered Users (C)
I am based in Portland, Oregon and I am planning to immigrate to Canada by the end of this month (July,04). I have a valid H1 visa for over 2 years. I am planning to complete the process traveling by road to Vancouver, BC and come back after 2-3 days. I am going to give my friends address for mail. I will really appreciate if someone can clarify my doubts and guide me. I have the following questions:

1. Do I need to surrender my I-94 to the immigration officer in BC? I don't want to lie to them that I have already surrendered those to US immigration (since I would not have gone through US immigration while entering).

2. Do I need to carry funds in Money Order/ Cashiers check or is the bank statement enough?

3. I am planning to carry just some clothes etc for 2-3 days. Do I have have to prepare a list for these items and do I still need to carry a "list of item to follow". Although I am not planning to finally move for at least a couple of years.

3. Do I disclose to the immigration officer that I will be returning back to US for my job in 2-3 days? How can this be handled (if some one was in a similar situation)? If I lie to the officer and tell him I am staying, then won't it be obvious based on my H1 and job status and the goods I am going to carry with me that I don't intend to stay. Please provide as much details about this question as you can.

4. Do I have to fill seperate forms for PR card?

5. When I re-enter US after 2-3 days, do I have to do any other paper work? Since I will be coming without the PR card, is this fine? Do I have to go through any other Canadian immigration process at the border before entering US?

6. Do they stamp the passports or record somewhere that you are leaving Canada without the PR card?

7. Since I have my green card processing going on simulateously here in US, will that be affected in any way?

8. Do I have to file my taxes in Canada also (since I will be working and filing my taxes in US) in the coming years?

9. What all things should I complete before leaving Canada? (like SIN etc...)

Please also provide any other additional useful tips.

Thanks,
Raj
 
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1. Do I need to surrender my I-94 to the immigration officer in BC? I don't want to lie to them that I have already surrendered those to US immigration (since I would not have gone through US immigration while entering).

NO

2. Do I need to carry funds in Money Order/ Cashiers check or is the bank statement enough?

You should carry required funds in Money Order/ Cashiers check .


3. I am planning to carry just some clothes etc for 2-3 days. Do I have have to prepare a list for these items and do I still need to carry a "list of item to follow". Although I am not planning to finally move for at least a couple of years.

Good idea to make the "goods to follow" list and get it stamped as whenever you move those items will be imported without customs duty including your car

3. Do I disclose to the immigration officer that I will be returning back to US for my job in 2-3 days? How can this be handled (if some one was in a similar situation)? If I lie to the officer and tell him I am staying, then won't it be obvious based on my H1 and job status and the goods I am going to carry with me that I don't intend to stay. Please provide as much details about this question as you can.

Nope but don't lie if asked

4. Do I have to fill seperate forms for PR card?

No

5. When I re-enter US after 2-3 days, do I have to do any other paper work? Since I will be coming without the PR card, is this fine? Do I have to go through any other Canadian immigration process at the border before entering US?

No

6. Do they stamp the passports or record somewhere that you are leaving Canada without the PR card?

No

7. Since I have my green card processing going on simulateously here in US, will that be affected in any way?

No

8. Do I have to file my taxes in Canada also (since I will be working and filing my taxes in US) in the coming years?

Not if you are not living in canada .

9. What all things should I complete before leaving Canada? (like SIN etc...)

Nothing except PR card

Please also provide any other additional useful tips.
 
Cars

From reading around here I remember that some folks who put their car on the list of 'goods to follow' but subsequently didn't bring it to Canada had problems.
Apparently the vehicles get reported to the DMV there and they expect you to get it inspected and registered within a certain timeframe.

And as for #7. I believe CIC doesn't like people to have a GC in the US (I551 in your PP) while they have PR status in Canada. I guess they are smart enough to figure out that if you have a GC you will most likely NOT be staying in Canada.
I don't know how a pending GC case here in the US could affect your PR process, I don't know how they would know about it in the first place.

As for #3: When dealing with police/immigration, always treat it like a deposition in court:
Never volunteer information, keep a friendly but nondescript face and answer 'Yes', 'No', or a very concise answer on the question asked.




(I am by no stretch of imagination an expert on this issue, this is just stuff I gathered from reading up on it.)
 
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a few more quick questions

1. Do I need to fill up forms for PR card seperatley and carry with me to the port of entry?
2. Is there a pre-defined form at CIC web site which I need to fill for "items accompanied" and "items to follow". There are B4A (00) and B4E (03) and I am confused which one to use. Can some one post a format which they might have used.

Thanks
Raj
 
1. Do I need to fill up forms for PR card seperatley and carry with me to the port of entry?
There is no form to fill for the PR card currently. All you need to do is show your papers at the POE and apply for the SIN (optional).

2. Is there a pre-defined form at CIC web site which I need to fill for "items accompanied" and "items to follow". There are B4A (00) and B4E (03) and I am confused which one to use. Can some one post a format which they might have used.

Use B4e.pdf. It's pretty simple. For your car, enter the vin #, all high end electronics need to have serial #. As for household items, you can write number of boxes etc. Keep all your docs well organized. The process will be simple and fast.
 
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