Just thought I would post my 'full' landing experience at Halifax Airport from the UK.
I flew out from Heathrow Airport to Halifax using Air Canada, a pretty uneventful flight which was delayed by about half an hour. Got to watch UP, Batman: Dark Knight and Something Of Boris (Adam and Joe fans will get that one!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h6CoNUE5Zho) I was pretty loaded up with stuff 2x check-in suitcases and 2x carry on items, but, watch out, as Air Canada have changed the allowances since I booked/flew and are now down to 1 x check-in and 2 x carry on, gratis. I did have a bit of problem at airport security in Heathrow Airport as I had inadvertaintly left a small pair of pliers in my carry on, and that was confiscated, although the security officer did have to check that it was a prohibited item.
I arrived at Halifax Airport and handed my landing card and passport to the border officer. I told him I was landing and asked him what other paperwork he needed to see (I had all my stuff collected together in a large envelope). He just said he did not need anything else at this time and checked my landing card, which I had filled in pretty much as normal but with my new address in Canada as the home address and I had ticked the 'goods to follow' box. He then asked me the usual stuff, basically confirming what I had entered on the landing card and then stamped the landing card. He then asked me if I was familiar with the airport layout, so I said yes, some of it, but was not sure where the immigration counter was. He pointed it out to me (pretty obvious actually as it is on the way to the bagage hall, amazing what you miss on previous visits when you are not really looking) and then said a cheery 'welcome to Canada'.
I stood waiting for an immigration officer to become 'free' for about 10-15 minutes. When I was 'called', I told him I was landing, produced my CoPR and Passport with the entry visa and asked him if he needed to see my goods to follow list at this point. He said I would not need that until I went in to customs, after I had picked up my bagage. He then 'processed' my CoPR, asked me the same old questions about how I met my wife, etc, what I was going to be doing in Canada while I settled in, if I had any criminal convictions, etc. He then got me to sign the CoPR in various places, crossed through the entry visa, stamped my passport, gave me back the bottom copy of my CoPR, then gave me the Welcome To Canada book, and told me to expect my actual PR card in about 30 days, then he said 'welcome to Canada' and told me to speak to the customs officer after I had picked up my baggage.
I picked up my baggage, then spoke to the customs officer on the 'exit' of the baggage lounge, gave her my landing card and said I was landing. She directed me into the customs area where the customs officer there went through my goods lists to make sure he had everything as my 'goods to follow' was 3 pages long and he just made sure all the paperwork was in order (did not really check the actually contents of the lists as such) as I had already filled in some of the D4 form prior to arriving (I did have 2 sets of goods lists but he just took one set of each and photocopied everything once he was sure he had everything he needed). I then signed the D4 form and we were done. He said 'welcome to Canada'.
I walked out of customs and straight into arrivals (if you are familiar with the airport you'll know it's pretty small). My wife was waiting for me and gave me a extra special 'welcome to Canada'.
At this time it was sometime after 3.00pm in the afternoon, so we thought, lets go staight into Dartmouth and find the place to register for my Healthcard. So, in we went, at which point I was informed that my remainder of the CoPR had not been filled in properly (the date landed was missing as was the place of landing, they also thought that because of that maybe the officer had not signed it - but you could see he had, if in a somewhat minimalistic manner). I was also told that it should have an immigration stamp on it, but I pointed out that it was the bottom copy and the stamp in question was in my passport which I showed them). So at this point 'the computer said no' despite me pointing out that all the info was actually there, just not all of it on the form.
So, off we went, back to Halifax Airport, and spoke to someone in immigration. They said that yes the details were missing, but that I was right about the stamp and checked that it was there in my passport and said that they don't usually stamp the copy of the CoPR, but helpfully did it anyway after getting the officer in question to enter the 'missing' details. By that time it was to late to go back to sort out my Healthcard, so...
The next day we first went to get my SIN from Service Canada. A very jolly and helpful guy took my details, looked at my now well handled CoPR copy and Passport, and commented on how much trouble he had generally with CoPRs in trying the read them (and that was just the typed bit) so I told him about my experience yesterday and we had a bit of a laugh about it. I got my SIN confirmation paperwork and was told my card will arrive in 15 days and if it didn't to get back to him and he would chase it up for me. He then said 'welcome to Canada'.
We then went back to the Healthcard place, and this time all my paperwork was in order and they printed my card there and then, and said 'welcome to Nova Scotia'. So, job done.
Now I just have to sort out my new driving licence, bank account and set-up a business. But that's for another day.
Immigration Forum
