Help - General questions for landing in Canada

[bkwhet]

Hello everyone.  If anyone can help me that would be great.  All we are getting is the run around from Immigration office.  I am a Canadian born and raised.  My husband is from Trinidad and Tobago.  I am presently living with him on the island and we plan on moving back to Canada in a year or 2.  We received his Confirmation of Permanent Residence and that is great news since we started this process in June of 2011.  He has to land in Canada before May 2, 2012.  Right now he will be flying up to Toronto on Monday January 23 and staying for 2 nights.  The office wont tell us or answer any of the following questions.  if anyone can help me I would be greatly appreciated.

1.  Once he flies in to Toronto, how long does it take for the interview process at the airport ?  Will he get his permanent residence card right away ?

2.  Once he gets his card and then flies back to trinidad on January 25, 2012.  Do we have to move back to Canada within a year ?  We are planning on going up for the month of July for a holiday.  But we were not planning on moving moving for a year or 2.

Can anyone help me with suggestions or answers... getting desperate.

Lori

[pinklady]

When he lands at the airport, the time it takes really depends on how busy the airport is at that time. It shouldn't take more than a couple of hours. Most people are done in 1.

He won't get his PR card right away. When he lands he will need to provide a canadian address for it to be sent to. This could be your parents or a friend? It will take about 6-8 weeks to arrive. When it arrives, have them forward it to you in Trinidad and Tobago, so he has it for his trip in July.

To keep PR status, you must reside in Canada for 2 years out of every 5. So if he lands on Jan 23 2012, he must return to live full time by January 2015 to keep status.

Hope that helps!

[bkwhet]

Thank you so much Pink Lady -

He lands at like midnight so hopefully it will go fast for him.  I was going to go with him being his sponsor but we now have a 3 month old little girl and It was to expensive for us all to fly up and traveling with a little one is tough.

I still own my house in British Columbia but I will get them to mail the PR card to my parents and they can mail it down to us here. 

I heard that we have to move back within 1 year of him going on monday.  But we we just spend 1 or 2 months a year this year there then move back in a few years will be perfect.

Anything else you can help with or suggestions that would be great... thanks again.. you made me feel more at ease today

[Kazakhstan]

To keep PR status, you must reside in Canada for 2 years out of every 5.

Yes, but every day a PR is accompanying a spouse or a parent who's a Canadian citizen living abroad, is counted as fulfilling the Canadian residency obligation...  

So if he lands on Jan 23 2012, he must return to live full time by January 2015 to keep status.

If he lives with his spouse who is a Canadian citizen, then the only thing he has to do is to keep documents that prove co-habitation which will be required when applying for a replacement PR card in 5 years...

[pinklady]

You don't need to move back within a year of him landing. Like I said, as long as he lives there for a minimum of 2 years out of the 5 years, he will be find and able to maintain his PR status. And what Kazakhstan said is true. Just keep a record of your coming and goings and boarding passes etc.

The only other thing I can think of is possessions. When you do eventually move, will you/he be shipping items? If he plans on bringing things with him at a later date, he must fill out a goods to follow form to present when he lands.

http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/publications/help-aide/topic-sujet/10-eng.html
Form B4

[bkwhet]

Hi Pink Lady.

He is just flying up to Toronto to go for the interview then fly back here to Trinidad and Tobago.  We will be shipping all our belongings when we finally move back in a year or two. 

[pinklady]

When you say interview, do you mean he will be landing? If so this is when he needs to declare items he will be shipping later on. Otherwise he will have to pay duty on them.

[Kazakhstan]

as long as he lives there for a minimum of 2 years out of the 5 years, he will be fine and able to maintain his PR status.

Not in their case... They can live outside Canada any period of time without risks to his PR status (Canadian wife).

[bkwhet]

Yes I guess landing if you call it that.  He got his Confirmation of Permanent Residence form and he has to go to canada for the interview i guess before May 2nd of this year.  He is only going up for 2 nights to get this done.  But we will not be moving back up for a year or two. 

So does this mean we have to fill in a form before he goes up with a list of all our belongings or can that be done at a later date help.

I went to that link but what form would we have to fill out this weekend.

AGGG..

[pinklady]

It needs to be done when he lands. Form B4. You can fill it out before he lands, then they will stamp it etc when he lands.

[bkwhet]

so it form B4 no BRa

we dont know when we will be landing so some of that form will be blank.

Do they need a list of everything from clothes to dvd's to photos to shoes to couch to laundry etc.  I mean everything in the house ?

i didnt know about this.. thank you for this other wise we would have to pay so much duty...

[Kazakhstan]

he has to go to canada for the interview

In "Goods to follow" form, you can list your personal belongings in groups like "kitchen utensils -- $300" rather than give details of each and every one. That would apply to clothing as well and jewellery, etc. If a good does have a serial number then it is your call -- you could list it individually. Keep in mind that any article acquired after 1977 that has a value of over $10 000.00 is exempted from the tariff so you have to pay duties on the portion exceeding $10 000.00.

You can use either the official B4 + B4a (which is simply a continuation of B4) or make up your own list in Excel... As long as it's presented to the immigration officer at the time of landing, it's fine...

[bkwhet]

thanks Kazakhstan ...

I guess i know what I am doing this weekend... glad i found this out from you guys.  he leaves on Monday and we never knew that.

any other tips.  just bring his forms and ids etc etc

[Kazakhstan]

For successful landing:

- Passport with immigrant visa.
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence.
- a Canadian address to which his PR card would be sent to, with a firm arrangement to forward it to you guys when it comes in, you don't want to lose it!!!
- A 'goods to follow' list.

And to survive a couple days in Toronto:

- Enough money and warm clothes (21F today),
- Driver's licence (for renting a car).
- The hotel's address / phone number, if that's where he's staying.
- List of phone numbers and addresses of friends/family in the Toronto area (if there's any). 
- Optional: a cell phone with international roaming for Canada.

I think that's it!

[bkwhet]

thank you soooo much for all your help...i reallly appreciate everything you have done to help calm my nerves..

will let you know how it goes next week..