ONLY - Who submitted CIC-AINP(SRS-U.S. Visa Holder Category) application

[magiqhand]

Hi Tapak
Can you please share your landing experience and your journey to edmonton? Also any information you could share on AVR will be usefull.
Thanks and good luck

[despoimmigrant]

Hi taps !! thanx for sharing info.

I want to point out one issue from your posts. You said your Business visa is not cancled. I know why they did not cancle it when they give you Immigration visa. Once you Land on PR Visa you will get PR card mailed in 30 days to address you provide. So what happnes you come back to USA and you have no PR card to return to Canada for your business trip. So they kept your Business visa valid so you can enter into canada if you have not got your PR card. I may be wronge but this is the best i came up with.

congrats on your Immigration visa........

[Tapak]

Hi Tapak
Can you please share your landing experience and your journey to edmonton? Also any information you could share on AVR will be usefull.
Thanks and good luck

My first visit to Canada was from 1st Nov - 12th Nov. It was Business visit. I landed around 3:00 pm (Flying from EST to MST messed up my timezone sense)
Edmonton Int'l airport is pretty small. I filled in my custom form on flight.
Nicely greeted with a smile by Canadian Immigration officer and was asked few basic questions

• What is your purpose of visit?
• How long will you stay in Edmonton
• Show me your papers, hotel and flight reservation

It was pretty straight forward few minutes Q and A. I moved to get my luggage (Guess what! There is no charge for luggage trolley)
I moved on to customs and was asked if there is anything to be declared plants, liquor, money above $10000. I said no to all and just walked out of airport.
Walking into Canada was a breeze and with smiling faces.

Returning from Canada was bit painful. Reached edmonton airport at around 3:45 am but had to wait until 4:30 since US immigration and customs don't open until 4:30 am.

I was second person in queue and was delighted to go back home; especially since I had come to know that my family received PPR, while I was in Canada.
I had expired visa on my old passport and have had changed few employers in USA. The officer wasn't friendly and despite all papers she suspected I was out of status for a year. Not sure where she got that impression from.
I was asked to sit in some green room, while she advised and handed over my case to couple of other officers.
It was 30 minutes of high BP and tension in my life. I had my wife, two kids and short term visitors, parents in USA waiting for my return.
I think the turn offs from my end were
- My reply to Immigration officer that I changed employers for better opportunities. I cannot post in detail what I heard her say but it was shocking to me.
and secondly, I showed her AVR print out from my Attorney since she said that I cannot enter with expired visa.
BTW, I was carrying all my H1B papers from my first to present employer.
No offences to Illegal immigrants, but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

[cchabert]

No offences to Illegal immigrants, but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

Agree 100% To uncle Sam we're all criminals

[despoimmigrant]

taps is second person to face some challanges during avr process.

more scared now sigh sigh..............

[magiqhand]

Tapak,
I am glad to hear that your trip to canada went well but sorry to hear how US immigration treated you while trying to enter the USA. Do you have the link of the printout for the AVR law. Also what other documents did you have what other documents do you think can help. I am planning to use AVR also. It seems that people are having bad experience using it.

[karl]

Nix,
I have a situation little different from you.
I entered US on F1 in    2002
Got my i979 approval in 2005
Got 2 H1b stamps         2005-2009
Current H1b stamp is valid for 2012 based on my x-employer's i-797 approval.

But 6 months back I had to change my status to F1, thanks to the economy.

Now in this case, do you think I will be able to use the AVR system? Please explain how if the answer is Yes.

Much appreciated,

K

Guys and Girls,

I have posted my experience at the US port of entry on my blog. http://journeytoalberta.blogspot.com/

I am going to be adding a lot more documents like PR visa etc, but it will take sometime.

Despo, my post on the blog should cover your questions. If not, please let me know and I will be more than happy to answer them.

[ingegarcia]

I'm agree with you cchabert..... actually I read in a newspaper today and they they were refering to all of us as temporary guess workers... (H1B, H2B, seasonal visa, illegals, etc) no offense with illegals, nor other type of visas holders...

BTW I am also planning to do my landing in february/2010 using AVR.. I'll post my experience once I do my landing....

No offences to Illegal immigrants, but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

Agree 100% To uncle Sam we're all criminals

[despoimmigrant]

magichand ...........refer to nix1's recent posts for the official link of it

Tapak,
I am glad to hear that your trip to canada went well but sorry to hear how US immigration treated you while trying to enter the USA. Do you have the link of the printout for the AVR law. Also what other documents did you have what other documents do you think can help. I am planning to use AVR also. It seems that people are having bad experience using it.

[karl]

Hey Tapak,
So you just had a simple print out that your lawyer had given you? You dint have to apply as such for AVR? I assume it is by default that one is eligible.... please clarify
Karl

Hi Tapak
Can you please share your landing experience and your journey to edmonton? Also any information you could share on AVR will be usefull.
Thanks and good luck

My first visit to Canada was from 1st Nov - 12th Nov. It was Business visit. I landed around 3:00 pm (Flying from EST to MST messed up my timezone sense).........
.....but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

[magiqhand]

Thanks despo
I saw the link I was just wondering if there was anything else other than the link Nix posted.

[GirlOntario]

taps is second person to face some challanges during avr process.

more scared now sigh sigh..............

I think do AVR on detroit border instead of Alberta - Montana. I also heared that Seattle, Washington-Vancouver border is also friendly. The best thing to do is stay in Canada for a while and get H1B stamping done but to do that family should be with you or in home country so alone you can manage better than divided family in US- Canada.

[GirlOntario]

I'm agree with you cchabert..... actually I read in a newspaper today and they they were refering to all of us as temporary guess workers... (H1B, H2B, seasonal visa, illegals, etc) no offense with illegals, nor other type of visas holders...

BTW I am also planning to do my landing in february/2010 using AVR.. I'll post my experience once I do my landing....

No offences to Illegal immigrants, but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

Agree 100% To uncle Sam we're all criminals

Why not h1B stamping ?

[GirlOntario]

Not bad! I was hoping job market to be very bad but it is not that bad. There are plenty of jobs out there:
http://jobsearch.monster.ca/Search.aspx?q=Analyst&cy=ca&where=State%3AAB&rad=32&rad_units=km&lid=225&re=130

[Tapak]

Hey Tapak,
So you just had a simple print out that your lawyer had given you? You dint have to apply as such for AVR? I assume it is by default that one is eligible.... please clarify
Karl

Hi Tapak
Can you please share your landing experience and your journey to edmonton? Also any information you could share on AVR will be usefull.
Thanks and good luck

My first visit to Canada was from 1st Nov - 12th Nov. It was Business visit. I landed around 3:00 pm (Flying from EST to MST messed up my timezone sense).........
.....but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.

This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.

Hi Karl,

There is no application required for AVR. It is just simple plain rule that allows a person to return from Canada or Mexico to US within 30 days. Ofcourse you need to have all relevant documents like I797, paystubs, company employment letter, bank statements, etc to support that you are still in status and wil continue to work after your return to USA.
http://travel.state.gov/visa/laws/telegrams/telegrams_1441.html

My attorney gave me latest document from 2008; I am unsure about the direct link though.
I hope this helps.

Taps