Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[GOGOGO]

Congratulation on your PPR!

When the COPR's back, you'll see the date you need to land by.

Double check the hours of the immigration services at the border you're going to land.  They normally open 24x7.  Not sure about your work schedule, but if you can spare 2 consecutive days or a minimum of 19-hour time slot, then you can drive 9 hours to the border, land (takes about 20-30 mins), and go straight back to US (you may want to add in extra time for contingency like traffic, rest, etc).

You can put all of your belongings on the Goods to Follow list and get it stamped by the Custom when you land.  You can take your time to move your belongings later without needing to pay duty and tax.  Your car can be put on the Goods to Follow list too and you can export/import it later after you get the title.

Please note that if you tell the immigration officer that you just want to land first, will go straight back to US and settle later, they will hold off ordering the PR card for you.  You will need to apply for it yourself when you are in Canada next time.

As a landed PR, you're supposed to carry the PR card with you when travelling in/out Canada, especially via any commerical means eg commercial flight, train, bus.  Without the PR card, you still can travel in private car, private plane, etc, with your executed COPR and passport (this applies to when you've ordered the PR card and before you receive it which takes about 2 months recently).  Alternatively, a travel document can be applied in the country where you reside/travel to outside Canada.

Do you mind sharing your dates for each step so that we can add you to the Buffalo spreadsheet for others' reference?  Link to the spreadsheet can be found in my signature.

Good luck to your landing arrangement!

Yeah, my PPR doesn't include a date.

I could land and then wrap things up, I'm just worried because it's cutting it close now for me to even be able to take vacation time since I live about nine hours from the border and my job is somewhat inflexible.

I hadn't really thought about landing and then returning to get everything together. Is the process any different?

Thanks for the advice!

[oreidapennsyltucky]

Do you mind sharing your dates for each step so that we can add you to the Buffalo spreadsheet for others' reference?  Link to the spreadsheet can be found in my signature.

Thanks for all the info! It's great to have access to people who've already been through the process.

My dates are as follows:

Medicals Done - June 14, 2011
App Filed - September 13, 2011
AOR Received/Sponsor Approved - November 23, 2011
PPR - May 1, 2012
PP Received by Buffalo - May 3, 2012

[mattrox10]

is it possible to send out the application without the police check? I am still waiting for this...

If I can wait. Do I need to wait for a # of some sort so when I send the police check to Mississagua they will know which application it belongs to?

[Occasita]

is it possible to send out the application without the police check? I am still waiting for this...

If I can wait. Do I need to wait for a # of some sort so when I send the police check to Mississagua they will know which application it belongs to?

Honestly, it is better to wait. I have heard some bad stories about people who have done the same, but end up with CIC loosing it and having to order another.

[parker24]

is it possible to send out the application without the police check? I am still waiting for this...

If I can wait. Do I need to wait for a # of some sort so when I send the police check to Mississagua they will know which application it belongs to?

Honestly, I'd send it. Not having something that is required can delay your application.

[mattrox10]

Honestly, I'd send it. Not having something that is required can delay your application.

alright thanks. I will wait then. I sure hope it comes soon! its been almost 8 weeks now.

[parker24]

alright thanks. I will wait then. I sure hope it comes soon! its been almost 8 weeks now.

It can vary, but mine took just over 8 weeks and they had to send it to us in Canada

[oreidapennsyltucky]

alright thanks. I will wait then. I sure hope it comes soon! its been almost 8 weeks now.

Mine took  nine -10 weeks. I think somewhere between eight and 12 weeks is typical. 

[bbiery]

Landed today, everything was pretty smooth, my story is below:

Left Toronto at 9:30 am, got to Niagara about 11:00 am or so, I didn't really check.  At this point we followed the parking signs which led us all the way past the rainbow bridge and up more towards where the falls/hotels are.  I had my fiance's brother drive me and he brought his girlfriend so they planned to go look at fun stuff while I landed.  First I should say that I landed by foot on the rainbow bridge and it was pretty painless.  One issue I had was actually finding the entrance for the walkway.  When you drive into Niagara you will see the Duty Free shop on the left hand side.  The walkway entrance area isn't clearly marked, but it is actually behind the duty free, so you have to go through the duty free parking lot and there is then a building with 3 doors.  2 with "no entry" and one that says "To USA".  I went to the USA one and paid the .50 cent fee to get through.  They have both Canadian and American dollar exchanges so don't worry about having change.

I then walked all the way across the rainbow bridge (its not as far as I have heard people say), maybe 5 minutes.  Enjoyed the scenery and took some pictures in the middle.  I then got to the US side and the guy told me that theres no reason to walk all the way across and I could have just turned around as soon as I left the doors to the "To Canada" door and been fine (I am a US Citizen so I am not sure if this applies to everyone or not).  At this point I walked through the "To Canada" door and talked with the officer who then directed me to the building perpendicular from the peace bridge, you can see it out the office (just turn around).  So I finally go to my last building and hand my passport/COPR to the officer and he says to have a seat while he fills out the information.  I did get yelled at for having my phone out so be careful with this, I was just playing a game.  10 minutes later he calls me up and says its finalized after signing and then I went to the counter on the opposite side to get my B4 processed.  Whole process took about 20 minutes tops.  They said congratulations, but weren't really that friendly.  In fact the most friendly person I met was the US officer who told me I didn't have to walk the whole way over (he thought it was pretty funny).

Sorry for the long winded post, I wanted to give information to others who plan to walk to land as there wasn't a whole lot of information available when I was researching.

Hope everyone else lands soon!

[mapleleafs2011]

For maternity or parental benefits You may be eligible to receive EI maternity or parental benefits if:
 •you have paid EI premiums;
 •you meet the specific criteria for receiving EI maternity or parental benefits;
 •your normal weekly earnings are reduced by more than 40%; and
 •you have accumulated at least 600 hours of insurable employment during the qualifying period or, if you are a self-employed fisher, you have earned enough money during the qualifying period.

But the spouse who has been in canada and has 600 hrs is eligible to take the paternity leave andthe parental

http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/ei/types/maternity_parental.shtml#eligible

that is the link with all the information, as for child tax benefits that will depend on the household income.

Here is the link for the CCTB and UCCB. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/bnfts/menu-eng.html

Those are both child and family benefits.
All hospital cost will be covered under medicare for a shared room but if the spouse has private insurance you may get a semi-private or private room.

Hope this helps!

So I myself would qualify for the parental leave, but I was planning on quitting my job and moving. She would most likely have the baby 3 months after? Will I still qualify for the parental leave? Also, if I used the benefit, will it effect my wifes PR?

[OhCanadiana]

Congratulations!!! 

Thanks for sharing - you must have some amazing photos!   I've crossed over in a car several times and want to walk across someday just to take some photos.

Landed today, everything was pretty smooth, my story is below:

Left Toronto at 9:30 am, got to Niagara about 11:00 am or so, I didn't really check.  At this point we followed the parking signs which led us all the way past the rainbow bridge and up more towards where the falls/hotels are.  I had my fiance's brother drive me and he brought his girlfriend so they planned to go look at fun stuff while I landed.  First I should say that I landed by foot on the rainbow bridge and it was pretty painless.  One issue I had was actually finding the entrance for the walkway.  When you drive into Niagara you will see the Duty Free shop on the left hand side.  The walkway entrance area isn't clearly marked, but it is actually behind the duty free, so you have to go through the duty free parking lot and there is then a building with 3 doors.  2 with "no entry" and one that says "To USA".  I went to the USA one and paid the .50 cent fee to get through.  They have both Canadian and American dollar exchanges so don't worry about having change.

I then walked all the way across the rainbow bridge (its not as far as I have heard people say), maybe 5 minutes.  Enjoyed the scenery and took some pictures in the middle.  I then got to the US side and the guy told me that theres no reason to walk all the way across and I could have just turned around as soon as I left the doors to the "To Canada" door and been fine (I am a US Citizen so I am not sure if this applies to everyone or not).  At this point I walked through the "To Canada" door and talked with the officer who then directed me to the building perpendicular from the peace bridge, you can see it out the office (just turn around).  So I finally go to my last building and hand my passport/COPR to the officer and he says to have a seat while he fills out the information.  I did get yelled at for having my phone out so be careful with this, I was just playing a game.  10 minutes later he calls me up and says its finalized after signing and then I went to the counter on the opposite side to get my B4 processed.  Whole process took about 20 minutes tops.  They said congratulations, but weren't really that friendly.  In fact the most friendly person I met was the US officer who told me I didn't have to walk the whole way over (he thought it was pretty funny).

Sorry for the long winded post, I wanted to give information to others who plan to walk to land as there wasn't a whole lot of information available when I was researching.

Hope everyone else lands soon!

[moochops]

I have started to get snarky with Buffalo, I just sent them a "what the hell are you playing at" email.

I fully expect nothing other than a "go away" reply which will then be followed up with an email to my MP.

Am getting a little ticked off now 

[Kiri]

They never SAID they received it... but:
2012/05/22   AM   MISSISSAUGA   Item successfully delivered

Yay, now hopefully the first stage will go quickly so it gets in process in Buffalo.

[OhCanadiana]

is it possible to send out the application without the police check? I am still waiting for this...

If I can wait. Do I need to wait for a # of some sort so when I send the police check to Mississagua they will know which application it belongs to?

You can wait to send it - but include a cover letter explaining why and that you will send the FBI background check to Buffalo VO once you have a UCI number assigned.  The way I see it, even if it involves a bit of a delay for them to get it to your file (doesn't usually happen, though there are horror stories out there of things being delayed/lost), you are incurring a delay by waiting anyway.   Do not send it to CPC-M ... there it will never catch up with your file before it gets processed or sent to Buffalo.

I would call the FBI (1-304-625-5590) and make sure they didn't just send it back to you and then commit to not kicking yourself if it shows up the day after you mail the app.

[cgagnon]

So I myself would qualify for the parental leave, but I was planning on quitting my job and moving. She would most likely have the baby 3 months after? Will I still qualify for the parental leave? Also, if I used the benefit, will it effect my wifes PR?

Are you here in Canada? As long as you have 600 insurable hours....and you meet the rest of the requirements you will be fine...you can have 5 jobs in the same year...You could call service canada and speak to a representative or go online... www.servicecanada.gc.ca