Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[Quince777]

Cool!
also I find it weird that it has the date that CPC Mississauga received our application, not Buffalo. Is this normal?

Yeah, I was wondering about the same thing Does anybody else got the AOR letter with the date it was filed in Mississauga?

[imp]

Yeah, I was wondering about the same thing Does anybody else got the AOR letter with the date it was filed in Mississauga?

That's how mine was as well back in late August.  I figured since it was signed Buffalo that it was AOR though.

[ddobro2]

Done.

You're welcome.

Could you update my stats on the spreadsheet when you get a minute?

[yooper]

Landed!

Just a bit under 7 months.  Hard to believe its done.  So I got home here in BC -- legally now -- and checked my email.  ECAS was updated about 4 hours BEFORE I got to Peace Arch to say 'decision made'.  They must have seen me coming.

The landing wasn't much to report on.  Very low key and uneventful.  As ddobro2 advised, they didn't need any immigration pictures.  (They said sometimes they have to replace the picture, if you screw up your signature... and that's why they ask for two, and return one w/ the passport.) 

Only thing that was different than what I expected was that I was asked 'how much money do I have in my checking account'.  Everything I've read on CIC's website says spousal sponsorship doesn't require financial information -- so I don't know why that question was asked.  But it was.

Again, best to all, and I do hope to check in from time to time and see how things here are going.

[Quince777]

Landed!

Just a bit under 7 months.  Hard to believe its done.  So I got home here in BC -- legally now -- and checked my email.  ECAS was updated about 4 hours BEFORE I got to Peace Arch to say 'decision made'.  They must have seen me coming.

The landing wasn't much to report on.  Very low key and uneventful.  As ddobro2 advised, they didn't need any immigration pictures.  (They said sometimes they have to replace the picture, if you screw up your signature... and that's why they ask for two, and return one w/ the passport.) 

Only thing that was different than what I expected was that I was asked 'how much money do I have in my checking account'.  Everything I've read on CIC's website says spousal sponsorship doesn't require financial information -- so I don't know why that question was asked.  But it was.

Again, best to all, and I do hope to check in from time to time and see how things here are going.

Congrats on your landing and being over with this process! I'd love to have "uneventful" landing story myself (if I ever get it - who knows?) - I think it's the best one after everything we go through;D

[AmericaninQuebec]

Congrats Yooper! I hope my landing is equally uneventful.

So this morning I got a response from the general email inquiry address at Buffalo. Apparently I annoyed someone by pointing out that it had been more than 15 days turn around time for my passport, as they felt the need to point out that 15 days is only the usual turn around in their email instead of just saying it was in the mail already.

Your passport was returned January 5, 2011 via Express Post LTXXXXXXXXXXXCA,
 

As indicated in the passport request, your passports will usually be returned to you within 15 business days from the day we receive them. This does not include any time it may take for the Post Office to deliver them.

Canadian Consulate General Buffalo
Immigration Section

At this point in the process there's a side of me that gets a sick satisfaction knowing I annoyed someone over on their end. 

[mjh49783aa]

Congratulations on your landing. I hope mine will be just as uneventful as yours.

Landed!

Just a bit under 7 months.  Hard to believe its done.  So I got home here in BC -- legally now -- and checked my email.  ECAS was updated about 4 hours BEFORE I got to Peace Arch to say 'decision made'.  They must have seen me coming.

The landing wasn't much to report on.  Very low key and uneventful.  As ddobro2 advised, they didn't need any immigration pictures.  (They said sometimes they have to replace the picture, if you screw up your signature... and that's why they ask for two, and return one w/ the passport.) 

Only thing that was different than what I expected was that I was asked 'how much money do I have in my checking account'.  Everything I've read on CIC's website says spousal sponsorship doesn't require financial information -- so I don't know why that question was asked.  But it was.

Again, best to all, and I do hope to check in from time to time and see how things here are going.

[AmericaninQuebec]

For anyone on here who landed recently, how detailed were you on your goods declaration forms? I'm preparing mine so I can go straight to the border and land when my passport & COPR come back, and I'm not certain how detailed I need to be. Right now a lot of it is rather general, for example, "clothes, shoes, small personal mementos, small home decorations," but I take the time to obviously identify any larger items such as an air conditioning unit I may bring, lamps, printer, etc., and of course my car. Did you go into further detail with the smaller items, or were they okay with a more general statement?

Most of what is still in the U.S. is really random stuff stuck in my parents' basement that they want me to either sell or move, so I'm not even certain I'll be importing it in the long run. I also can't really remember a lot of what it is in detail, because it's been sitting in boxes since 2009. I just don't want to have some grumpy customs officer get mad, because I didn't list out every single pair of shoes or photo album that may be coming with me! 

[Pigey]

Hi all-

My husband and I will be starting the application process by the end of the month (I hope). He is in Canada and I am in the US, which assume means that my application will go through Buffalo. We've been together for two years and recently got married. I'm hoping that the process won't take too long...

Looking forward to reading all of your posts and picking your brains.

Cheers-
Pigey

[Quince777]

Hi all-

My husband and I will be starting the application process by the end of the month (I hope). He is in Canada and I am in the US, which assume means that my application will go through Buffalo. We've been together for two years and recently got married. I'm hoping that the process won't take too long...

Looking forward to reading all of your posts and picking your brains.

Cheers-
Pigey

Welcome! Good luck with the process!

[pcdmontreal]

For anyone on here who landed recently, how detailed were you on your goods declaration forms? I'm preparing mine so I can go straight to the border and land when my passport & COPR come back, and I'm not certain how detailed I need to be. Right now a lot of it is rather general, for example, "clothes, shoes, small personal mementos, small home decorations," but I take the time to obviously identify any larger items such as an air conditioning unit I may bring, lamps, printer, etc., and of course my car. Did you go into further detail with the smaller items, or were they okay with a more general statement?

Most of what is still in the U.S. is really random stuff stuck in my parents' basement that they want me to either sell or move, so I'm not even certain I'll be importing it in the long run. I also can't really remember a lot of what it is in detail, because it's been sitting in boxes since 2009. I just don't want to have some grumpy customs officer get mad, because I didn't list out every single pair of shoes or photo album that may be coming with me! 

Hi AmericaninQuebec,
My husband just got his passport back and COPR, and is going to land next week. He's starting to prepare his goods declaration form and was wondering if you can make up your own, or if you have to use that form: http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/b4-eng.pdf
Any idea ?

Thanks !

[cantor2537]

Hi guys, this is a question about US taxes.

I am Canadian, my wife is American. Right now, I am in Canada, she is in the US. How should she file her tax return? I do not need to pay US taxes do I? I know this is a stupid question but just want to make sure. She should put she is single, no? I have no US income and have not conducted business with the US

[mjh49783aa]

Welcome aboard. We'll do what we can to help you along.

Hi all-

My husband and I will be starting the application process by the end of the month (I hope). He is in Canada and I am in the US, which assume means that my application will go through Buffalo. We've been together for two years and recently got married. I'm hoping that the process won't take too long...

Looking forward to reading all of your posts and picking your brains.

Cheers-
Pigey

[mjh49783aa]

Thank you.

Done.

[ddobro2]

Obviously, I can't speak as someone who has personal experience landing, but from reading what others had to say I doubt you need to go into minute detail.....maybe if the BO has OCD or something.... just kidding. From what I gleaned on CBSA's site, the officer will use the goods declaration form you give him to fill out a Form B4 anyway so perhaps it's better to just fill that out. It basically just has a column for the description of the goods and another for the value in Canadian dollars. Although the description column did note to include serial numbers if applicable so I guess a good rule would be to describe with more specificity things that are electronics or valuables and to describe with less specificity things that are not. This person who landed also put up an example online of what how he organized such a list: http://mypage.intergate.ca/~rajanr/Van_File/List_GTF.html.

By the way, I responded to your PM and I'd love to know what you think of what I wrote.

For anyone on here who landed recently, how detailed were you on your goods declaration forms? I'm preparing mine so I can go straight to the border and land when my passport & COPR come back, and I'm not certain how detailed I need to be. Right now a lot of it is rather general, for example, "clothes, shoes, small personal mementos, small home decorations," but I take the time to obviously identify any larger items such as an air conditioning unit I may bring, lamps, printer, etc., and of course my car. Did you go into further detail with the smaller items, or were they okay with a more general statement?

Most of what is still in the U.S. is really random stuff stuck in my parents' basement that they want me to either sell or move, so I'm not even certain I'll be importing it in the long run. I also can't really remember a lot of what it is in detail, because it's been sitting in boxes since 2009. I just don't want to have some grumpy customs officer get mad, because I didn't list out every single pair of shoes or photo album that may be coming with me!