my 5 days experience in Canada. I would first like to express my heartfelt thanks for all.
i want to share my landing experience.
I stayed in a hotel in UK on 29th dec night and started @ 6.00 am on 30th dec from hotel which is beside
Gatwick airport, UK. my flight was @ 9:45 am (uk time). after checked-in my flight was delayed by 40 minutes.
it started @ 10.20 am to Toronto. it was very congested/uncomfortable. Horrible journey with infant.
in flight they gave all of us disembarkation form to fill.we Reached YYZ airport @ 1.20 pm (Toronto time).
when we entered airport in Canada, they greeted! "welcome to Canada" and checked passports of all passengers.
We followed the crowed straight away.
then we entered immigration section after a long walk. asked us to q and send us to counter 21.
he checked the disembarkation form and passports
and entered something in the system. i showed COPR, but he told me that his job is to enter the disembarkation form details
only.he stamped on the disembarkation form and asked us to go to immigration section where they do some paper work.
most of them in our flight are NOT new immigrants. here all the counters are empty ie no new immigrants.
all the immigration officers(IOs) are chit chatting each other from counter to counter. one of the IO called me and asked me to drop
passports, COPR and local address, and asked us to sit in a seating area. he told me that he has to do some
paper work on my file.
we seated in the seating area and i was playing with my infant.we were acting as we are very active by smiling
and laughing. as i saw cameras are there in seating area. there is a photo room beside us.
one of the IO's brought 2 immigrants and asked them to seat and took a photograph. i do not know why he took those ?
couple of immigrants beside me are sitting very nervous and tired.
after 15 to 20 mts IO called us and asked, do you have any other children apart from listed in application/COPR ?
i said "no, i have only one son who is listed in the application form. apart from that i do not have any other
children" with little bit of smile and eye to eye contact and with NO one line answer.
he asked me to sign the COPR and asked me to sign my infant COPR as well. also asked my spouse to sign her COPR.
then he greeted! "welcome to Canada, now u r permanent residence of Canada". i thanked him. he told us our pr cards
will reach with in 6 weeks to the given address and asked us to go to another section.
in another section they gave me all the Bouchers for applying SIN no, register in a hospital, new immigration
information, a 2013 year diary and child care benefit application. + one nice bag with black & blue colour.
** they told that we are eligible for child care benefits. in Ontario province if our (applicant+spouse)
income < $CAD 42k then we are eligible to claim benefits from government.
from there we stared to collect baggage. a porter was asking do you need any help. i said no thanks. i do not have
change to take a trolley. we need to insert $CAD 2.00. beside the trolleys a women was sitting and providing
the change for trolleys. i think her job is to provide change whoever does not have one. i took a trolley and
collected our baggage.
next we went to customs department in lane 1 along with baggage. no passengers were there. we were waiting to be called by customs
officer. i heard a voice "please come" but i was bit confused who called me. again officer opposite to me
called please come. i hand over disembarkation form, B4 and B4A goods to follow forms, passports and COPR to the officer.
at that time my son was crying. he asked me do you have total. i could not hear properly. i said yes. he asked me how much
is the total of all the goods. i said sorry i have not calculated total. so there were 2 answers!!!!!
he started asking more questions like what were you doing ? where did u come from ? what is u r job ? etc.etc.
he asked me is any one waiting out side. i said "no. no one is going to receive me". he asked me to fill a form.
i filled it and hand over him. he asked for proof of funds. i gave him my DD and said i have the remaining cash.
he entered on the form and calculated. in the mean while officers inside a room entered all the items & values on the form into the
system. officer stamped them and gave those to me. i handed over photographs of jewellery even he did not asked. he said that
he forgot to ask us. he scanned and took a photocopy and stamped on back side of the originals and handed me.
i was speaking friendly to him and asked few questions. he told me i will be very well organised and also said
if the item price is >$CAD 800 then we have to pay the tax unless it is not listed on the goods to follow list.
last he asked me any more questions. i said that's all. then he asked us to leave from one of exists. the time was 3:15 pm.
No one asked me to open bags or scanned bags.
almost 2 hrs after landing. we were bit slow due to infant crying.
u guys do not need to worry. landing procedures are very simple. they do not ask my documents except copr and passport.
i suggest to bring a pen with u which should be in u r pocket. there will be lot of problem in finding a pen.
i was waiting for my brother to pick us, but his flight was delayed by 5 hrs. he has to come from usa. we waited in airport
untill 6:30 pm. its a horrible situation. no sleep, tired, hungry, infant, weather, etc... food items in airport are too expensive.
we took a rental car which is $53 per day and went to the hotel. my brother's friend in Canada (as we gave address for our PR cards) is
not picking up his mobile and landline.!!!!!!!!!
weather is 3 to -6 degrees. there was a snow fall. uk weather was 8 to 11 degree centigrade.
beside hotel there is walmart which is expensive compared to uk. products are displayed without tax.
if we buy the product then they put + 13% tax and sell us. i do not know about other stores.
we went to Niagara water falls. *** be planned before driving. there are few roads which says like 407 ETR. ETR means electronic toll.
if we pass in those ways, the number plat is scanned and they send toll bills to owner of the car.
so i suggest you to take a map and point out the ways where there is not ETR roads if any one drives.
applied for a SIN which took 15 mts. while applying SIN they will ask u r mother's surname at the time of birth, which will
be the security question, if you contact service Canada in future. docx needed are landing paper and passport. SIN cards will be posted to the
given address within 10 working days.
applied a bank account.*** here be careful i went to RBC bank. he told me this bank does not charge for new comers
up to 6 months. but they will try to offer some packages which charge monthly. so plz check every thing before u apply a bank account.
i gave uk address while applying bank account in RBC.
i tried to register in health, but they said i m too early. they required address proof such as utility bill or bank statement, etc...
which i don't.
Everything was good. Canada flat address appears on ecase. Again back to uk on 4th jan. hope to leave uk within few months.
Thanks for reading patiently.
