Hi All,
I thought I would share my experience on landing as a PR last week to Canada by road and return back to US using AVR. I am on H1b visa, my wife in H4 and my kid is a US citizen. The visa in our passport for both of us was expired and had a valid I-94 in our I-797. I decided to land in Canada via road, flown to Buffalo and rented a car and drove to Niagara Falls on Saturday and took sometime to see the falls from US side even though I have seen it earlier.
Then drove my car through Rainbow bridge in the evening around 6pm and waited in the line for 20mins approx and handed my passport to the lady in the counter and she asked usual questions like where you live, r u landing permanently, etc. Then she saw that I dont have a valid visa to go back US and asked about that, I told her that I have valid papers to enter US. Then she asked why you didnt plan for permanent landing, I told her that I have some medical issue for my kid and will come after couple of months.
She asked me have you filed GC in US and I told yes ???, now starts my bad time. She started asking questions like why you are doing GC in US when you have PR in Canada and you cannot have status in 2 countries, blah, blah. I told her US GC is filed by my employer and I dont have any hold on that but Canada PR was done by me, then she asked why I didnt cancel my Canada PR or US GC. I told her that my attorney said he cant do anything in Canada PR as it was in the final stage and US GC is not in my control. Then she asked me where am I going to stay permanently, I told since I have Canada PR I will move to Canada in couple of months. Then she told she will notify US that I have opted Canada as my residency and US should cancel my processing :'( :'( :'(. I was
but didn't show any signs of that in my face and said no problem 8) 8).
I really dont know if Canadian CIC can do that? Anyone have any idea on that?
Then she asked me to park the car and go inside the building with the yellow slip where she did write that I have already filed my GC in US and make sure when I am gonna permanently move to Canada. The lines were not properly arranged, so I stood in one line and when I went to the officer she told go to the next counter for landing immigrants.
This time it was a guy, he simply asked my yellow slip and then asked to give my documents, he didnt mention what he want to see. Then I gave all passport, COPR and he asked for proof of funds for which I gave him the notorized bank letter. Then he asked to wait, so we sat in the chairs there.
In the next counter another girl was harassing another Indian guy, I dont know exactly why but I guess he told some story/lei I guess but one thing I noted in this center is no a**h***e officers even smiled at us, welcome or even at any one when I was there for the whole time. I was so suprised as I studied in other experience that they greet you so well when you land as immigrant.
Anyway after 15-20mins this called me and and gave my papers back and asked to sign the docs, stapled them in our passport and started telling I should be there atleast 2 yrs to have the status and if I intend to stay in US I should notify CIC or they will file a case against me, etc, etc. I didnt even give a s**t to his talks. the he asked me to go to another counter to do the goods to follow list. I asked him about my address in Canada to get my PR card but he told I will get one when I permanently move to Canada. I didnt bother as many in this forum had the same experience and you can get the card by updating your address online.
Again the same confusion which line? so I approached a officer and he asked me to stand in a line. This time its a lady again, she started asking the details like make & models of my cell phone and some other details. Then she got some doubt on something and she told me that she will check with some immigration officer and she was waiting for someone, my bad luck the a** who I met at the gate was there and she came to the counter and gave her some guidance and looked at us and said hey guys and the way she looked is very mean. Then when she was about to complete I forgot to include my wife gold so when I asked her to include that then again she asked help to this first one and she told nothing can bve done now as it was already stamped. I told thats ok and started walking out of the building and went to my hotel roamed around in Niagara for 2 days and started driving on Tuesday back to US.
This time I thought I will use Peace bridge as many of them was saying it was easy to come back through that bridge. I drove my car to the officer and handed all my docs, again my bad time starts now. She saw that my wife I-94 was expired in 2010 and mine sometime early in 2011 but the I-797 I gave was only from last August, so she asked me to give proof from my visa expired date until to the start date in I-797. Since I didnt had that in my hand, I told her it was in the back of my trunk and I can take that out and show her but she denied to let me out of the car and told that she is gonna let me to go to the immigration building and they will check and let me know.
So I pulled my car to the building and took the I-797 and went inside the building thinking its gonna take 10-15mins but when I entrered there was atleast 15-20 people waiting and only few counters were active. All the guys inside keep walking and talking and browsing their cell phone. Here also they were harassing lot of of people. Already I was late to catch my flight and I dont know what is gonna happen here, so I was waiting, waiting and waiting....
I was called after close to an hour and asked where was I before Canada and US so I said India and same question to my wife and then he checked something in the syatem and told to keep the I-94 from the I-797 in my passport so that no one will give me a problem next time and let us go.
I ran out fast, drove my car to airport and came home. What I would suggest is keep all you documents handy dont put them in the trunk while you go to Canada or come back. US side security is too much but Canada side is OK. Also dont ever say that you have processed GC in US if are doing one. I also applied for my SIN in Niagara office, I didnt had any problem there though. Overall I think my experience is was not that bad as atleast i could land and come back to US.
Hope this helps some of you who may plan to land from US by road and come back using AVR.
Thanks guys and All the very best for all other future immigrants. email me if you guys have any doubt, I may not reply immediately but I will do whenever I check my email.
Cheers!
I thought I would share my experience on landing as a PR last week to Canada by road and return back to US using AVR. I am on H1b visa, my wife in H4 and my kid is a US citizen. The visa in our passport for both of us was expired and had a valid I-94 in our I-797. I decided to land in Canada via road, flown to Buffalo and rented a car and drove to Niagara Falls on Saturday and took sometime to see the falls from US side even though I have seen it earlier.
Then drove my car through Rainbow bridge in the evening around 6pm and waited in the line for 20mins approx and handed my passport to the lady in the counter and she asked usual questions like where you live, r u landing permanently, etc. Then she saw that I dont have a valid visa to go back US and asked about that, I told her that I have valid papers to enter US. Then she asked why you didnt plan for permanent landing, I told her that I have some medical issue for my kid and will come after couple of months.
She asked me have you filed GC in US and I told yes ???, now starts my bad time. She started asking questions like why you are doing GC in US when you have PR in Canada and you cannot have status in 2 countries, blah, blah. I told her US GC is filed by my employer and I dont have any hold on that but Canada PR was done by me, then she asked why I didnt cancel my Canada PR or US GC. I told her that my attorney said he cant do anything in Canada PR as it was in the final stage and US GC is not in my control. Then she asked me where am I going to stay permanently, I told since I have Canada PR I will move to Canada in couple of months. Then she told she will notify US that I have opted Canada as my residency and US should cancel my processing :'( :'( :'(. I was
but didn't show any signs of that in my face and said no problem 8) 8).I really dont know if Canadian CIC can do that? Anyone have any idea on that?
Then she asked me to park the car and go inside the building with the yellow slip where she did write that I have already filed my GC in US and make sure when I am gonna permanently move to Canada. The lines were not properly arranged, so I stood in one line and when I went to the officer she told go to the next counter for landing immigrants.
This time it was a guy, he simply asked my yellow slip and then asked to give my documents, he didnt mention what he want to see. Then I gave all passport, COPR and he asked for proof of funds for which I gave him the notorized bank letter. Then he asked to wait, so we sat in the chairs there.
In the next counter another girl was harassing another Indian guy, I dont know exactly why but I guess he told some story/lei I guess but one thing I noted in this center is no a**h***e officers even smiled at us, welcome or even at any one when I was there for the whole time. I was so suprised as I studied in other experience that they greet you so well when you land as immigrant.
Anyway after 15-20mins this called me and and gave my papers back and asked to sign the docs, stapled them in our passport and started telling I should be there atleast 2 yrs to have the status and if I intend to stay in US I should notify CIC or they will file a case against me, etc, etc. I didnt even give a s**t to his talks. the he asked me to go to another counter to do the goods to follow list. I asked him about my address in Canada to get my PR card but he told I will get one when I permanently move to Canada. I didnt bother as many in this forum had the same experience and you can get the card by updating your address online.
Again the same confusion which line? so I approached a officer and he asked me to stand in a line. This time its a lady again, she started asking the details like make & models of my cell phone and some other details. Then she got some doubt on something and she told me that she will check with some immigration officer and she was waiting for someone, my bad luck the a** who I met at the gate was there and she came to the counter and gave her some guidance and looked at us and said hey guys and the way she looked is very mean. Then when she was about to complete I forgot to include my wife gold so when I asked her to include that then again she asked help to this first one and she told nothing can bve done now as it was already stamped. I told thats ok and started walking out of the building and went to my hotel roamed around in Niagara for 2 days and started driving on Tuesday back to US.
This time I thought I will use Peace bridge as many of them was saying it was easy to come back through that bridge. I drove my car to the officer and handed all my docs, again my bad time starts now. She saw that my wife I-94 was expired in 2010 and mine sometime early in 2011 but the I-797 I gave was only from last August, so she asked me to give proof from my visa expired date until to the start date in I-797. Since I didnt had that in my hand, I told her it was in the back of my trunk and I can take that out and show her but she denied to let me out of the car and told that she is gonna let me to go to the immigration building and they will check and let me know.
So I pulled my car to the building and took the I-797 and went inside the building thinking its gonna take 10-15mins but when I entrered there was atleast 15-20 people waiting and only few counters were active. All the guys inside keep walking and talking and browsing their cell phone. Here also they were harassing lot of of people. Already I was late to catch my flight and I dont know what is gonna happen here, so I was waiting, waiting and waiting....
I was called after close to an hour and asked where was I before Canada and US so I said India and same question to my wife and then he checked something in the syatem and told to keep the I-94 from the I-797 in my passport so that no one will give me a problem next time and let us go.
I ran out fast, drove my car to airport and came home. What I would suggest is keep all you documents handy dont put them in the trunk while you go to Canada or come back. US side security is too much but Canada side is OK. Also dont ever say that you have processed GC in US if are doing one. I also applied for my SIN in Niagara office, I didnt had any problem there though. Overall I think my experience is was not that bad as atleast i could land and come back to US.
Hope this helps some of you who may plan to land from US by road and come back using AVR.
Thanks guys and All the very best for all other future immigrants. email me if you guys have any doubt, I may not reply immediately but I will do whenever I check my email.
Cheers!
