Hey guys,
I'm on an H-1B in the US and I performed a soft landing at Lewiston–Queenston yesterday.
Here's my experience...
Act1, scene 1: Crossed the border at around 6am and it was virtually deserted.
Guy at the booth: "Good morning, what are you here for?"
Me: "Morning, here to land"
GATB takes my passport and peers into my empty car
GATB: "How long will you be in Canada for?"
Me: "Not too long - I'll activate my PR now since the visa expires in a month and will move 2-3 months after that"
GATB: “So you’ll go back today? Why not move now?"
Me: "Contract at work is for 3 more months, will end it and then move"
GATB: "Ok, makes sense. Is this your car? Are you importing it now?"
Me: "No, this is a lease, I'll be leaving it in the US"
GATB: "So you have goods to follow?"
Me: "Yes"
GATB takes a piece of yellow paper, writes "Landing, Goods To Follow" in it, sticks it in my passport and returns it to me
GATB: "Ok, cool - pull up to the building and someone will take care of you"
--
Act1, scene 2: I pull up to the building, a CBSA officer comes out...
CBSA1: "Good morning - how can we help you today?"
Me: "Hi, I'm here to land"
CBSA1: "Ok so we'll need your documents and you'll also need a form that lists out the possessions you plan on bringing in"
Me: "Yup I've got that form filled up"
CBSA1: "You know, you're the first person in a long time who's arrived with the form filled. Most people just get their CoPRs and rush to land, good work!"
Me: (in my mind: "hells yeah")
CBSA1 (sees my cup of piping hot coffee in the car): "So come on in, bring your coffee and your phone, we won't keep you too long”
--
Act2, scene 1: I haul my coffee and phone and documents into the building and a different CBSA officer waves me over
CBSA2: "Good morning, how are ya?"
Me: "Good morning, doing well. I'm here to land"
CBSA2: “Alrighty, let’s see your documents”
Me: (slides over passport and CoPR)
CBSA2: "How much money do you have access to?"
Me: (Handed over a printout of my bank statement I printed off of the website)
CBSA2: “Ok so you’re on an H-1B in the US, when do you anticipate moving?”
Me: “Within 3 months at the most, that’s when my contract is up”
CBSA2: “And what do you work as?”
Me: “IT guy”
CBSA2: (types furiously into computer, stamps my passport and scribbles something on the stamp, strikes off the temp visa)
CBSA2: (Handing the CoPR docs to me) “Sign here, initial here, sign there, initial there”
Me: (signs and initials here and there)
CBSA2: “Ok you’re now a PR, you’re all set”
Me: “Ok nice, but how about my GTF form?”
CBSA2: “Well you’re not moving right now, you can submit that form when you actually come to establish residency”
Me: “Err ok. Can I give a friend’s address to have the PR cards sent to?”
CBSA2: “You're not moving to Canada right now, once you've established that you're moving here for good and you have an address of your own, mention that when you land and we’ll process the PR cards. You need to be in Canada for at least 2 yrs in any 5 yr period and you only need the CoPR to cross the border by land. If you’re going to be flying, you’ll need a visa.”
Me: (in my mind: sigh…)
CBSA2: (looks at my awesome GTF forms and radios someone to take it over)
--
Act2: scene2: Two CBSA officers take my GTF forms and process them
CBSA3/4: “All done sir, have a good day”
Me (in a last ditched attempt): “So will the PR card be sent to the address on file?”
CBSA3: “That’s not us, sir, that’s done by immigration. We just handle customs”
Me: (in my mind: sigh…) “Aite, thanks, have a great day”
--
I headed back to the US and reached my hotel by 7am.
It was a pleasant experience; the officers were warm, helpful and friendly.
I'm not sure about the PR card business though. So what happens now - should I drive up with a U-Haul to give the impression that I’m actually moving to Canada?
I'm on an H-1B in the US and I performed a soft landing at Lewiston–Queenston yesterday.
Here's my experience...
Act1, scene 1: Crossed the border at around 6am and it was virtually deserted.
Guy at the booth: "Good morning, what are you here for?"
Me: "Morning, here to land"
GATB takes my passport and peers into my empty car
GATB: "How long will you be in Canada for?"
Me: "Not too long - I'll activate my PR now since the visa expires in a month and will move 2-3 months after that"
GATB: “So you’ll go back today? Why not move now?"
Me: "Contract at work is for 3 more months, will end it and then move"
GATB: "Ok, makes sense. Is this your car? Are you importing it now?"
Me: "No, this is a lease, I'll be leaving it in the US"
GATB: "So you have goods to follow?"
Me: "Yes"
GATB takes a piece of yellow paper, writes "Landing, Goods To Follow" in it, sticks it in my passport and returns it to me
GATB: "Ok, cool - pull up to the building and someone will take care of you"
--
Act1, scene 2: I pull up to the building, a CBSA officer comes out...
CBSA1: "Good morning - how can we help you today?"
Me: "Hi, I'm here to land"
CBSA1: "Ok so we'll need your documents and you'll also need a form that lists out the possessions you plan on bringing in"
Me: "Yup I've got that form filled up"
CBSA1: "You know, you're the first person in a long time who's arrived with the form filled. Most people just get their CoPRs and rush to land, good work!"
Me: (in my mind: "hells yeah")
CBSA1 (sees my cup of piping hot coffee in the car): "So come on in, bring your coffee and your phone, we won't keep you too long”
--
Act2, scene 1: I haul my coffee and phone and documents into the building and a different CBSA officer waves me over
CBSA2: "Good morning, how are ya?"
Me: "Good morning, doing well. I'm here to land"
CBSA2: “Alrighty, let’s see your documents”
Me: (slides over passport and CoPR)
CBSA2: "How much money do you have access to?"
Me: (Handed over a printout of my bank statement I printed off of the website)
CBSA2: “Ok so you’re on an H-1B in the US, when do you anticipate moving?”
Me: “Within 3 months at the most, that’s when my contract is up”
CBSA2: “And what do you work as?”
Me: “IT guy”
CBSA2: (types furiously into computer, stamps my passport and scribbles something on the stamp, strikes off the temp visa)
CBSA2: (Handing the CoPR docs to me) “Sign here, initial here, sign there, initial there”
Me: (signs and initials here and there)
CBSA2: “Ok you’re now a PR, you’re all set”
Me: “Ok nice, but how about my GTF form?”
CBSA2: “Well you’re not moving right now, you can submit that form when you actually come to establish residency”
Me: “Err ok. Can I give a friend’s address to have the PR cards sent to?”
CBSA2: “You're not moving to Canada right now, once you've established that you're moving here for good and you have an address of your own, mention that when you land and we’ll process the PR cards. You need to be in Canada for at least 2 yrs in any 5 yr period and you only need the CoPR to cross the border by land. If you’re going to be flying, you’ll need a visa.”
Me: (in my mind: sigh…)
CBSA2: (looks at my awesome GTF forms and radios someone to take it over)
--
Act2: scene2: Two CBSA officers take my GTF forms and process them
CBSA3/4: “All done sir, have a good day”
Me (in a last ditched attempt): “So will the PR card be sent to the address on file?”
CBSA3: “That’s not us, sir, that’s done by immigration. We just handle customs”
Me: (in my mind: sigh…) “Aite, thanks, have a great day”
--
I headed back to the US and reached my hotel by 7am.
It was a pleasant experience; the officers were warm, helpful and friendly.
I'm not sure about the PR card business though. So what happens now - should I drive up with a U-Haul to give the impression that I’m actually moving to Canada?
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