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Landing Experience - 17th Jan 2019 - Flagpoling - Lewiston Bridge - Took just 20 mins to become a PR

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Hi All!

All the best if you are still waiting for PPR and Congratulations if you have received yours.

I received my passport on 15th January and decided to do landing by scheduling a landing interview, but by looking at the timelines it was taking approximately 2 weeks from requesting to 'schedule an interview' to the actual schedule date. So, to curtail that timing, I and my dependent decided to flagpole on 17th Jan. We drove to Lewiston Bridge (Niagara-on-the-Lakes) and reached around 2:00 PM, we reached the US bridge. The US officer asked us "What is the purpose of travel?". We said "We want to flagpole to confirm our PR for Canada". She asked us for our passports, did something on her computer and asked us to drive to another officer just 80 meters away from our car and get the flagpole document. We drove there (didn't get out of the car even once), he gave us a paper saying reason to enter - 'FLAGPOLE'. This in total took just 6-7 minutes. We took that and took a U-turn towards Canada's border. There again we were stopped at the checkpoint and the Canadian officer asked, "when did you go to US?" and took our passports. We answered, "Few minutes ago.". She asked all sorts of questions, "do you have any duty free stuff?", "any groceries?", "any alcohol or cannabis?" etc. This must be a standard procedure. To all these questions, our answer was NO. She then returned our passports with a yellow paper and asked us to park and go to Canada Immigration office just 50 meters from the checkpoint.

We went inside and there was just one guy in waiting area. We went to counter and told the officer that we are here for our landing and the officer asked for our yellow document, flagpole document and of course passports (not the COPR documents, yet) and asked us to wait. In next 2-3 minutes another officer called us and took our COPRs. He asked us to put our address and phone number and made us sign our respective COPR and asked us to wait. He called us again after a minute and congratulated us on becoming Canadian PR. Stapled our copy of COPR and gave some standard instructions about "not leaving the country" etc. He asked for our WPs and shredded them, as they were no longer valid.

This entire process, excluding the drive from Toronto to Lewiston bridge LOL, took 20 minutes max. We became PR, after such a long wait (from AOR till yesterday).

PS - We didn't have a US visa at all. :)

Hope this would be helpful for you all!

Thanks!
 
Last edited:

sergp

Full Member
Aug 12, 2017
40
33
Hi All!

All the best if you are still waiting for PPR and Congratulations if you have received yours.

I received my passport on 14th January and decided to do landing by scheduling a landing interview, but by looking at the timelines it was taking approximately 2 weeks from requesting to 'schedule an interview' to the actual schedule date. So, to curtail that timing, I and my dependent decided to flagpole on 16th Jan. We drove to Lewiston Bridge (Niagara-on-the-Lakes) and reached around 2:00 PM, we reached the US bridge. The US officer asked us "What is the purpose of travel?". We said "We want to flagpole to confirm our PR for Canada". She asked us for our passports, did something on her computer and asked us to drive to another officer just 80 meters away from our car and get the flagpole document. We drove there (didn't get out of the car even once), he gave us a paper saying reason to enter - 'FLAGPOLE'. This in total took just 6-7 minutes. We took that and took a U-turn towards Canada's border. There again we were stopped at the checkpoint and the Canadian officer asked, "when did you go to US?" and took our passports. We answered, "Few minutes ago.". She asked all sorts of questions, "do you have any duty free stuff?", "any groceries?", "any alcohol or cannabis?" etc. This must be a standard procedure. To all these questions, our answer was NO. She then returned our passports with a yellow paper and asked us to park and go to Canada Immigration office just 50 meters from the checkpoint.

We went inside and there was just one guy in waiting area. We went to counter and told the officer that we are here for our landing and the officer asked for our yellow document, flagpole document and of course passports (not the COPR documents, yet) and asked us to wait. In next 2-3 minutes another officer called us and took our COPRs. He asked us to put our address and phone number and made us sign our respective COPR and asked us to wait. He called us again after a minute and congratulated us on becoming Canadian PR. Stapled our copy of COPR and gave some standard instructions about "not leaving the country" etc. He asked for our WPs and shredded them, as they were no longer valid.

This entire process, excluding the drive from Toronto to Lewiston bridge LOL, took 20 minutes max. We became PR, after such a long wait (from AOR till yesterday).

Hope this would be helpful for you all!

Thanks!
Very informative, thanks for the information.
I was wondering if US visa is required for a flagpole. I do have US visa in my passport but my wife doesn't.
 

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Very informative, thanks for the information.
I was wondering if US visa is required for a flagpole. I do have US visa in my passport but my wife doesn't.
Hey, you don't need one. I have updated that above as well, now. Thanks for pointing that :)
 

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Small update, as I am not able to edit my initial post, I am posting here separately. I have got a couple PMs regarding the days this can be done, so here it is. You can anytime between 8AM - 12AM on Tues/Wed/Thurs.
 
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Seagull

Member
Sep 27, 2018
12
0
Small update, as I am not able to edit my initial post, I am posting here separately. I have got a couple PMs regarding the days this can be done, so here it is. You can anytime between 8AM - 12AM on Tues/Wed/Thurs.
Thanks for sharing your landing experience. My query is:-

1. Dd you inform CIC that you would be doing flagpole and asked for an appointment to schedule landing interview at border.

2. Did the yellow slip you received from US immigration mentioned that you have been refused entry into US.

Thanks
 

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Thanks for sharing your landing experience. My query is:-

1. Dd you inform CIC that you would be doing flagpole and asked for an appointment to schedule landing interview at border.

2. Did the yellow slip you received from US immigration mentioned that you have been refused entry into US.

Thanks
1. No, you can just a "walk-in" kinda thing with flagpole. So it's your free will and schedule. :)

2. No, it does not refused, it says 'withdrawn' and also "flagpole". When you tell them the purpose as CoPR, that won't count as refusal at all. :)
 
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movais

Hero Member
Sep 10, 2018
324
60
Hey! are there some times you can do this? I live in Alberta and was wondering to do this overnight? also thanks for your help :)
 

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018

anhly

Member
Oct 22, 2018
17
1
Hi All!

All the best if you are still waiting for PPR and Congratulations if you have received yours.

I received my passport on 15th January and decided to do landing by scheduling a landing interview, but by looking at the timelines it was taking approximately 2 weeks from requesting to 'schedule an interview' to the actual schedule date. So, to curtail that timing, I and my dependent decided to flagpole on 17th Jan. We drove to Lewiston Bridge (Niagara-on-the-Lakes) and reached around 2:00 PM, we reached the US bridge. The US officer asked us "What is the purpose of travel?". We said "We want to flagpole to confirm our PR for Canada". She asked us for our passports, did something on her computer and asked us to drive to another officer just 80 meters away from our car and get the flagpole document. We drove there (didn't get out of the car even once), he gave us a paper saying reason to enter - 'FLAGPOLE'. This in total took just 6-7 minutes. We took that and took a U-turn towards Canada's border. There again we were stopped at the checkpoint and the Canadian officer asked, "when did you go to US?" and took our passports. We answered, "Few minutes ago.". She asked all sorts of questions, "do you have any duty free stuff?", "any groceries?", "any alcohol or cannabis?" etc. This must be a standard procedure. To all these questions, our answer was NO. She then returned our passports with a yellow paper and asked us to park and go to Canada Immigration office just 50 meters from the checkpoint.

We went inside and there was just one guy in waiting area. We went to counter and told the officer that we are here for our landing and the officer asked for our yellow document, flagpole document and of course passports (not the COPR documents, yet) and asked us to wait. In next 2-3 minutes another officer called us and took our COPRs. He asked us to put our address and phone number and made us sign our respective COPR and asked us to wait. He called us again after a minute and congratulated us on becoming Canadian PR. Stapled our copy of COPR and gave some standard instructions about "not leaving the country" etc. He asked for our WPs and shredded them, as they were no longer valid.

This entire process, excluding the drive from Toronto to Lewiston bridge LOL, took 20 minutes max. We became PR, after such a long wait (from AOR till yesterday).

PS - We didn't have a US visa at all. :)

Hope this would be helpful for you all!

Thanks!
Thank you so much, I have question: is there any other documents such as bank statemen required a long with COPR, passport and yellow slip at the Canadian landing office?
 

myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Thank you so much, I have question: is there any other documents such as bank statemen required a long with COPR, passport and yellow slip at the Canadian landing office?
You will only have to take your passport and CoPR and if you are on WP then that as well. You’ll get the yellow slip at the Canada Entry checkpoint. :)
 
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2018cecsep

Star Member
Nov 30, 2018
93
31
Thanks for you information. Can I ask how long did it take for IRCC to send back your passport? I sent mine on Feb 2.
I planned on back to my country, and then flay back to Canada, land at airport. Can I do that?
 
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myra20sharma

Champion Member
Oct 5, 2018
1,952
632
Category........
CEC
Visa Office......
Nova Scotia
AOR Received.
30-05-2018
Thanks for you information. Can I ask how long did it take for IRCC to send back your passport? I sent mine on Feb 2.
I planned on back to my country, and then flay back to Canada, land at airport. Can I do that?
You sure can do landing like this, once you get your passport and CoPR back.

It takes around 7-10 days usually to get it processed. So, next week you'll have your passport. :)