YVR Landing as PR without meeting Residency Obligation 730 days

[labataille16]

I didn't travel. I decided to stay in India and let go of Canada

All the best wishes to you and your family!

 

[ddtofe]

I didn't travel. I decided to stay in India and let go of Canada

that must be a tough choice to make. Could you share how did you arrive at that decision and what factors you weighed while deciding so? Wish you the best

 

[NNB18]

First up: you seem to think that you are not at risk for being reported based on your recollection of how the process at YVR works. I'm telling you this is not the case.

There absolutely is a chance that you will be reported due to your non-compliance with the RO. It is true we get reports that people manage to enter Canada via air successfully despite not being in compliance, but other people also get reported. The chances are impossible to quantify because there simply is no data.

I strongly recommend you are prepared and expect that you will be sent to secondary inspection, and are able to concisely present your reasons for not being in compliance. It may very well not happen, but it absolutely could.

As for the process at YVR:

• The kiosk prints out a ticket. You will notice it has codes on it. This code likely tells the offer at a glance whether they need to send you to secondary inspection for immigration, or later for customs purposes
• When you leave the immigration area, before bag collection, an officer will look at your ticket (and specifically the codes printed on it) and make a decision whether or not to send you to secondary inspection for immigration. It is at this stage that you may get into trouble for not meeting RO. The officer may ask you questions if the code warrants it.
• After this steps, you hold onto your ticket, collect your checked bags and then you finally hand the ticket to another officer before you exit the customs area. The officers may only briefly glance at the ticket, but they can also send you to secondary inspection for customs purposes, i.e. for anything you carry in your baggage or on your person. It would be unusual for your RO to be questioned during such a secondary inspection, but it is possible.

In other words, your memory of how the process works is incomplete, and you can definitely be sent to secondary, with the risk of being reported.

"It is true we get reports that people manage to enter Canada via air successfully despite not being in compliance, but other people also get reported."
Hi, is the success chance to not get reported higher via air / land ?

 

[steaky]

Hi, is the success chance to not get reported higher via air / land ?

Nobody knows.

 

[Besram]

"It is true we get reports that people manage to enter Canada via air successfully despite not being in compliance, but other people also get reported."
Hi, is the success chance to not get reported higher via air / land ?

It depends on many factors & more on your personal situation, rather than which border you cross.

You should note though that most people arriving from outside North America would usually travel by air. It's uncommon for someone to travel to the US & then cross the border by land. Permanent residents who don't have a valid PR card anymore, but can travel to the US, often choose the land border crossing out of necessity. The reason is that they cannot get on a plane (or any other commercial transport) without a valid PR card.

I assume this is not you, because your question implies you have a choice. Personally, I would go the air route. Not because the likelihood of being reported is lower (again, we can't say), but because it's less hassle. There is also a small choice that going the land route is seen as uncommon after having been away for a long time, which may lead to further questioning. But this is just a possibility.

 

[NNB18]

It depends on many factors & more on your personal situation, rather than which border you cross.

You should note though that most people arriving from outside North America would usually travel by air. It's uncommon for someone to travel to the US & then cross the border by land. Permanent residents who don't have a valid PR card anymore, but can travel to the US, often choose the land border crossing out of necessity. The reason is that they cannot get on a plane (or any other commercial transport) without a valid PR card.

I assume this is not you, because your question implies you have a choice. Personally, I would go the air route. Not because the likelihood of being reported is lower (again, we can't say), but because it's less hassle. There is also a small choice that going the land route is seen as uncommon after having been away for a long time, which may lead to further questioning. But this is just a possibility.

It depends on many factors & more on your personal situation, rather than which border you cross.

You should note though that most people arriving from outside North America would usually travel by air. It's uncommon for someone to travel to the US & then cross the border by land. Permanent residents who don't have a valid PR card anymore, but can travel to the US, often choose the land border crossing out of necessity. The reason is that they cannot get on a plane (or any other commercial transport) without a valid PR card.

I assume this is not you, because your question implies you have a choice. Personally, I would go the air route. Not because the likelihood of being reported is lower (again, we can't say), but because it's less hassle. There is also a small choice that going the land route is seen as uncommon after having been away for a long time, which may lead to further questioning. But this is just a possibility.

Yes I still have slightly over 1yr left on my PR card. Only other reason I thought of land entry is so that I can drive/bring my car into Canada from US. If I take air, then I will have to ship my car. Either ways I will prepare my docs for H&C consideration and hope everything goes well.

 

[Besram]

Yes I still have slightly over 1yr left on my PR card. Only other reason I thought of land entry is so that I can drive/bring my car into Canada from US. If I take air, then I will have to ship my car. Either ways I will prepare my docs for H&C consideration and hope everything goes well.

This is exactly what I meant by "it depends on your situation". Importing a US-plated car that you own when you cross the border is a pretty strong indication that you have not been living in Canada, and may very well invite questions about your compliance with the residency obligation.

 

[NNB18]

This is exactly what I meant by "it depends on your situation". Importing a US-plated car that you own when you cross the border is a pretty strong indication that you have not been living in Canada, and may very well invite questions about your compliance with the residency obligation.

Oh i see! Then maybe it’s best I enter by air and later ship my car. Or sell my car
So I will just bring one 25kg bag with me and land by air. Later ship any other stuff/car from US as needed to possibly prevent a questioning.

 

[abff08f4813c]

It depends on many factors & more on your personal situation, rather than which border you cross.

Agreed.

Personally, I would go the air route. Not because the likelihood of being reported is lower (again, we can't say), but because it's less hassle. There is also a small choice that going the land route is seen as uncommon after having been away for a long time, which may lead to further questioning. But this is just a possibility.

So (while I do agree with going the air route) actually at least one of the senior members of this forum, armoured, has been tracking this (at least on and off).

In his own words,

There is a case of those PRs who can fly even if no valid PR card: US citizen-PRs. For them the likelihood of being reported at airport is comparable to land border, as far as I'm aware.

In context - he was talking about folks who no longer had valid PR cards due to the cards expiring. But I think his report is applicable to OP's situation as well - since OP does still have a valid PR card, OP can fly, and the worry would come at meeting customs at the airport after the airplane lands, rather than trying to board the airplane. So I take "is comparable" to mean that the odds are roughly the same, more or less, give or take some, regardless of which type of cross is made.

See https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-i...nsiderations-is-rejected.871032/post-11059579

 

[NNB18]

Agreed.

So (while I do agree with going the air route) actually at least one of the senior members of this forum, armoured, has been tracking this (at least on and off).

In his own words,


In context - he was talking about folks who no longer had valid PR cards due to the cards expiring. But I think his report is applicable to OP's situation as well - since OP does still have a valid PR card, OP can fly, and the worry would come at meeting customs at the airport after the airplane lands, rather than trying to board the airplane. So I take "is comparable" to mean that the odds are roughly the same, more or less, give or take some, regardless of which type of cross is made.

See https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-i...nsiderations-is-rejected.871032/post-11059579

Thanks! For now I plan to fly by air next month, with possible H&C docs. Will see how it goes.

 

[abff08f4813c]

Thanks! For now I plan to fly by air next month, with possible H&C docs. Will see how it goes.

Best of luck! Let us know how it goes.

 

[armoured]

In context - he was talking about folks who no longer had valid PR cards due to the cards expiring. But I think his report is applicable to OP's situation as well - since OP does still have a valid PR card, OP can fly, and the worry would come at meeting customs at the airport after the airplane lands, rather than trying to board the airplane. So I take "is comparable" to mean that the odds are roughly the same, more or less, give or take some, regardless of which type of cross is made.

I got lost in that sentence somewhere.

At any rate:I have no opinion / no info on the likelihood or differences between flying or land entry for the PR-with-valid-PR-card (out of compliance) case at all.

I could speculate on reasons why it might be different, but I don't think that's very helpful without at least some reports or some input beyond what we have here. And in both cases, whatever differences might exist might be minor in comparison to just ... luck.

That said: I think this discussion and worry is overstated compared to the most simple advice possible: i) arriving to Canada sooner is better than later; ii) having some answer as to why one was delayed (and hence some argument for leniency), even weak reasons, is better than none; iii) whatever other arguments / points in good faith one can make (ready to settle/have a job/family members in Canada) are like point ii, better than nothing; but most of all -
- overall, those with valid PR cards in their first five years have decent chances of getting leniency or waved through with not much more than a warning. (But the chances of this good outcome decline the closer one is to being at the end of the PR card's validity/end of first five year period as a PR and, perhaps most critically, the more one is out of compliance.)

Best advice to most (I think): dither about details like which way to return to Canada less - prioritize getting to Canada sooner instead - there are too many cases here of people asking again and again while they get further and further out of compliance. Coming sooner means you'll be less out of compliance. Excessive worrying about other factors - if they result in more delays - probalby hurts more than it helps.