CPR Received! Now how to go about the border crossing thing

[Yoonglai]

I applied as a sponsor for my Thai wife from Laos on June 27, and we received the COPR today in Saint John, New Brunswick. She is here on a TRV at the moment and apparently we are required to proceed to a Canadian Port of Entry for her to obtain her Canadian Permanent Resident status. So if we cross by car at the border, does she have to do anything on the American side? If so, what? Then what? Is there an interview there, or do they turn us around back to Canada and is there an interview there?

Please advise since I would hate to have to return to do it again in case we forget anything. Documents required: passports, COPR...anything else? Rental agreement of our apartment?

Thanks in advance..this is great news..five and a half months from start to finish!

 

[Rob_TO]

Re: COPR Received! Now how to go about the border crossing thing

I applied as a sponsor for my Thai wife from Laos on June 27, and we received the COPR today in Saint John, New Brunswick. She is here on a TRV at the moment and apparently we are required to proceed to a Canadian Port of Entry for her to obtain her Canadian Permanent Resident status. So if we cross by car at the border, does she have to do anything on the American side? If so, what? Then what? Is there an interview there, or do they turn us around back to Canada and is there an interview there?

Please advise since I would hate to have to return to do it again in case we forget anything. Documents required: passports, COPR...anything else? Rental agreement of our apartment?

You first need to drive through to the US side. There you will tell the US border officer that you are doing a flagpole PR landing, and want to return to the Canadian side. If your wife is not admissible to the US, she will get what's called an "administrative denied entry" to the US in the form of a piece of paper. Or if she is admissable but just needs a US visitor permit, you may be asked to get one of these at the US border office on the spot. Either way you will then go back to the Canadian side. You show the paper the US people gave you to the Canada people... and they can proceed with your landing.

All you need is passport, COPR, and your B4 import forms only if she will have any goods being imported later. They will just ask what address you want the PR card sent to, you don't need proof of address.

 

[Yoonglai]

Sounds fairly straightforward....thanks a lot! It took five months from the time I sent my sponsor application till today when we received the COPR. I think that is fast by any account, and just a word of advice that has been stated many times....be meticulous with your paperwork! Check and quadruple check it..plan ahead as it can take up to two years depending on your circumstances.

 

[Yoonglai]

Can my wife apply for work and make money now? We will do the flagpole thing on Friday, but I heard that you still have to wait some time for a PR card...is her CPR adequate to show an employer while she waits for the card now?

 

[Rob_TO]

Can my wife apply for work and make money now? We will do the flagpole thing on Friday, but I heard that you still have to wait some time for a PR card...is her CPR adequate to show an employer while she waits for the card now?

You can apply for work but you can't start working until you have a valid SIN number.

After you "land" the officer will fill in the info including the landing date on your COPR, which you can then immediately take to the nearest govt office to get your SIN number on the spot. You don't need to wait for actual PR card to apply, just landing is good enough.