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Experience when returning to Canada after soft landing

bluecloud789

Newbie
Jul 20, 2018
7
1
Hi guys,
Did any of you have a soft landing, return to your home country and then back to Canada to settle after a few months (with valid PR card) ? Could you share your "2nd landing" experience? for example: were you asked any specific question at the airport? Is there anything in particular that I need to be aware of?
In my soft landing, the border agent didn't ask me for the bsf186, do I need to prepare this form again when returning to Canada?
Many thanks!
 

zardoz

VIP Member
Feb 2, 2013
13,304
2,166
Canada
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
16-02-2013
VISA ISSUED...
31-07-2013
LANDED..........
09-11-2013
Hi guys,
Did any of you have a soft landing, return to your home country and then back to Canada to settle after a few months (with valid PR card) ? Could you share your "2nd landing" experience? for example: were you asked any specific question at the airport? Is there anything in particular that I need to be aware of?
In my soft landing, the border agent didn't ask me for the bsf186, do I need to prepare this form again when returning to Canada?
Many thanks!
Yes, you submit your BSF186 / BSF186A forms when you arrive for the first time that you intend to remain to settle for at least one year.
There is no legal time limit on becoming a settler after the soft landing. You must request to go through Customs to get them processed.
 

Hurlabrick

Champion Member
Sep 4, 2016
2,358
575
Ottawa, ON
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
23-06-2016
AOR Received.
12-07-2016
File Transfer...
23-08-2016
Med's Done....
08-06-2016
Passport Req..
21-12-2016
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2016
LANDED..........
11-04-2017
Hi guys,
Did any of you have a soft landing, return to your home country and then back to Canada to settle after a few months (with valid PR card) ? Could you share your "2nd landing" experience? for example: were you asked any specific question at the airport? Is there anything in particular that I need to be aware of?
In my soft landing, the border agent didn't ask me for the bsf186, do I need to prepare this form again when returning to Canada?
Many thanks!
I too did this with my wife's PR. Nothing special on the second landing at all. We did our 'goods' forms on the soft landing, but if you haven't done these yet, then do them on the landing where you are settling for good. Just mention it to the CBSA guys and they will direct you to secondary processing
 

Hurlabrick

Champion Member
Sep 4, 2016
2,358
575
Ottawa, ON
Visa Office......
London
App. Filed.......
23-06-2016
AOR Received.
12-07-2016
File Transfer...
23-08-2016
Med's Done....
08-06-2016
Passport Req..
21-12-2016
VISA ISSUED...
24-12-2016
LANDED..........
11-04-2017
Worth mentioning that once you have a PR Card, when you arrive at a Canadian airport from an international flight, most airports now have those annoying 'customs kiosks' where you fill in your declaration. Note that it is the PR Card that you scan and NOT your passport.
 

bluecloud789

Newbie
Jul 20, 2018
7
1
Worth mentioning that once you have a PR Card, when you arrive at a Canadian airport from an international flight, most airports now have those annoying 'customs kiosks' where you fill in your declaration. Note that it is the PR Card that you scan and NOT your passport.
Many thanks for your advice :)
 

pxlxyp

Star Member
Oct 15, 2018
82
21
I did this today but the officer said (at secondary processing) that because I soft landed almost 2 years ago, I can no longer provide the BSF186 form as a settler. I didn't understand it as I told him I was overseas doing my Masters when i got my PR and I'm entering as a settler only today. I'm really worried as I have alot of boxes of personal items coming and worried that I will have to pay taxes for them.
 

subodhp

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2019
944
183
Toronto
I did this today but the officer said (at secondary processing) that because I soft landed almost 2 years ago, I can no longer provide the BSF186 form as a settler. I didn't understand it as I told him I was overseas doing my Masters when i got my PR and I'm entering as a settler only today. I'm really worried as I have alot of boxes of personal items coming and worried that I will have to pay taxes for them.
There are several such cases reported of officers unaware of settler definition. Your best recourse is to ask for it to be escalated to a senior officer/supervisor.

You do have to show proof that you stayed outside of Canada in those 2 years.
 

pxlxyp

Star Member
Oct 15, 2018
82
21
There are several such cases reported of officers unaware of settler definition. Your best recourse is to ask for it to be escalated to a senior officer/supervisor.

You do have to show proof that you stayed outside of Canada in those 2 years.
Hi subodhp - many thanks for this! It was surprising that not one but 2-3 of them had no idea and kept telling me the same thing. So I plan to go back to the airport CBSA office to inform them of this and bring my forms with me. Can you advise what to do after I get the papers stamped? My boxes are due to arrive next week.

Thanks so much!
 

subodhp

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2019
944
183
Toronto
Hi subodhp - many thanks for this! It was surprising that not one but 2-3 of them had no idea and kept telling me the same thing. So I plan to go back to the airport CBSA office to inform them of this and bring my forms with me. Can you advise what to do after I get the papers stamped? My boxes are due to arrive next week.

Thanks so much!
Follow suggestion from https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/moving-furniture-into-canada.654561/#post-8178485

Do update here on what happened