Hi folks,
I thought I would share my experience of validating my COPR at the Niagara Falls border a couple of weeks ago.
My wife and I applied for PR through FSW and after all the usual hoops, we received our COPR in March. However, we were already in Toronto on a separate visa by the time we got the COPR. There was no way we could afford flight tickets to leave Canada and get back, nor could we wait 2 months for an appointment with IRCC in Toronto. So we decided to try flagpoling at the US border at Niagara Falls.
We took a bus (Safeway Travels) from near our house in Toronto. The bus ride costs CAD 30,(both ways) and they only accept cash. They have an arrangement with the FallsView casino and if you decide to become a member (for free) you can get this bus ride at just 10 dollars.
The bus dropped us off at the casino and having spent some time there, we arrived at the rainbow bridge by around 2PM. As it was a thursday afternoon, it was really not that crowded and we found the walkway and exited Canada with no questions asked. Here you should remember to carry some change to feed into the turnstile. Its 1 dollar per person. However, there is a change vending machine right beside the turnstile.
We got out and encountered a very smart man who attempted to just walk back into Canada without the rejection letter from the US. He was promptly sent away.
We walked to the US side of the bridge and waited just a couple of minutes while the officer there issued our denial letter. Be polite to the officers always.
We then walked back with our passports and the yellow sheet of paper and presented ourselves to the Canadian border official. He took a quick look at our passports and then directed us to the blue door of the building beside the bridge. Here, we gave the officers our passports and we were asked to wait. This is an airy, spacious waiting area with fantastic views of the falls. After about half an hour of waiting, one of the officers called us over and asked a few questions about where we're from and what we plan to do in Canada.
We were then asked to sign two copies of the COPR forms we had got and stapled one to our passports after she signed it herself.
Just like that, we became valid permanent residents of Canada.
The buses back to toronto start at 6PM and we were home by 8:30PM.
I have used information from these forums, and I hoped to give something back with this account of our experience. Please let me know in the replies if you have any specific questions about flagpoling on foot, I will try and answer them for you.
I thought I would share my experience of validating my COPR at the Niagara Falls border a couple of weeks ago.
My wife and I applied for PR through FSW and after all the usual hoops, we received our COPR in March. However, we were already in Toronto on a separate visa by the time we got the COPR. There was no way we could afford flight tickets to leave Canada and get back, nor could we wait 2 months for an appointment with IRCC in Toronto. So we decided to try flagpoling at the US border at Niagara Falls.
We took a bus (Safeway Travels) from near our house in Toronto. The bus ride costs CAD 30,(both ways) and they only accept cash. They have an arrangement with the FallsView casino and if you decide to become a member (for free) you can get this bus ride at just 10 dollars.
The bus dropped us off at the casino and having spent some time there, we arrived at the rainbow bridge by around 2PM. As it was a thursday afternoon, it was really not that crowded and we found the walkway and exited Canada with no questions asked. Here you should remember to carry some change to feed into the turnstile. Its 1 dollar per person. However, there is a change vending machine right beside the turnstile.
We got out and encountered a very smart man who attempted to just walk back into Canada without the rejection letter from the US. He was promptly sent away.
We walked to the US side of the bridge and waited just a couple of minutes while the officer there issued our denial letter. Be polite to the officers always.
We then walked back with our passports and the yellow sheet of paper and presented ourselves to the Canadian border official. He took a quick look at our passports and then directed us to the blue door of the building beside the bridge. Here, we gave the officers our passports and we were asked to wait. This is an airy, spacious waiting area with fantastic views of the falls. After about half an hour of waiting, one of the officers called us over and asked a few questions about where we're from and what we plan to do in Canada.
We were then asked to sign two copies of the COPR forms we had got and stapled one to our passports after she signed it herself.
Just like that, we became valid permanent residents of Canada.
The buses back to toronto start at 6PM and we were home by 8:30PM.
I have used information from these forums, and I hoped to give something back with this account of our experience. Please let me know in the replies if you have any specific questions about flagpoling on foot, I will try and answer them for you.
