How long does the Border Services examination/interview take?

[MCYahn]

I have a student visa and will be entering Canada at St. Stephen, NB (via car). My POE letter states that I will be issued the study permit upon "arrival to Canada following an examination by an officer of the Canada Border Services Agency." Since I'm driving and need to make reservations at various motels, I'll need to have an idea of how far I can drive to the next town after the border. Does anyone know how much time I should allow for this examination? I'll be entering Canada in July, so I expect the border crossing to be rather busy. Thanks for any help with this question!

 

[scylla]

It's difficult to answer your question since it really depends on how busy the border is that day and how many people are in line ahead of you to see a CBSA agent. Could be anything from a few minutes to well over an hour. It's a coin toss.

 

[MCYahn]

Thanks for the reply! I wasn't sure how long the interview itself normally takes, but from your answer, I think I'll allow for 2 hours, just in case. Thanks again!

 

[scylla]

The interview itself should be minutes.

 

[MCYahn]

Oh! That's good to know! I had some idea it would take much longer. In that case, I'll likely plan for an hour at the border in case of heavy July traffic, and plan my subsequent drive accordingly. Thank you so much for the great info!

 

[lukeaidan97]

Border Crossings may be a little bit different to Airports, but when I first landed in Canada I was probably with the CBSA for around an hour while they verified documents, sorted my work permit, and discussed things with me. I'd expect anything between 30-60 minutes from when you meet with the Border Officer