I don't believe you can "land" at the airport as you would not be permitted to enter the restricted immigration zone to do so.
However, legislation was brought in allowing people with valid current visitor status to "land" at their local office.
See: (bulletin expired but the legislation is still valid) http://www.cic.gc.ca/english//resources/manuals/bulletins/2008/ob076.asp
Foreign nationals who hold permanent resident visas in Canada continue to have the option of reporting to a POE in order to be granted permanent residence, if that is more convenient. Any foreign national outside Canada stills needs to obtain permanent residence at a POE.
Regulatory Changes
R74, R85.4, R86 (3), R86(4) and R87 (7), which were related to obtaining status, have been repealed and replaced by a new general provision (see below). R87 ( 8 ), which provided for the granting of Canadian permanent residence to work permit holders, has also been repealed.
A new section, R71.1, has been created and states that:
A foreign national who is a member of a class referred to in subsection 70(2) and is outside Canada must, to become a permanent resident, present their permanent resident visa to an officer at a port of entry;
A foreign national who is a member of a class referred to in paragraph 70(2)(a) or (b) and who is a temporary resident in Canada must, to become a permanent resident, present their permanent resident visa to an officer at a port of entry
or at an office of the Department in Canada.
The above regulatory changes mean that clients in Canada with valid temporary resident status may:
contact the Call Centre to request an appointment at a local CIC office, with their family members, if applicable, to be granted permanent resident status at that location; or
leave Canada and obtain permanent residence upon re-entry to Canada at a POE.
and also (referred to in above bulletin)
7.9. Becoming a permanent resident
To become a permanent resident, any foreign national outside Canada needs to present their
permanent resident visa at a port of entry to Canada.
As per policy decribed in Section 5.1 of this chapter, applicants whose permanent resident visa is
issued while they are in Canada with a valid temporary resident status may:
•
contact the Call Centre to request an appointment at a local CIC office to become a
permanent resident at that location; or
• leave Canada and become a permanent resident upon re-entry to Canada at a port of entry.
The template letters that accompany the permanent resident visas for provincial nominees must
be amended by the visa offices to include the following paragraph:
Please note that if you are already in Canada and have a valid temporary resident status, you
now have the option of obtaining your permanent resident status in Canada as opposed to leaving
Canada and re-entering at a port of entry.
Please contact CIC’s Call Centre at 1 888 242-2100 as
soon as possible to arrange an appointment with the Citizenship and Immigration office nearest to
your place of residence. (You cannot call this number if you are outside Canada.)
Hope that helps!
