Landed on July 3rd and was not issued PR card

[h1btocanadapr]

Our COPR expires on July 9th 2021. We went by road in our own car to the Windsor, Ontario via Ambassador Bridge, Detroit. We did our landing on July 3rd.

Our experience with all 3 cbsa officers has not been friendly at all.

We reached the bridge at around 3 pm est. There weren’t many cars at that time and we were asked to pull up at the toll booth where we met our first cbsa officer.

Officer 1 - Show your pr card /citizenship documents.

We - Gave passports and Copr and Covid negative report and answered that we want to complete the PR process and if possible return back to USA immediately.

Officer 1 - Are you not moving today permanently.
We - We will move after finding a job and closing things in USA.

Officer 1 - Why did you come today when you have no intention to move.
We - COPR expires on 9th July 2021 and if we didn’t arrive - we have to redo our application again.

Officer 1- asked our usa address and phone numbers
We - provided the information.

Officer 1 - You are saying you want to return to USA today itself.
We - Yes, we don’t have any plans of quarantine and hoping that we could go back after completing this procedure. We want to move after things improve with Covid situations.

He called someone and then handed us an yellow slip with some info on it and asked us to drive further to the building and park our car and go inside the immigration office.

We parked our car and met officer#2 who were sitting in the parking area.

Officer 2- please sit in your car, wear masks and talk to me. Give your yellow slip. Then he asks us, why are you moving to Canada.
We - explained about Copr expiring.

Officer 2 - you have been living in USA for ** number of years. Why did you apply and you don’t even want to stay and return back immediately.
We - I was super stressed by his tone and body language. I answered him that I was looking for new opportunities and will move after we get a job.

He had some conversations regarding why folks won’t move to Canada with fellow colleagues.

Officer 2 - Any weapons, drugs, alcohol, tobacco, fruits, vegetables, plants or anything that is not allowed to bring.
We - No
Officer 2 - Gave back our yellow slip and asked us to go inside the building.

No documentation has been asked by him.

We parked and entered the building. The officer #3 there was very rude.

Officer 3- give me the slip and Copr.
We - gave our Copr and passports.

Officer 3- why are you here today. You want to leave right now after this?
We - We want to complete the PR landing process and if possible yes that we want to return.

Officer 3 - have a seat.

She spoke with her colleagues and all of them seem to be annoyed and said most ppl are doing this frequently.

Officer 3 - called us to sign on the Copr.

We will not be issuing pr cards for you today. Please come back using this Copr by road and then we shall issue your card when you move permanently. You can leave now. Take the next left and you are going towards usa.

We were not asked about our gtf forms and ArriveCAN app etc. She didn’t bother to talk or take any questions.

The whole process took about 40 minutes.

On usa side
Cbp officer : scanned our passports and we were good to go. No i94 was issued. We have valid h1 stamping


Any tips on the next steps and how to get the pr card?

 

[k.h.p.]

It has been IRCC/CBSA's instructions for some time that entrance for COPR holders is only for people who intend to settle permanently.

You ignored IRCC/CBSA's instructions, and blatantly so. Most people would at least lie about intending to return to the US immediately.

No one is issued PR cards at the border. Your CBSA officers, frustrated at the fact that you ignored the clearly communicated instructions about only coming to Canada with a COPR if you intend to permanently settle, refused to submit the application on your behalf.

Your only option is to return, via private vehicle, with your COPR when you are ready to permanently settle. You will then need to apply for a PR card. You will not get the PR card outside Canada.

This is why you should always observe the instructions of IRCC/CBSA. You're actually lucky you weren't either refused entry for not having quarantine plans or ordered to a government quarantine facility after stating you had no quarantine plans.

 

[starlordavuthu]

It has been IRCC/CBSA's instructions for some time that entrance for COPR holders is only for people who intend to settle permanently.

You ignored IRCC/CBSA's instructions, and blatantly so. Most people would at least lie about intending to return to the US immediately.

No one is issued PR cards at the border. Your CBSA officers, frustrated at the fact that you ignored the clearly communicated instructions about only coming to Canada with a COPR if you intend to permanently settle, refused to submit the application on your behalf.

Your only option is to return, via private vehicle, with your COPR when you are ready to permanently settle. You will then need to apply for a PR card. You will not get the PR card outside Canada.

This is why you should always observe the instructions of IRCC/CBSA. You're actually lucky you weren't either refused entry for not having quarantine plans or ordered to a government quarantine facility after stating you had no quarantine plans.

What are folks supposed to do in these situations? Just curious. I for one do not want to move to Canada without a job knowing how expensive Canada can be. On the other end I do not want to let COPR expire and who knows how long its gonna take to get a new one.

 

[k.h.p.]

What are folks supposed to do in these situations? Just curious. I for one do not want to move to Canada without a job knowing how expensive Canada can be. On the other end I do not want to let COPR expire and who knows how long its gonna take to get a new one.

Wait and see if the instructions change. If they don't change and you're still unwilling to come to Canada to settle, contact IRCC.

 

[MST555]

It has been IRCC/CBSA's instructions for some time that entrance for COPR holders is only for people who intend to settle permanently.

You ignored IRCC/CBSA's instructions, and blatantly so. Most people would at least lie about intending to return to the US immediately.

No one is issued PR cards at the border. Your CBSA officers, frustrated at the fact that you ignored the clearly communicated instructions about only coming to Canada with a COPR if you intend to permanently settle, refused to submit the application on your behalf.

Your only option is to return, via private vehicle, with your COPR when you are ready to permanently settle. You will then need to apply for a PR card. You will not get the PR card outside Canada.

This is why you should always observe the instructions of IRCC/CBSA. You're actually lucky you weren't either refused entry for not having quarantine plans or ordered to a government quarantine facility after stating you had no quarantine plans.

This depends on the officer at the POE. I did successfully complete my PR landing today. Clearly told officer (infact twice - to both officers with whom I interacted with) that I will like to return immediately if possible and was allowed to do it. Also my PR card was applied and will be sent to the address I provided. I will write in detail my experience in a coming few days.

 

[k.h.p.]

This depends on the officer at the POE. I did successfully complete my PR landing today. Clearly told officer (infact twice - to both officers with whom I interacted with) that I will like to return immediately if possible and was allowed to do it. Also my PR card was applied and will be sent to the address I provided. I will write in detail my experience in a coming few days.

You got lucky. Advising people to try it WILL result in people being turned away.

 

[h1btocanadapr]

It has been IRCC/CBSA's instructions for some time that entrance for COPR holders is only for people who intend to settle permanently.

You ignored IRCC/CBSA's instructions, and blatantly so. Most people would at least lie about intending to return to the US immediately.

No one is issued PR cards at the border. Your CBSA officers, frustrated at the fact that you ignored the clearly communicated instructions about only coming to Canada with a COPR if you intend to permanently settle, refused to submit the application on your behalf.

Your only option is to return, via private vehicle, with your COPR when you are ready to permanently settle. You will then need to apply for a PR card. You will not get the PR card outside Canada.

This is why you should always observe the instructions of IRCC/CBSA. You're actually lucky you weren't either refused entry for not having quarantine plans or ordered to a government quarantine facility after stating you had no quarantine plans.

I was issued the visa with 3 weeks of validity and if I didn't land within the date Copr would expire and I had to redo the entire application from the beginning. How will someone move permanently without a job and leave suddenly from USA that too during Covid? I did what's best in these situations.

Also, curious to know what do you mean by lie about intending to return back to USA? I clearly informed them I want to return back and will move after finding a job and scouting a place for my family. The officer said I can come back via road again using this Copr.

 

[h1btocanadapr]

This depends on the officer at the POE. I did successfully complete my PR landing today. Clearly told officer (infact twice - to both officers with whom I interacted with) that I will like to return immediately if possible and was allowed to do it. Also my PR card was applied and will be sent to the address I provided. I will write in detail my experience in a coming few days.

Congratulations. Where was your POE?

 

[k.h.p.]

I was issued the visa with 3 weeks of validity and if I didn't land within the date Copr would expire and I had to redo the entire application from the beginning. How will someone move permanently without a job and leave suddenly from USA that too during Covid? I did what's best in these situations.

Also, curious to know what do you mean by lie about intending to return back to USA? I clearly informed them I want to return back and will move after finding a job and scouting a place for my family. The officer said I can come back via road again using this Copr.

You would not have had to re-apply from the very beginning. As IRCC says on their website, with my emphasis added:

If you have an expired COPR, you won’t be able to travel to Canada until we reissue your documents. Normally, you’d have to reapply, but right now we’re making exceptions for people who couldn’t travel to Canada due to travel restrictions related to COVID-19.

We’ve already contacted most people with expired COPRs issued on or before March 18, 2020, to explain what to do. If we already sent you instructions to do a new medical or submit updated documents, follow them and wait for us to tell you what happens next. You don’t need to contact us again.

We’re also working to contact anyone else with expired COPRs, including those issued after March 18, 2020.

I am sorry that the IRCC instructions are being so challenging. Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html

The other user who encountered an accommodating CBSA officer was lucky. You were not. Everyone's experience will range in between the two, but I would not in any circumstances encourage people to try to soft land right now.

I suspect that a lot of people trying to "soft land" right now are instead telling the CBSA officers they're coming to secure accommodations, etc., and sending their personal effects later. They share quarantine plans of a hotel booking or something, and then go into Canada, turn around, and leave with no one at CBSA being the wiser.

 

[pjain64]

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail, @h1btocanadapr. It is very helpful to everyone else, very much appreciated.

When you say you were not issued a PR card, could you please share what did you mean? As @k.h.p. mentioned, I don't think anyone is issued a PR card at the border. I suppose you meant that they denied applying for the PR card until you yourself move to Canada later?

In other words, you mentioned that your CoPR is expiring on July 9th - so can you still enter Canada via road based on the same CoPR even though it has an expiry of July 9th? Or was your CoPR "extended" with a new future expiry date? Trying to understand the significance of CoPR's "expiry date" (July 9 in your case) and what happens to the status of residentship in this case where the PR card application gets denied at the border. Is there any timeline before which you need to move and apply for the PR card? Thanks.

 

[MST555]

You got lucky. Advising people to try it WILL result in people being turned away.

I have only ever heard of one experience where someone was turned away and he eventually was able to soft land in the second try.
I don't want to get into an argument but I want to make sure people who are trying to soft land are not scared away. I know how stressful soft landing can be (last few days were for me) and I want to present the full picture (good and bad experience).

 

[MST555]

Congratulations. Where was your POE?

Detroit Windsor Tunnel

 

[h1btocanadapr]

You would not have had to re-apply from the very beginning. As IRCC says on their website, with my emphasis added:



I am sorry that the IRCC instructions are being so challenging. Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html

The other user who encountered an accommodating CBSA officer was lucky. You were not. Everyone's experience will range in between the two, but I would not in any circumstances encourage people to try to soft land right now.

I suspect that a lot of people trying to "soft land" right now are instead telling the CBSA officers they're coming to secure accommodations, etc., and sending their personal effects later. They share quarantine plans of a hotel booking or something, and then go into Canada, turn around, and leave with no one at CBSA being the wiser.

I completely agree with you, ircc is constantly changing guidelines and its getting hard to track them. Thank you for your insight and response. . I didn't want to quarantine and wanted to be upfront about it rather than telling some story to cbsa officer.

 

[h1btocanadapr]

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail, @h1btocanadapr. It is very helpful to everyone else, very much appreciated.

When you say you were not issued a PR card, could you please share what did you mean? As @k.h.p. mentioned, I don't think anyone is issued a PR card at the border. I suppose you meant that they denied applying for the PR card until you yourself move to Canada later?

In other words, you mentioned that your CoPR is expiring on July 9th - so can you still enter Canada via road based on the same CoPR even though it has an expiry of July 9th? Or was your CoPR "extended" with a new future expiry date? Trying to understand the significance of CoPR's "expiry date" (July 9 in your case) and what happens to the status of residentship in this case where the PR card application gets denied at the border. Is there any timeline before which you need to move and apply for the PR card? Thanks.

That's correct. The officer told me that they'll apply for my card after I move there permanently.

 

[h1btocanadapr]

Thanks for sharing your experience in detail, @h1btocanadapr. It is very helpful to everyone else, very much appreciated.

When you say you were not issued a PR card, could you please share what did you mean? As @k.h.p. mentioned, I don't think anyone is issued a PR card at the border. I suppose you meant that they denied applying for the PR card until you yourself move to Canada later?

In other words, you mentioned that your CoPR is expiring on July 9th - so can you still enter Canada via road based on the same CoPR even though it has an expiry of July 9th? Or was your CoPR "extended" with a new future expiry date? Trying to understand the significance of CoPR's "expiry date" (July 9 in your case) and what happens to the status of residentship in this case where the PR card application gets denied at the border. Is there any timeline before which you need to move and apply for the PR card? Thanks.

I emailed ircc and they said that once Copr expires I cannot use it to enter Canada and they wouldn't extend my visa date on Copr. I requested for an extension to come to Canada later this year but, that request has been denied. I was told by the officer that I can come back again via land using this Copr in the future. I'm not sure about the timeline here.