LANDING IN CANADA ??? -All You Need To Know.

[tag4u]

RamCanada - Can you please share your landing story, it will be useful for all Pearson landers

Hey Guys,

Just did my landing here in Calgary on the 1st of May. It went smooth as butter, not even close to what I was afraid of. I went to the first Immigration counter. The officer asked me how much money I had (it was more than the required POF in cash and DD), he just wrote down the amount on the declaration card and asked me if I had any food item with me, I said no, he said you may proceed to the Canadian Immigration counter behind him. At the second immigration counter they basically check and stamp your landing papers. I approached the office when my turn came up. She asked me to present my landing papers which I did. She started filling up the details and asked me where I was going to stay now, I said I have a cousin here and I am going to stay with her for the time being, she asked me for the address and insisted on making sure that this is a stable address, I said its not a problem its my cousin's permanent address and they can send the PR card there. That was it for this counter, I was greeted with Welcome to Canada and then i went to take my luggage. After getting my luggage I went to the customs counter and had a discussion with her that I am coming to Canada for 2 weeks and will be back again after a few months to settle and the office agreed that I can present the B4 forms when I come back again to settle. There after, i exited the airport as a PR of canada and happily went to my cousin's. Now its the weekend and I will go to service canada office tomorrow on Monday to apply for SIN card and then to open a bank account. Not sure If I should apply for a credit card and health card at this point as I am not coming back to Canada for at least two years (oil field recession), can anyone guide me here for this please?

By the way any questions are welcome, I have really gained alot from this forum and I believe its my time to contribute.

Chao.

Hi mastfadi

Congratulations..I also landed on May-1 in Toronto. I am planning stay 2 weeks and return to Canada after few months as like you. However i did not submit the B4 form. Can i submit the B4 form now? What is the process? Can you please advise me?
Thanks

 

[kwyatt75]

As planned I did my landing in Canada and am back to US now. I live in USA and drove to Peace Bridge for landing. It was a smooth affair. At the immigration and customs, they asked me if I was driving back to US after landing and I answered in the affirmative.

Did you drive in a rental car or your own car with US plates? Did they inquire at all about the vehicle or its importation to Canada?

The immigration officer activated my PR status and the processing of PR cards but did not submit the address for PR forms. I was given a document that seemed like some address intimation form and I was asked to submit it once I come back to Canada to stay for long term. I was told that the PR cards will be processed and kept with the administration for 180 days. Once they receive notification of my address in Canada, they will send the cards.

Are you supposed to mail the address document somewhere or give it to a CBSA officer when you re-enter?

The officer asked 'where you live' and 'why did you drive to Canada' and that's it.

So you said...?

 

[mastfadi]

Hey Tag4u,

1) regarding food items, the officer did as me if I had any and I had no food item with me so this tells me that it is a matter of concern for them, My cousin here says that carrying food items has always been a problem for her here into Canada, so If I were you I would not lay much thoughts in bringing food items into Canada. regarding B4 forms its upto you how you want to go for it, I went to see CSBA officer today as well and they always insist to submit B4 forms ASAP after your landing, so if you want to avoid any issues later on you can submit B4 forms now if you want, I did not do it as I don't think I should do and I believe I will be able to do it in future. So as I said, totally your choice on that.

2)The declaration you fill is for a family, so if you and your wife are bringing anything above 10K dollars combined, you will have to declare that. But declaring that will not cause any issue for you so no need worry on that

Mastfadi, First of all hearty Congrats that your landing was butter smooth and you being a proud PR now.

Have a few queries.
1. By the time you reach customs (with or without B4) will you have your check-in luggage with you? I am carrying few food items for my friends in Canada and like you I will just stay for a week, so I do not want to fill GTA or GTF now. Pls advise.

2. My wife and I are landing and we will have total CAD > 10K, however can we split it and as the split cash now falls below 10K do NOT declare the funds that we carry to canada? (Funds to declare is per family or per individual?)

 

[wsheikh86]

Hello All I have a question if a person gets an immigrant visa and if he had mentioned Calgary in the application can he make his first landing in Saskatoon.

 

[rizwan150]

Hello All I have a question if a person gets an immigrant visa and if he had mentioned Calgary in the application can he make his first landing in Saskatoon.

Yes, you can land anywhere if you have applied under federal skilled program and not under provinicial nominee scheme,,,

 

[wsheikh86]

Yes, you can land anywhere if you have applied under federal skilled program and not under provinicial nominee scheme,,,

Thank You!

 

[ramcanada]

Hello All,

I landed in Toronto. My landing experience is very good.First i have gone through the customs and later directed to immigration. I carried only CAD $1000 and rest of them in India bank account. I have taken latest bank statement (1 days in advance) and FD copy from the bank for the remaining POF. I told the officer i have only 1K Cash. He didn't ask any question. He asked me to write Canadian address in a slip. That's all. He congratulated me and informed i will get PR in 6 to 8 weeks. Then i went to SIN counter to apply for SIN. My suggestion is not to land in mid night. If you land in midnight, then you have to apply SIN outside which might have difficulty as a new immigrants. They issued SIN number within 15 minutes after i submit the SIN form. Then collected couple of pamphlets and welcome kit from new immigrants cell. I came out to collect my check in baggage.
The entire process took 3 hours.I hope this helps. I welcome if you have any questions.

 

[ramcanada]

Ramcanada,

I did not submit B4 forms as well as it was not required for me this time. This is only required for settlers and in CBSA custom regulations, the settler is a person who enters in Canada with the intention of staying at least 12 months straight shot. So when you come back to Canada to actually settle, you will claim your settler status and submit B4 forms accordingly.


Thanks Mastfadi. Your reply helps a lot for me

 

[emamabd]

If you land in midnight, then you have to apply SIN outside which might have difficulty as a new immigrants.

Why would you think its difficult for a newcomer to apply for a SIN at any other service canada centre? The process is the same, there's no difference if you applied at the airport or anywhere else.

 

[shakti123]

Hey Guys,

Just did my landing here in Calgary on the 1st of May. It went smooth as butter, not even close to what I was afraid of. I went to the first Immigration counter. The officer asked me how much money I had (it was more than the required POF in cash and DD), he just wrote down the amount on the declaration card and asked me if I had any food item with me, I said no, he said you may proceed to the Canadian Immigration counter behind him. At the second immigration counter they basically check and stamp your landing papers. I approached the office when my turn came up. She asked me to present my landing papers which I did. She started filling up the details and asked me where I was going to stay now, I said I have a cousin here and I am going to stay with her for the time being, she asked me for the address and insisted on making sure that this is a stable address, I said its not a problem its my cousin's permanent address and they can send the PR card there. That was it for this counter, I was greeted with Welcome to Canada and then i went to take my luggage. After getting my luggage I went to the customs counter and had a discussion with her that I am coming to Canada for 2 weeks and will be back again after a few months to settle and the office agreed that I can present the B4 forms when I come back again to settle. There after, i exited the airport as a PR of canada and happily went to my cousin's. Now its the weekend and I will go to service canada office tomorrow on Monday to apply for SIN card and then to open a bank account. Not sure If I should apply for a credit card and health card at this point as I am not coming back to Canada for at least two years (oil field recession), can anyone guide me here for this please?

By the way any questions are welcome, I have really gained alot from this forum and I believe its my time to contribute.

Chao.

How many days it will take to get PR card. Did you give any photos for the PR card?, I heard photos usually cause issues with PR card.

 

[9ja4dLord]

How many days it will take to get PR card. Did you give any photos for the PR card?, I heard photos usually cause issues with PR card.

The pictures you sent to the VO with your passports will be used for your PR Card.

 

[shakti123]

The pictures you sent to the VO with your passports will be used for your PR Card.

But aren't the photos be taken in the previous six months. For example if you got PR in Jan, and if you are landing in July will the previous photos be still valid?

 

[merry_ivan]

Did you drive in a rental car or your own car with US plates? Did they inquire at all about the vehicle or its importation to Canada?

Are you supposed to mail the address document somewhere or give it to a CBSA officer when you re-enter?

So you said...?

Hi,

I drove in my own car with US plates. I told them that I live in 'US'. So they did not bother about import related matters. They however mentioned that if I drive the car with an intention of 'living' and not 'visiting' canada and returning to US, then I need to have papers for import.

The address document can be faxed or mailed to an address mentioned on the document. You dont have to give it to CBSA officer.


Regards,

 

[wsheikh86]

Hello All I plan to land in Canada in Aug and my question is that I only plan to stay there for two weeks and tha come back now how much cash should I carry should I carry all the POF that will be around 18000$ for me or just carry 10000$ or only carry the amount I will need to spend in two weeks. I dont want to carry all the POF as this is risky cause I will have to bring all the POF back home again at the end of two weeks.

Secondly I will be staying at my cousins place and I plan to give his address for PR card do you think it will be problem for hum to mail the PR cards later to me.

 

[BBABY]

Hi all,
I must commend the efforts put into this thread. I have been an observer but gained a lot from this thread. I should land in canada in august but will like to clarify some things from you my people.

1. Can my husband land first, do the landing process, enter canada, get accomodation, and then we(myself and three kids) come later?
2. Will he have only his COPR or for all of us
3. If 1 is possible, when we arrive, are we going to do landing too or just provide our visas and join him in canada?

I will like to have answers to these burning questions so we can decide if to go together or separately


Yours BBABY :'( :'(