Ok, so I went to complete the CoPR landing procedures. Here it goes:
Where: Detroit-Windsor Tunnel
What: Complete CoPR landing process/soft landing, come back to USA right after.
Who: Self, wife, kid
When: Aug 28th
Visa Status: Self/H1b, Wife/H4, Kid/USC
Went to the Detroit-Windsor tunnel. Paid the toll USD 4.75 and drove further through the tunnel. At the end of it, there was a checkpoint where we do the first set of checking.
First checkpoint.
Visa officer: What is your purpose to enter Canada. Takes our passports.
P: We are here to complete the landing procedure for CoPR.
VO: Are you staying inside Canada?
P: No. We will go back to USA after the process is complete.
VO: (He was pissed off at that point.) Why are you going back right away? Why did you come here if not going inside? Why didn't you doing it all at once?
P: (almost shivering at that point, thinking he might turn away and not let us go any further). It is really weird timing and due to Covid situation it is not safe to complete everything at once. The border was closed a few times and so we would like to come back at a better time.
VO: (still pissed off and not convinced. )
P: Also our CoPR is expiring in next month. We waited until we can and now want to complete the process.
VO: (still not backing off) well you could have asked them and they could have extended it.
P: (now really shivering) uttering all that I could regarding how difficult it was regarding Covid and other stuff.
Finally, he let it go.
VO: Whose car is this? How much cash are you carrying? Any firearms? All of you doing landing today?
Answered all those questions. and then he returned back passports. Go a litter further and take a right just about in 100 feet and park there. Someone will help you.
2nd office. Stayed in the car only.
Overthere 2 officers came out and took our passports, CoPRs. I also showed him I have filled out goods to follow list and B4 form. He asked whats your address in Canada. I gave a friend's address. he asked, is this your house? I said no it's a friend's house. He then refuses to take the address to apply for PR card. He said you can't do that and got pissed off as well. He said you should have come for settlement and then only apply for PR card. I tried to not say much at that point and wanted to just complete CoPR. Hoped to get that done and apply for PR later.
He then went inside and after a few mins came back with my B4 form. He clarified if I was bringing anything from the list, I said that list is for the next time when I actually bring the stuff. He said I should have used B4a for good to follow. This form is for goods to accompany. He then wrote "goods to follow" on the form when signed it.
Didn't take much after. Took my sign, wife's sign and returned back passports, signed CoPR, goods to follow list. Showed us where to take a u-turn. Thanked both officers a couple of times and left. Took ~1hr total for the family for both checkpoints combined.
Coming back to the US side it was like 5 mins. Took our passports, asked why are you here, why did you cross the border. Explained him briefly. He scanned the passports and let us go.
So there! Completed CoPR landing but they didn't let us apply for the PR card. I guess I will apply for it via some webform as read in this or other posts. But at least PR is now approved so happy for that and not worrying too much about the PR card.
A big thank you to other members who shared their experiences and knowledge here that helped me and sharing my exp as well for others to take some hints. Happy to answer any questions if anyone comes across this.
