landing procedure

[racoon]

Hello all =)),
I applied for PR inland. I've been living in Canada as a student for 5 years now and intend to apply to the Veterinary College. In order to do so I have to be a Saskatchewan resident, thus I have to land in Saskatchewan. The only way I can do that is to go the the Canada/US border. However, I will have to get a US visa to go to US and it takes a long time (and time is not on my side). Otherwise I will have a record that I tried to enter US illegally (however I really will not technically even try to enter US, I will just be trying to land in Canada =))). This is a very stupid situation I know, but does anyone know if I can land in Canada ... in Canada, meaning without crossing the border with US? LIke if I go to Saskatoon city hall or to the airport immigration guys or something... anything. Thanks in advance, Anna

PS: my friends did the U-turn at the US/Canada border and still got the record for trying to enter US, even though they explained everything to the officers beforehand. They still had to follow the stupid and absolutely unnecessary in this case procedure.

 

[wilson]

Hi anna,

You don't have to worry about getting a US Visa to make "U turn" at the boarder.

As an inland applicant you have to get approval for "Inland landing". You will not get a PR visa stamped on your passport and will be asked instead for interview in local CIC office and will undergo there a "landing" process and be granted PR status.

Other formalities if any will be posted by others as I don't have any experience in this matter.

 

[Miryam]

People who applied inland will not have a visa stamped in the passport, as Wilson wrote. The landing is at a CIC office. Those who applied outland do not need a US Visa for a flagpole landing.

The only way I can do that is to go the the Canada/US border. However, I will have to get a US visa to go to US and it takes a long time (and time is not on my side). Otherwise I will have a record that I tried to enter US illegally (however I really will not technically even try to enter US, I will just be trying to land in Canada =))).

I am not from a visa-exempt country, did not have a valid US visa, and went to the border for my landing. I got the "Notice of Refusal of Admission/Parole into the United States", but it does not state that I was "trying to enter the US illegally". In the "Subject: the alien(s) named below has (have) been: ( ) Refused admission into the United States; ( ) Refused admission and paroled into the United States", they wrote a third option by hand stating "Flagpole". And in the reasons, they just wrote again "Flagpole". 10 days after that I got a US visitor visa with no problems at all, valid for 10 years, and when I traveled to the US last month there was no problem.

 

[Siouxie]

I can confirm that as an Inland Applicant you cannot "flagpole" !

Once PR is approved you will be contacted by your local office for a landing interview (which takes about 15 minutes). It will give you the details in the letter that you receive confirming PR. Once you know which office will be processing your landing it is possible to fax them and ask for an expedited appointment (otherwise it can take up to 6 weeks from receipt of letter).

That is what I did, and recieved an appointment within 3 days of receipt of my fax.

To be a Saskatchewan resident you have to reside there, not land there.

 

[racoon]

Thank you all so much,
all my friends here applied as skilled workers (grad students) and I am the only one applying as a common law (family class), and apparently the two processes are so different. So I was really confused...
Thanks again dudes!
Cheers, Anna

 

[racoon]

To Siouxie:
I actually checked with both medical and veterinary colleges and they said if I land in SK it is the same as being "born" in SK, so I will automatically be a SK resident ... the only good thing about my whole situation =))
Anyway, had to write that if it will be helpful to anybody trying to get into med or vet.... or dentistry or nursing .....
Cheers mates !