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My Landing Experience - Feb 2019

imeandwhat

Star Member
Feb 22, 2019
96
56
Thanks to all of you. We did the landing last week and the process was very smooth. I would like to share few things which might be helpful for the future residents' landing.
My husband landed at 3 pm and it took him around 3.5 hrs to finish the immigration process but I landed at 8.30 and I was done in 2 hrs. No extra documents were asked. Only passport and COPR will do. My husband got his SIN at the airport within minutes but the close at 8.30 pm so I couldn't get one. I went to nearby Service Canada Office in downtown but it took me 2 hrs ( I guess its the lunch time and there was a long queue). No one asked about Goods Accompanying list and only Goods to follow list matters. But doesn't hurt to have one goods accompanying list but don't bother about it much. Airport taxi had a flat rate which I guess everyone prefer. Happy to assist if you have any more questions.
 
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bharanidharanek

Full Member
Apr 7, 2018
22
0
Good evening guys!

I would like to write about my landing experience on Feb 15th 2019. You can find my detailed timeline below.

I started on Feb 15th @ 02:00 AM from India. I have booked my trip to Toronto via Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific) & the flight was great. My transit time in Hong Kong was just 1 hour. My first flight reached Hong Kong 30 minutes early(Great right?!!!). I just had to walk to my Toronto flight's terminal and board the flight. Flight from Hong Kong to Toronto was very looooooong and tiring. But still awesome. I reached Toronto 15 mins earlier than the promised time. Ok! enough flight stories! Let me come to the point.

The moment we landed in Pearson airport, there were 2 gates to choose. One is for people who are arriving and the other one is for people who are heading to their next flight.Obviously we have to go to the first option.I had to walk past few terminals and I came to immigration department. Automatic kiosk is the first step in the process. You need to scan your passports there. For people above 18 years , the machine will take a picture of you and you will get a receipt. Take that to the next counter where the officer will verify the passports and the receipt that you have taken from the kiosk.

Next head to the third and final counter where the officer will verify your passports and COPR documents and ask you basic questions like "Do you have more than $10000 in cash?" etc... Once you give answers and passports they will ask you to wait(for like 10-15 mins). Then the same officer will call you and take a signature from you on the COPR copies and retain one with them(the one with your photo) and give you the second one.They will warmly welcome you and your family to Canada and advise you that you , if you have to leave Canada before getting your PR card you would need a visa to enter again. That's it! we're done and we're in!

Next and most important step of all is the creation of your SIN number. But this is only applicable for immigrants who land during business hours. I have planned my travel such that I land during 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday. Services Canada is adjacent to the third and final immigration counter. Just go there with your COPR and passports they will take care of the rest. You would get your SIN number in less than 5 minutes. Head to your check-in baggage counter and happily walk outside the airport to take a taxi to your temporary residence/hotel.

Overall I would say that the immigration process is fast and friendly. Sorry for too much details & hope this helps!
Congrats! We are travelling tomorrow morning to Vancouver for PR landing. As we do not have Service Canada Center in Vancouver, id it ok if I can get it on another day or after few months by going to a service canada center? And, my family (spouse and kids) are leaving Canada the same day night that we land and I would be staying back in Canada for a week. Can I apply for SIN for my family and myself when my family is not there?
 

Rajesh Durai

Hero Member
Dec 29, 2012
220
122
Congrats! We are travelling tomorrow morning to Vancouver for PR landing. As we do not have Service Canada Center in Vancouver, id it ok if I can get it on another day or after few months by going to a service canada center? And, my family (spouse and kids) are leaving Canada the same day night that we land and I would be staying back in Canada for a week. Can I apply for SIN for my family and myself when my family is not there?

I'm not exactly sure if you can apply for SIN for your family members. Seniors please help!!! I would presume that its not possible for family members above 18 years if age!!!
 

NiSn

Hero Member
Mar 17, 2018
207
32
I am from India but will be moving to US in September. I am planning to do a Soft Landing from US in November and had following questions:

a) For PoF documents, I will get bank letters in August end, will these work for entry in November?
b) For goods accompanying list, do we also need to include the valuables that we are wearing (like gold bangles which we might be wearing while travleling?)
c) From India, where do I get Jewellery valuations done. Are there any goods other than jewellery for which valuations are required to be done?
d) After once landing in Canada, I'll come back to US. Then landing again few months later with all the jewellery again, how will I be allowed to enter without paying duty on jewellery as most of my jewellery will be on goods accompanying list.

Thanks for your help.
 

Hopeful007

Hero Member
Feb 16, 2019
466
344
Congrats! We are travelling tomorrow morning to Vancouver for PR landing. As we do not have Service Canada Center in Vancouver, id it ok if I can get it on another day or after few months by going to a service canada center? And, my family (spouse and kids) are leaving Canada the same day night that we land and I would be staying back in Canada for a week. Can I apply for SIN for my family and myself when my family is not there?
There is a service Canada downtown Vancouver.
You can not apply for a SIN for anyone else.
You can get it another day for sure.
 

nisar12345

Newbie
Jan 3, 2019
6
0
Hi
Good evening guys!

I would like to write about my landing experience on Feb 15th 2019. You can find my detailed timeline below.

I started on Feb 15th @ 02:00 AM from India. I have booked my trip to Toronto via Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific) & the flight was great. My transit time in Hong Kong was just 1 hour. My first flight reached Hong Kong 30 minutes early(Great right?!!!). I just had to walk to my Toronto flight's terminal and board the flight. Flight from Hong Kong to Toronto was very looooooong and tiring. But still awesome. I reached Toronto 15 mins earlier than the promised time. Ok! enough flight stories! Let me come to the point.

The moment we landed in Pearson airport, there were 2 gates to choose. One is for people who are arriving and the other one is for people who are heading to their next flight.Obviously we have to go to the first option.I had to walk past few terminals and I came to immigration department. Automatic kiosk is the first step in the process. You need to scan your passports there. For people above 18 years , the machine will take a picture of you and you will get a receipt. Take that to the next counter where the officer will verify the passports and the receipt that you have taken from the kiosk.

Next head to the third and final counter where the officer will verify your passports and COPR documents and ask you basic questions like "Do you have more than $10000 in cash?" etc... Once you give answers and passports they will ask you to wait(for like 10-15 mins). Then the same officer will call you and take a signature from you on the COPR copies and retain one with them(the one with your photo) and give you the second one.They will warmly welcome you and your family to Canada and advise you that you , if you have to leave Canada before getting your PR card you would need a visa to enter again. That's it! we're done and we're in!

Next and most important step of all is the creation of your SIN number. But this is only applicable for immigrants who land during business hours. I have planned my travel such that I land during 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday. Services Canada is adjacent to the third and final immigration counter. Just go there with your COPR and passports they will take care of the rest. You would get your SIN number in less than 5 minutes. Head to your check-in baggage counter and happily walk outside the airport to take a taxi to your temporary residence/hotel.

Overall I would say that the immigration process is fast and friendly. Sorry for too much details & hope this helps!
,
 

nisar12345

Newbie
Jan 3, 2019
6
0
Wonder if you could share, what was asked of you at the Immigration in India? What questions? Given that it’s a single entry visa and says immigrant on it? What are you expected to carry or show at the immigration of the departing country, in this case, India?


Also, did you need any additional documents for transit at Hong Kong?
 

subodhp

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2019
944
183
Toronto
Wonder if you could share, what was asked of you at the Immigration in India? What questions? Given that it’s a single entry visa and says immigrant on it? What are you expected to carry or show at the immigration of the departing country, in this case, India?


Also, did you need any additional documents for transit at Hong Kong?
Answer in truth and only the truth. It is not like the government is trying to stop you from immigration. Also check reply on a similar question in last 24 hours.

Hong Kong allowed transit for Indian citizens but please check with airlines for updated roles and also in current times updated status
 

Millenium

Full Member
May 29, 2019
24
26
Hello everyone, my landing experience below:
1- Landed in Montreal Airport (YUL) August 14th at around 16:30.

2-
First-immigration queues were almost empty, you will find plenty of automated e-declaration machines (and I mean plenty) just before the first immigration control. Advices and lessons learned:
  • - There is an App (eDeclaration) were you can initiate your declaration beforehand (in your country for example) add your accompanying members details and it will generate a QR code so that when you are at the machine you just need to scan it through you phone, the app will still show your QR code even in Airplane mode the machine will ask you to flip your passport to link your declaration to you passport. I did mine and somehow taught it will be one declaration per family, no its not; Each family member need a separate declaration.
  • - You don't have to do the eDeclaration, even if you do it at the machine it's OK (honestly if I knew I would have done it at the machine), the process is easy and you will find very nice young people assisting you.
  • - Mention goods to follow list in your eDeclaration (tick Yes for GFL).
3- Next step is your first contact with CBSA (not the passport control yet), you will find a very nice CBSA agent acting like a dispatcher for the other agents making the process fast and streamlined. The agent will check mainly if you have your declaration paper ready, of course in my case I did screw up (first bullet in point-2) so he explained that each passport needs a declaration; I said despite my preparedness (the app and the forums and the etc...) I managed to mess up the thing and I will go back and do it again (the machines were just behind), he smiled and said no issue, I will refer you to my colleague he will fix it for you and he took us to the CBSA passport control (or as I call it Immigration-0).

4- At immigration-0 the CBSA agent asked us the purpose of our visit, where we are coming from, checked our Declarations and asked about food (not the money, this came after). He knew that he needed to manually add the declaration for my family (the previous CBSA agent explained him); I asked if I can ask him a question and he replied absolutely; then I said I have goods to follow do I have to tell you this now, he said that in my declaration I ticked “No” and I said I guess it’s another mess up, he smiled and said no issue he corrected my declaration with a red marker added my family (all together) manually in another paper and told me that you have to explain to the CBSA agent that will take those declaration from you (the last agent before you leave the airport with your luggage) that we are 4 and have only 2 declarations (one for me and one for my family all together) and he gave me those papers. He stamped our passports (a “Used” stamp in our Visas) directed us to Immigration-2 (not immigration-1) and wished us a nice day.

5- Immigration-1 & 2 were in the same corridor behind the checkpoint of Immigration-0. Those are basically independent waiting rooms with a lot of CBSA agents behind desks and a nice seating areas. When entering Immigration-2 you need to take a number (can’t remember the options) but we took a number related to Permanent Immigration. We took a seat and having our COPR, passports with the declaration , GFL and number on hand, the area was around 40% full but there was a CBSA agent roaming on the area checking our papers and asking some people to go ot Immigration-1 (students and work permit) and when CBSA desks were free he will ask other people to go to the assigned desks telling the agent behind the desk the number; he was very efficient, he emptied the room very quickly at a level were it was only us and another lady only left seating. He came to check our papers and told us “you’re at the right place and you will be called”.

6- We waited around 15 minutes and an agent called our number and we went there with our papers. He greeted us and asked for our paper so I gave him our passports, COPRs, goods to follow list (2 copies) and our original CSQs; he said I can keep the CSQs as he does not need them (I taught I read somewhere that they take the original CSQ). The conversation went like (as far as I remember):
  • Are you settling in Quebec?, A: Yes.
  • Do you have any other dependent not listed in your application?, A: No (I was like, dude, my wife is standing right next to me).
  • What is the amount of cash you’re carrying? A: xx in cash, xx in a Forex card totalizing about 5900 CAD (less than 10,000 CAD).
  • Do you have the minimum requirement to settle (the one we signed during the application process); A: Yes, in addition to the Cash (that was already above the minimum requirement) we have statements of our respective bank accounts.
  • How much do you estimate your total wealth (odd question but I read in other forums that it’s a common question now), A: I’m not sure. He said I just need an approximation only, A: I gave an estimation (after telling my kids to back off so they don’t listen).
  • I see that you have a completed good to follow list with the appendixes and the pictures of the jewelry, it’s very well done. A: Thank you, I spent a lot of time preparing it.
  • Everything seems OK, please take a seat and I will prepare all your documents and call you back. A: Thank you agent.
We waited for another 15 mn, the dispatching agent was so good that for the last 10 mn we were literally alone in the room with CBSA agents behind their desks; only the agent working on our papers was busy, he had some CBSA agents-trainee behind him showing them the process.
After the CBSA agent completed our papers he called my name and we went there; The conversation went like (also as far as I remember):
  • Here are your approved and stamped COPR copies, please keep those safely and basically forever. You will need them even after you get your citizenship for your pension. Those are dated and in order for you to keep your residency status you will have to reside in Canada for 730 days for the next 5 years starting at this date.
  • Here is your good to follow list approved and stamped. You can bring those goods anytime you want. I noticed later that he put a CBSA file number in my goods to follow list, stamped all the sheets (including appendixes) and inscribed the same number in the back of my COPR.
  • Here are your passports.
  • I already applied for your PR card, please go to this website (he handed to me a printed sheet with a web address) and change your address to a Canadian address so CIC can mail your cards (thing that I did later but it’s another story and another post).
  • I apologize I don’t have the welcome to Canada booklet in English (we spoke to that agent in English, the others we spoke in French, reason is so that my kids could understand the conversation in Immigration-2), I have only in French. I replied (in French) that it’s OK and he smiled and was surprised that I spoke French (like dude what the hell) and I explained for my kids thing.
  • He said all your documents are done, “WELCOME TO CANADA”.
We went outside and went down a floor (just followed luggage pickup sign), straight away our luggage were already turning on the belt. We recover them, did a toilet pitch-stop and went to the exit.

7- When exiting the airport, you will find people streaming through 4~5 queues with CBSA agents at the end controlling and taking the declaration cards only. When reaching the agent controlling my queue I explained that I don’t have 4 declaration cards and that my family is in another paper all together (the Immigration-0 agent thing in point-4), I started to explain further and he said “no problem sir, please go ahead, have a nice day”. Off we go, we are in Canada, I went to the car rental, we decided to apply for the SIN later in Service Canada.

Some notes:
  • YUL Airport is modern, very clean and all the CBSA processes are streamlined.
  • There were not a lot of flights at the time of our landing (16:30), it may be different in terms of traffic in other timings.
  • The CBSA agents (and we dealt directly with 5 of them) are all very polite, helpful and speak fluently both English and French (we spoke French with 4 of them and in English with one of them). You can ask them questions if you like, they will answer
  • CBSA agents like well-prepared documents, especially the GFL. Some advice: keep your COPR flat in a folder (try not the fold them as I think the VO’s always send them flat with the passport), type your GFL in the B186 and B186A neatly referencing the items in case you add an appendix (it’s not mandatory but makes the thing easier), put your CSQ in a separate folder.
That’s it, see you all in the next step.
 
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UnitedBaller

Full Member
Jan 15, 2019
27
7
Hi everyone, I am landing in Toronto in October. My Port of Entry is also Toronto on CoPR. And I was just wondering If I can give a mississauga address for my PR card. GoogleMaps shows that it's only a 30 min drive from Toronto but I was just wondering if that should be okay. And if the immigration officers asks Can I tell that it's my relatives address and I'll be staying there intially?

Thank you.
 

subodhp

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2019
944
183
Toronto
Hi everyone, I am landing in Toronto in October. My Port of Entry is also Toronto on CoPR. And I was just wondering If I can give a mississauga address for my PR card. GoogleMaps shows that it's only a 30 min drive from Toronto but I was just wondering if that should be okay. And if the immigration officers asks Can I tell that it's my relatives address and I'll be staying there intially?

Thank you.
Why do you expect it to be a problem in first place ? Unless you came through pnp, there is no requirement on settling in a particular province.
Mentioning it as your initial address should be ok
 

Neilerwin

Newbie
Nov 1, 2019
3
0
Hi.

My parents are arriving in Canada as permanent residents. The city of destination written on their COPR is Victoria, BC because that’s where we live. However, my parents were wondering if they could land in Toronto and stay with my aunt there for a few months before eventually moving to Victoria, BC. Would this be feasible? Or are you supposed to go to the city of destination printed on your COPR right away?
 

subodhp

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2019
944
183
Toronto
Hi.

My parents are arriving in Canada as permanent residents. The city of destination written on their COPR is Victoria, BC because that’s where we live. However, my parents were wondering if they could land in Toronto and stay with my aunt there for a few months before eventually moving to Victoria, BC. Would this be feasible? Or are you supposed to go to the city of destination printed on your COPR right away?
This is through sponsorship right?
You should mostly be ok but a lot could boil down to Poe officer who has to be convinced on what the intentions of your parents are. Having a fixed plan in the form of confirmed itinerary will help.
 

aleersurahio

Hero Member
Mar 18, 2019
202
10
Good evening guys!

I would like to write about my landing experience on Feb 15th 2019. You can find my detailed timeline below.

I started on Feb 15th @ 02:00 AM from India. I have booked my trip to Toronto via Hong Kong (Cathay Pacific) & the flight was great. My transit time in Hong Kong was just 1 hour. My first flight reached Hong Kong 30 minutes early(Great right?!!!). I just had to walk to my Toronto flight's terminal and board the flight. Flight from Hong Kong to Toronto was very looooooong and tiring. But still awesome. I reached Toronto 15 mins earlier than the promised time. Ok! enough flight stories! Let me come to the point.

The moment we landed in Pearson airport, there were 2 gates to choose. One is for people who are arriving and the other one is for people who are heading to their next flight.Obviously we have to go to the first option.I had to walk past few terminals and I came to immigration department. Automatic kiosk is the first step in the process. You need to scan your passports there. For people above 18 years , the machine will take a picture of you and you will get a receipt. Take that to the next counter where the officer will verify the passports and the receipt that you have taken from the kiosk.

Next head to the third and final counter where the officer will verify your passports and COPR documents and ask you basic questions like "Do you have more than $10000 in cash?" etc... Once you give answers and passports they will ask you to wait(for like 10-15 mins). Then the same officer will call you and take a signature from you on the COPR copies and retain one with them(the one with your photo) and give you the second one.They will warmly welcome you and your family to Canada and advise you that you , if you have to leave Canada before getting your PR card you would need a visa to enter again. That's it! we're done and we're in!

Next and most important step of all is the creation of your SIN number. But this is only applicable for immigrants who land during business hours. I have planned my travel such that I land during 9AM - 5PM Monday - Friday. Services Canada is adjacent to the third and final immigration counter. Just go there with your COPR and passports they will take care of the rest. You would get your SIN number in less than 5 minutes. Head to your check-in baggage counter and happily walk outside the airport to take a taxi to your temporary residence/hotel.

Overall I would say that the immigration process is fast and friendly. Sorry for too much details & hope this helps!
They will ask for permanent address to send end PR card, I would provide a friend's address; who lives in same Ontario but in a city 300 KM away from where I’m going. Would that be okay, or they need address in same city! Thank you.