Nerves on the Verge of Landing

[lawgrrl]

Well, we've sold our house, one car, and half our "stuff," quit my job here in Portland, and rented an apartment in Vancouver. Next Tuesday the big U-Haul will be here and off we go to B.C. and landing. I HOPE!

Here's the rub: I renewed my US passport after submitting my app. When the LA Visa Office asked for further info, I included pages from the new passport. When COPR came in early March, I immediately noted that it references my former passport as my "travel document," which passport would have expired last month (April 14). I've emailed LA numerous times and had NO response to my inquiry as to whether this is something a border agent can handle when we land. Not even a robo-response! So I'm bringing printouts of all those emails with me--with all the packing I still have to do, I don't have time to hang on the phone all day trying to get through to a human voice.

I'm grateful to have received my COPR so quickly but this "little" error does nag at me. If you have any thoughts or similar experience, please let me know.

Wish us well and be thinking positive thoughts next Wednesday! (We'll overnight in Bellingham before bringing van, car, 2 cats and "stuff" across the border.)

 

[Swede]

Does the COPR have an expiry date on it? Last thing I heard, a COPR was valid until passport or medical expired.

I don't know if this is still the case or if it's an absolute, but you probably should've taken a day before April 14th and gone to the border and back.

Good luck though and let us know!

 

[lawgrrl]

Thanks, Swede. The expiry date on the COPR is 16 August 2013 (one year after medicals). So yes, I'm probably good, and yes it would have been nice to resolve this at the border before the actual move. We were fortunate to be able to sell our house 48 hours (!) after listing it for sale, but a condition of sale was turning over possession in just 6 weeks. That really didn't leave us an entire day to drive to the border and back.

Will report next Wednesday--keeping my fingers crossed!

 

[CdnandTrini]

Reply: Nerves on the Verge of Landing

Well, we've sold our house, one car, and half our "stuff," quit my job here in Portland, and rented an apartment in Vancouver. Next Tuesday the big U-Haul will be here and off we go to B.C. and landing. I HOPE!

Here's the rub: I renewed my US passport after submitting my app. When the LA Visa Office asked for further info, I included pages from the new passport. When COPR came in early March, I immediately noted that it references my former passport as my "travel document," which passport would have expired last month (April 14). I've emailed LA numerous times and had NO response to my inquiry as to whether this is something a border agent can handle when we land. Not even a robo-response! So I'm bringing printouts of all those emails with me--with all the packing I still have to do, I don't have time to hang on the phone all day trying to get through to a human voice.

I'm grateful to have received my COPR so quickly but this "little" error does nag at me. If you have any thoughts or similar experience, please let me know.

Wish us well and be thinking positive thoughts next Wednesday! (We'll overnight in Bellingham before bringing van, car, 2 cats and "stuff" across the border.)

Hello lawgrrl, I have read on many threads of this forum that people land with both new and old passports for exactly the reasons you are describing above. Did you keep the old one? if not, you likely have a copy of it so make sure you have it along with what you have already done and you should be just fine. Congrats. on being through the process and welcome to Canada!

 

[lawgrrl]

Re: Reply: Nerves on the Verge of Landing

Hello lawgrrl, I have read on many threads of this forum that people land with both new and old passports for exactly the reasons you are describing above. Did you keep the old one? if not, you likley have a copy of it so make sure you have it along with what you have already done and you should be just fine. Congrats. on being through the process and welcome to Canada!

Thanks, CdnandTrini! I may have my original passport, but I've probably packed it! ??? However, I have my entire application (including passport pages) scanned to CD, which I'm bringing to the border, together with a copy of my letter to the LA Visa Office informing them of the update and including a color copy of the "new" passport.

Thanks, guys--I'm feeling better now. Will let you all know Wednesday how it goes.

 

[lawgrrl]

LANDED! We came by auto and trailer to the Aldergrove, B.C. office (east of Vancouver, B.C. in dairy & blueberry country). The CIC officers were courteous and friendly, and processed all our paperwork in about 30 minutes or less. And we had a LOT of papers. My husband was retuning to Canada after a 20-year absence and importing a car. I had multiple pages of B4 declarations and we had 2 old cats (no one even looked at them--just made sure they had their rabies vaccinations).

Could not have been easier. The reference in my COPR to my expired passport just got a shrug and an "eh!" from the officer processing my immigration. AND NOW I'M A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF CANADA! 8)

 

[CdnandTrini]

Reply: Nerves on the Verge of Landing

LANDED! We came by auto and trailer to the Aldergrove, B.C. office (east of Vancouver, B.C. in dairy & blueberry country). The CIC officers were courteous and friendly, and processed all our paperwork in about 30 minutes or less. And we had a LOT of papers. My husband was retuning to Canada after a 20-year absence and importing a car. I had multiple pages of B4 declarations and we had 2 old cats (no one even looked at them--just made sure they had their rabies vaccinations).

Could not have been easier. The reference in my COPR to my expired passport just got a shrug and an "eh!" from the officer processing my immigration. AND NOW I'M A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF CANADA! 8)

Welcome to Canada Ms. Canadian Lawgrrl!!!! So happy for you and hubby and us. All news like this is great. Now go start your wonderful journey as a "normal" couple and enjoy. Many blessings. Thanks for coming back to share your landing story. Woo hoo!!

 

[Swede]

LANDED! We came by auto and trailer to the Aldergrove, B.C. office (east of Vancouver, B.C. in dairy & blueberry country). The CIC officers were courteous and friendly, and processed all our paperwork in about 30 minutes or less. And we had a LOT of papers. My husband was retuning to Canada after a 20-year absence and importing a car. I had multiple pages of B4 declarations and we had 2 old cats (no one even looked at them--just made sure they had their rabies vaccinations).

Could not have been easier. The reference in my COPR to my expired passport just got a shrug and an "eh!" from the officer processing my immigration. AND NOW I'M A PERMANENT RESIDENT OF CANADA! 8)

Good to hear. Congrats!