Obtaining Permanent Residence - Need Help

[shoe4life]

Hello,

Recently my wife has received her Confirmation of Permanent Residence in the mail. We currently reside in Canada.
The instructions say that there are two ways of obtaining her PR:
1. Book an appointment at a CIC office.
2. Leave and Re-enter Canada to obtain it at a Port of Entry.

The confusing part is at the bottom it says:

"Please note that you must leave Canada, enter another country and re-enter Canada at the Port of Entry to become a permanent resident at a Port of Entry."

Does this mean, even if you chose option one to book an appointment at the CIC office that she has to leave and re-enter Canada anyways?

Her Temporary PR VISA expires 1.1.2016, which is less than a month away and we just received this now. She has a Chinese passport so going to the US will require a VISA, which will take more than 3 weeks apparently.

Some help would be much appreciated.

Thank you,

 

[MilesAway]

If you opt to flagpole at the border, you do not need a US visa. You can get an administrative refusal.

 

[shoe4life]

How would I go about getting this administrative refusal.

 

[scylla]

You just drive up to the US side and tell them you are flagpoling to activate a Canadian PR visa. That's pretty much it.

 

[shoe4life]

Ah ok thanks.

So what is the point of option 1, if you have to leave and reenter anyways?

Thanks,

 

[scylla]

Ah ok thanks.

So what is the point of option 1, if you have to leave and reenter anyways?

Thanks,

You don't have to leave and re-enter if you go with option 1. This is the option that let's you land without leaving Canada or driving to a land border crossing. However it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months to get an appointment.

 

[shoe4life]

Ah ok I see. The problem is her PR Temporary VISA expires 1/1/2016. Will this be a problem, if we go option 1. It does say that if the visa expires in two months of less, we have to tell the Call Center that is requires urgent processing.

 

[Aquakitty]

Ah ok I see. The problem is her PR Temporary VISA expires 1/1/2016. Will this be a problem, if we go option 1. It does say that if the visa expires in two months of less, we have to tell the Call Center that is requires urgent processing.

That's because the landing appointment can take up to 2 months to get, depending on your closest visa office. However, some people get their interview in a week.

But wow, did you just get her COPR? That is an incredibly short landing period.

 

[shoe4life]

Thanks for the reply.

So our best bet is to just drive across the border (She has a Chinese passport), tell the US border officer we are doing a "around the flagpole", and drive back?

 

[scylla]

Thanks for the reply.

So our best bet is to just drive across the border (She has a Chinese passport), tell the US border officer we are doing a "around the flagpole", and drive back?

Yes - that would be fastest.

 

[shoe4life]

And I guess the final question is, what is the worse thing that could happen if my wife showed up with a Chinese (that's communist china NOT Taiwan) passport asking to enter the US and then re-enter Canada. I'm not looking to get deported or anything.

Thanks again.

 

[scylla]

And I guess the final question is, what is the worse thing that could happen if my wife showed up with a Chinese (that's communist china NOT Taiwan) passport asking to enter the US and then re-enter Canada. I'm not looking to get deported or anything.

Thanks again.

She won't be asking to enter the US. She will be telling US boarder guards that she's not interested in entering the US and is just flagpoling to trigger her Canadian PR status.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

And I guess the final question is, what is the worse thing that could happen if my wife showed up with a Chinese (that's communist china NOT Taiwan) passport asking to enter the US and then re-enter Canada. I'm not looking to get deported or anything.

Nothing will happen. They will give her the admin refusal and send her on back to Canada. People with passports from every country in the world, including China, flagpole at the Canada-US border every single day.

 

[shoe4life]

Thanks for the reply Canuck.

So I called the CIC, and they said the appointment could take at least 2 weeks, which is cutting it pretty close.

I guess we will be flagpolling.
The CIC did not send a list of items to bring, does anyone have any tips on what to bring?

So far I have:
- proof of address
- passports
- visa
- CoPR forms.


Do we have to bring PR photos?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

So far I have:
- proof of address
- passports
- visa
- CoPR forms.

All she requires to land is passport and COPR. If she is importing anything, then she also needs a B4 form.