Please DO NOT go for Flag Polling/ PR Landing in Carway, Alberta

[dobes]

Exactly. It's also in direct conflict with CBSA's advertised services available at Carway.

I agree it's useful to share this information here. It would be even more useful & constructive to share it with CBSA. It is clearly stated that immigration services are available at Carway. "Flagpoling", when one is eligible to do so, is not excluded.

I'll reiterate what I said previously: CBSA managers/supervisors need to know about this.

I totally agree. Let CBSA know what happened to you, and that others on this board shared the same experience in the same place. You're Canadian now!

 

[Lammawitch]

I totally agree. Let CBSA know what happened to you, and that others on this board shared the same experience in the same place. You're Canadian now!

Well, Canadian PR . /pedantry !!

 

[Lammawitch]

This is a very long & boring read:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/ae-ve/2014/srpoe-pepte-eng.html

However, the pertinent sentence which stands out in the context of this thread is:

The Canada Border Services Agency is legislatively bound to process applications received at the POE

 

[malik85]

I have heard some similar stories about Carway.

 

[Kiki10]

We had the same response at Carway.... We went to renew our work permit (LMIA) and the officer gave as a talk that we shouldn't do flag polling, that he can refuse us entry and we can be deported (didn't explain on what ground as we didn't brake the law) and bla bla bla

We waited for 2 hours (no questions asked) and got our permits... BTW we were two adults and two kids- 1yrs old and 3 yrs old.....

 

[samcan2015]

This is very strange to me as my sister went to Carway for flag polling, she told me that everything went smoothly. my guess depends on officer.
They are not all rude as you described.

 

[KingOfGoodTimes]

This is a very long & boring read:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/ae-ve/2014/srpoe-pepte-eng.html

However, the pertinent sentence which stands out in the context of this thread is:

TFS!

TLDR:

Overall, approximately 2.0% of all immigration requests at the land border are processed at SRPOEs. Footnote 33 Given the lack of infrastructure (i.e. holding cells) and systems access, many immigration requests are not conducted at SRPOEs but are rather diverted to larger POEs, and thus increasing the demand for immigration processing at these larger POEs. Other SRPOEs are seeing an increase in immigration flag pole trafficFootnote 34, which results in pressures both on CBSA resources and on the United States Customs and Border Protection resources at the opposite POE in the United States. Immigration processing activities at 17 SRPOEs increased by 33.4% between FY 2009–2010 and FY 2012–2013.Footnote 35 For example, at the port of Carway in the Prairie region, immigration processing increased by 56.4% between FY 2009–2010 and FY 2012–2013. In FY 2012–2013, 67.1% of all SRPOE immigration requests were processed at that POE.Footnote 36 The majority of those requests were work permits; Carway processed an average of 629 work permits each year between FY 2009–2010 and FY 2012–2013.

There are many facility impediments to the consistent delivery of services at the SRPOEs and some will require significant infrastructure investments over the coming years.

Existing fixed infrastructure does not accommodate current and future border operations (due to issues such as inadequate space for detentions and examinations) at SRPOEs.Footnote 37 SRPOE facilities in several regions do not meet operational requirements for Doubling-up due to space limitations for officers added under the initiative.Footnote 38 Thirty-four SRPOEs that have been identified under the BtB SRPOE initiative have buildings more than 40 years old, with the oldest over 80 years old. This is beyond the expected service life of these structures and presents repeated maintenance issues and health and safety concerns.Footnote 39

Many locations have only one primary inspection lane, which halts processing activities should a more detailed examination be required. Also, there are a limited number of SRPOEs that have a booth in the primary inspection area, and thus officers are required to take the travellers’ documents inside the SRPOE in order to run queries or to phone another POE. Some SRPOEs are limited in their ability to process payments as there is no on-site credit card payment of duties and taxes. This ultimately increases the time it takes to process each traveller, sometimes significantly.Footnote 40 However, 8.1% of complaints initiated at SRPOEs between FY 2011–2012 and FY 2013–2014 were related to wait times, and a further 5.8% of complaints were related to general service at SRPOEs.Footnote 41

 

[Kiki10]

This is very strange to me as my sister went to Carway for flag polling, she told me that everything went smoothly. my guess depends on officer.
They are not all rude as you described.

Of course not all are rude!!!! It's just that person....
I probably will do my landing at Carway soon anyway
Our friends had their WP renewals at Coutts and had been held there for more that 5 hours!!!!!! So it is nothing to do with the "location" it's the officer/their mood that day.....

 

[largepoint]

This is a very long & boring read:
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/agency-agence/reports-rapports/ae-ve/2014/srpoe-pepte-eng.html

However, the pertinent sentence which stands out in the context of this thread is:

Great find! Thanks for sharing.

 

[autumnsummer71]

If at any time these officers feel that its not their duty to do immigration services but only do catch-the-smuggler services, then he/she can step aside and give it to other officers who are glad to do it. If the CBSA website lists that border office as one that provides Immigration Services, the officer has no prerogative to vent it out on the would-be PRs. He/She can talk to their superiors and remove themselves to other duties or protest to remove immigration service from that office. Not show their power to innocent landers. They should talk to Chris Alexander if they have a problem.

 

[JK_CAD]

CIC should come up with a list of locations where people can do flag polling or PR landing.

 

[Lammawitch]

CIC should come up with a list of locations where people can do flag polling or PR landing.

CBSA already has a list: Carway is on it.

 

[samcan2015]

Just sharing with you my experience with Carway landing:
I went yesterday to Carway border
I am a visa required country, so I don't have a visa to go to USA.
At US border there is no line-up I was the only car there, he told me to go in the office and hand me a refusal sheet. and asked me to go to the Canada border.
in Canada border, he just asked me about my status, I said implied, he asked to give him work permit even though my work permit expired since March 2015.
I wait 1/2 h then called me to sign and done...
He didn't ask for nay paper.
just for people in this forum. If you are in implied status, you are allow to work at the same condition as you were before your work permit expired.

The officer that works on Wednesday at CARWAY border is good, no problem at all.
My time line:
I am cook in Calgary, I had LMIA until march 2015.
ITA received Feb 27 2015
Application submitted on March 22
No movement until April 24 Medical pass
June 22 document requested
July 8 document requested
August 14 : passport requested
Send a passport on August 19
August 27 passport received back
September 3 landed at Carway Alberta

Good luck to everyone
if you need help I am here to help
I will connect again because I have my brother still waiting to have LMIA, so far no luck
if anyone can help how I can find an employer to do the LMIA will be great

Thanks to everyone

 

[nfe65]

I had quite similar experience this Tuesday evening at Carway. Congrats to you, best of luck. Did the officer tell you, they will mail the signed CoPR altogether at the end of each month?! I found it not cool, as PR card processing could take more than 3 months for our case! He said as Carway is not very busy border, they will not mail them frequently!

Cheers,

Just sharing with you my experience with Carway landing:
I went yesterday to Carway border
I am a visa required country, so I don't have a visa to go to USA.
At US border there is no line-up I was the only car there, he told me to go in the office and hand me a refusal sheet. and asked me to go to the Canada border.
in Canada border, he just asked me about my status, I said implied, he asked to give him work permit even though my work permit expired since March 2015.
I wait 1/2 h then called me to sign and done...
He didn't ask for nay paper.
just for people in this forum. If you are in implied status, you are allow to work at the same condition as you were before your work permit expired.

 

[AAlhadka]

I'm in Eastern Ontario - Ottawa specifically, which broader do you guys recommend? reading through this thread and the bad experiences some had, freak me out! I don't want to experience the same!