PR Soft landing from US - After EO

[jokerdurden]

Hi @jokerdurden

Thanks for sharing your experience. I'm in an almost similar situation as you. I just got PPR and waiting for my passport to get stamped and to receive my COPR. I also have an expired F1 since 2018 and doing my Ph.D. here too in the US.

I've been reading about people doing landing from this forum but mostly they are on H1, it's good to finally see someone with an F1 report. I know AVR also apply to F1.

I'm contemplating soft-landing and if I should renew my F1 before coming back or do AVR.

I have some questions for you:
1. You didn't try to renew your F1 in Toronto during your stay? why? because of the embassy closure?
2. Can you share your experience when you arrived at Canada with the cbsa, mainly your landing interview, since you did soft-landing.
3. I didn't know about Pre-Clearance airport. is it only Toronto airport or other provinces cities like Calgary for example have such clearance.
4. Lastly just to confirm, the US CBP interview was at Toronto? (I guess it's clear from your sentence)

Hey @hopefulnewbie

Please find my answers below:

1. You didn't try to renew your F1 in Toronto during your stay? why? because of the embassy closure?

No, I did not renew my F1 because I'm confident that I can use AVR to re-enter USA.

2. Can you share your experience when you arrived at Canada with the cbsa, mainly your landing interview, since you did soft-landing.

The landing experience at cbsa canada was smooth, it took around 20 minutes to stay in the line and wait for my turn to meet the immigration officer. Officer asked me some basic questions like, from which country I am coming from, and my visa status in USA, how much money I'm bringing in to Canada. Then the officer asked me for an address that I want my PR card to be sent to. Asked some other questions like if I have committed any crime and if I have any dependants. Took my fingerprints, asked me to verify my details on the copr doc and asked me to write my initials and signature on it and stamped it and I was given a client copy of the copr. Then the officer said that now I'm a permanent resident of Canada and Ill get my PR in 6-8 weeks.

3. I didn't know about Pre-Clearance airport. is it only Toronto airport or other provinces cities like Calgary for example have such clearance.
Im not sure about other airports but, Toronto Pearson International Airport is a Pre-Clearance airport.


4. Lastly just to confirm, the US CBP interview was at Toronto? (I guess it's clear from your sentence)

Yes, it is done at the Toronto airport. No more immigration after landing in the USA.

 

[hopefulnewbie]

Hey @hopefulnewbie

Please find my answers below:

1. You didn't try to renew your F1 in Toronto during your stay? why? because of the embassy closure?

No, I did not renew my F1 because I'm confident that I can use AVR to re-enter USA.

2. Can you share your experience when you arrived at Canada with the cbsa, mainly your landing interview, since you did soft-landing.

The landing experience at cbsa canada was smooth, it took around 20 minutes to stay in the line and wait for my turn to meet the immigration officer. Officer asked me some basic questions like, from which country I am coming from, and my visa status in USA, how much money I'm bringing in to Canada. Then the officer asked me for an address that I want my PR card to be sent to. Asked some other questions like if I have committed any crime and if I have any dependants. Took my fingerprints, asked me to verify my details on the copr doc and asked me to write my initials and signature on it and stamped it and I was given a client copy of the copr. Then the officer said that now I'm a permanent resident of Canada and Ill get my PR in 6-8 weeks.

3. I didn't know about Pre-Clearance airport. is it only Toronto airport or other provinces cities like Calgary for example have such clearance.
Im not sure about other airports but, Toronto Pearson International Airport is a Pre-Clearance airport.


4. Lastly just to confirm, the US CBP interview was at Toronto? (I guess it's clear from your sentence)

Yes, it is done at the Toronto airport. No more immigration after landing in the USA.

Hi @jokerdurden,

Thanks for your prompt response. Interesting they didn't ask you if you're moving to Canada permanently or not.

Lastly, can you share your 14 days quarantine plan? I want to find out if you used Airbnb or Hotel.

Once again, thanks for your response and for sharing your experience.

 

[jokerdurden]

Hi @jokerdurden,

Thanks for your prompt response. Interesting they didn't ask you if you're moving to Canada permanently or not.

Lastly, can you share your 14 days quarantine plan? I want to find out if you used Airbnb or Hotel.

Once again, thanks for your response and for sharing your experience.

Usually when you fly they don’t normally ask you if you are moving permanently. This question usually arises across land borders as most people do soft landing and return back right away.

For my 14 days quarantine, Iv stayed in my friends’ apartment as it is vacant and he is india right now.

 

[bryndog1950]

In case anyone is interested:

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/brdr-strtgs/prclrnc/index-en.aspx

The U.S. conducts preclearance operations at the following airports in Canada:

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Stanfield International Airport (Halifax)
• Trudeau International Airport (Montréal)
• Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (Ottawa)
• Pearson International Airport (Toronto)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

 

[hopefulnewbie]

Usually when you fly they don’t normally ask you if you are moving permanently. This question usually arises across land borders as most people do soft landing and return back right away.

For my 14 days quarantine, Iv stayed in my friends’ apartment as it is vacant and he is india right now.

I see, Thank you so much for answering my questions

 

[hopefulnewbie]

In case anyone is interested:

https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/brdr-strtgs/prclrnc/index-en.aspx

The U.S. conducts preclearance operations at the following airports in Canada:

• Calgary International Airport
• Edmonton International Airport
• Stanfield International Airport (Halifax)
• Trudeau International Airport (Montréal)
• Macdonald-Cartier International Airport (Ottawa)
• Pearson International Airport (Toronto)
• Vancouver International Airport
• Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport

Thanks for sharing this!

 

[abhishekksk]

Hi
My h1 stamping is expired but i797 is valid. I am planning to do soft landing this month some time by land border seattle-Vancouver. Has anyone recently done it like in February, Janaury or December.
if any of you are planning to do it in next few weeks can join too. Seperate cars though considering pandemic.
please get in touch or share your experience here. It will be very helpful.
PS- i have developed confidence that AVR will work and i can return immediately after doing PR landing by reading this thread from page-1 to most recent already.

 

[rajgrk]

Hello All, This particular thread gave a lot of good information. I just wanted to re-ignite this thread and see if anyone are still doing soft landings. Here is my situation below-

My COPR is issued post March 2020. My COPR and PR Visa is valid till 5th March 2021. I am living in USA. Per the recent travel restrictions, it looks like people living in US and wanting to cross the border via land are allowed with a negative Covid test and mandatory 14 day quarantine. I cannot travel to Canada right now and have raised a webform asking to extend my COPR. But, waiting for the response. If anyone can answer my below questions, it would be of great help :

1. Does anyone know if extension of COPR is possible for applicants living in US? If so, please share any confirmation/proof you may have. And the process to get the same.
2. Can anyone share their experiences of recent Soft landings. Returned back to US same day? or completed quarantine?

 

[adityacs007]

Hi All,
I went to validate COPR at peace bridge on 3/6 and was asked to quarantine, no U turn allowed. Soft landing isn't a problem if you can quarantine. I had to come back on 4th day of quarantine because my kid got an ear infection. I called covid hotline, they said I can leave if I keep quarantined in car and am not exposed to any Canadian.

Read section 8 on this link:
https://orders-in-council.canada.ca/attachment.php?attach=39482&lang=en

Used AVR while coming back.

I am worried if officers will go to my place of quarantine (Airbnb) and don't find me, will they just report me. Anyone getting calls after they made the u-turn?

 

[adityacs007]

Anyone getting ArriveCAN notifications/calls?

 

[sowsiv]

@adityacs007 wanted to know how did you plan the quarantine and cancelled it in between? did you take quarantine at airbnb or a hotel?

 

[adityacs007]

Yes. Stayed in Airbnb. You don't need to honestly. No one cares if you aren't roaming around in the country. Tell the immigration officer you will be staying in Airbnb. Take a u turn and come back. When Canadian authorities call, tell them you are back in US. They are more than happy to hear that.

 

[sowsiv]

Yes. Stayed in Airbnb. You don't need to honestly. No one cares if you aren't roaming around in the country. Tell the immigration officer you will be staying in Airbnb. Take a u turn and come back. When Canadian authorities call, tell them you are back in US. They are more than happy to hear that.

Thank you. I am actually planning to book one and they said airbnb would refund if cancelled on the first day before 3 pm. So plan is to reach the border at 9/10 am and officers say no need to quarantine then just take a u turn and cancel the booking.

Also when you said say that to mention i would be at airbnb and they wouldnt care do you mean i should just take the uturn at 'To USA' sign? I have watched few videos on youtube and there is a sign after border check saying that., so was curious.

 

[dreamer131713]

Yes. Stayed in Airbnb. You don't need to honestly. No one cares if you aren't roaming around in the country. Tell the immigration officer you will be staying in Airbnb. Take a u turn and come back. When Canadian authorities call, tell them you are back in US. They are more than happy to hear that.

Did they not ask if you have exported your car, since you said you were coming in permanently but with US car? Also did they start any process to import the car into Canada.

 

[swan0206]

Also when you said say that to mention i would be at airbnb and they wouldnt care do you mean i should just take the uturn at 'To USA' sign? I have watched few videos on youtube and there is a sign after border check saying that., so was curious.

No you cannot do that U-turn is at that point(as this TO_USA, U-turn will be shown by border agents if you were allowed soft landing) if you said you are going to quarantine or by any chance officer didn't allow you then is the situation he might referring that you have to go into the city and take an exit somewhere and go back to USA.