Hello All,
Please find my soft landing experience in a series of sequential steps below and my questions in bold:
1) Customs Form - I get one towards the end of my Air Canada flight. I had a travel card and cash, totalling more than 10,000 CAD. So, I wanted to declare that. However, the cash was less than 3,000 CAD. I did not know which address to fill - I had a rented mailbox address in Toronto but my permanent address and another mailing address were in my birth country. So I left it blank. I was going to be in Canada for only 10 days, so I filled in the visitor section.
2) Customs Officer in a Hurry - After getting off the plane, I meet the customs officer. She asked me to produce my passport, CoPR and asks about my funds - cash and card. She asks me about the card. Please see the exchange below, with my response in italics
"is this a traveller's cheque?"
"No. It is a borderless prepaid card loaded with Canadian dollars."
"So it is like a debit card?"
<I am not sure how to answer> "Yes...."
She proceeds to correct my card and change it to a version of "nothing to declare".
I am not sure if she did this right. Did she? Is there any chance I would face any trouble for this during a future entry?
She sends me to immigration.
3) Immigration Officer - She asks me for my CoPR and passport. She fills out the address for sending the PR (UPS mailbox rental). She makes me fill out my birth country address in the customs form. She asks me about my funds. I had the minimum 12,960 CAD with me in cash and card. Regarding card, she asks if these funds are available immediately, in CAD. I say yes. Technically, it is a multi-currency card - but only CAD had been loaded onto it. So I was truthful. I also try to show her my net worth from a bank account and credit card in a 3rd country. I was concerned than 12,960 CAD was lower than the 34,000 CAD that I had promised to bring in my express entry application. But the officer only asks if those funds are in CAD, I say no. She says then it is irrelevant.
Then, she takes a look at the bottom of my customs form. This is where things take a turn for the worse. She sees that I am going to be in Canada for only 10 days. She proceeds to ask me questions. Please see the exchange below, with my response in italics
"How can you be a permanent resident if you are going to be here only for 10 days?"
"I don't have a job lined up in Canada."
"Well, how are you going to get a job in Canada sitting in your home country?"
"I am currently employed in a global company in my home country and I will get a transfer to its Canadian office."
"Why didn't you do it earlier? Your PR has been in process for a while now."
"I have not been long enough at the company to be eligible for transfer. I will be 6 months down the line, after I have been at the company for more than 10 months."
"What company is it?"
<Company name>
"When did you join?
"November 2019"
"Were you working for <Company name> in another country?"
"Yes. in <Country name>"
At this point, she asked me to take a seat.
She called me back in 15 minutes or so. She had stapled the CoPR to my passport. She had mistakenly stamped 18th Feb as my entry date, then crossed it out by pen and put another stamp for 21st Feb. She asked me not to lose my stapled CoPR- it was proof of my landing and PR status (for now).
Could I face an issue at any immigration for these 2 dates for Canadian entry - one correct and one incorrect?
Would my answers cause any trouble in the future entries to Canada? I am hoping not, but I would like to know the opinion of experienced folks on this forum.
4) Goods to Follow (GTF) and Good to Accompany(GTA) forms - At this point, I ask her about the 2 forms. She says that the customs form is sufficient and waves me off.
I leave immigration and head towards the customs exit - this is where you submit your customs forms or get stopped for a full search. Along the way, I ask multiple customs official how I should fill these forms, but all of them asks me to head to the customs exit. When I reach the exit, I ask again. The customs officer yells, "Well, do you have it?". I said no. I had read in these and other forums that I did not need to fill the forms in advance. He sends me off to the customs checking section, where people who are stopped have their bags checked.
After some waiting, I get to speak to a customs officer. I explain my situation to him - come to activate pr status, will go back and then come again to canada with the same stuff to settle. This is not entirely accurate by the way. I would have a hard disk, more clothes and more medication with me next time, if I can make it.
He asks me if I have the list of stuff with me. I had made the list in my personal diary sitting in my flight. He asks me if it is more than 8 items. I say yes, but I can group them. He says that there is no need to group them and makes me list all items. He makes a copy of the document, gives me a receipt and says that I need to bring the copy next time I come to Canada. He lets me go after that.
Commentary - I am a single person with no vehicles, jewellery or expensive items. Even my personal laptop is second-hand. So I did not take the customs thing too seriously - which was probably not the right thing to do. But I also had to declare my work laptop and work phone, which were expensive.
Did I do the customs thing right? Based on my actions, is there a possibility that I would face any problems in a future visit? I am not so worried about duty being charged - I am more worried about fines and jail.
5) Bank appointment in Toronto a few hours later- I went to create a TD chequing account but the banker pushed really hard for me to create a savings account as well. I had to waste a lot of time to prevent her from opening a savings account for me. She also
I) filled my tax residency status in Canada as resident, (although she also noted my tax residency in my birth country)
II) asked for my SIN (which I understand is not required unless I am getting money from the bank). In between steps 4 and 5, I had gone to a Service Canada office and had gotten a SIN, so I had it with me.
III) filled in my address as the Canadian one, with the understanding that this is where I would stay permanently once I move to Canada permanently - although it is just a mailbox rental.
I have set up an appointment with the bank to change the paperwork, so that I am listed as a tax non resident. I am going to show
i) my current job's employment reference letter
ii) my return flight ticket
iii) an email listing the dates on which I am on leave and which would end soon
ii) printed documents explaining difference between tax residency and immigration residency
iii) explain that I would have to pay taxes for my current non Canadian job to the CRA if I am listed as a Canadian tax resident.
What else can I provide to the bank for them to change the paperwork?
What is an easy way to explain these basic concepts to bankers? I am sorry but the ones I have interacted with seem to be really clueless about tax stuff. The banker I mentioned above does not even do her own taxes - she hires an accountant.
What are the consequences if I am unable to change the paperwork?
Thank you for reading!
Please find my soft landing experience in a series of sequential steps below and my questions in bold:
1) Customs Form - I get one towards the end of my Air Canada flight. I had a travel card and cash, totalling more than 10,000 CAD. So, I wanted to declare that. However, the cash was less than 3,000 CAD. I did not know which address to fill - I had a rented mailbox address in Toronto but my permanent address and another mailing address were in my birth country. So I left it blank. I was going to be in Canada for only 10 days, so I filled in the visitor section.
2) Customs Officer in a Hurry - After getting off the plane, I meet the customs officer. She asked me to produce my passport, CoPR and asks about my funds - cash and card. She asks me about the card. Please see the exchange below, with my response in italics
"is this a traveller's cheque?"
"No. It is a borderless prepaid card loaded with Canadian dollars."
"So it is like a debit card?"
<I am not sure how to answer> "Yes...."
She proceeds to correct my card and change it to a version of "nothing to declare".
I am not sure if she did this right. Did she? Is there any chance I would face any trouble for this during a future entry?
She sends me to immigration.
3) Immigration Officer - She asks me for my CoPR and passport. She fills out the address for sending the PR (UPS mailbox rental). She makes me fill out my birth country address in the customs form. She asks me about my funds. I had the minimum 12,960 CAD with me in cash and card. Regarding card, she asks if these funds are available immediately, in CAD. I say yes. Technically, it is a multi-currency card - but only CAD had been loaded onto it. So I was truthful. I also try to show her my net worth from a bank account and credit card in a 3rd country. I was concerned than 12,960 CAD was lower than the 34,000 CAD that I had promised to bring in my express entry application. But the officer only asks if those funds are in CAD, I say no. She says then it is irrelevant.
Then, she takes a look at the bottom of my customs form. This is where things take a turn for the worse. She sees that I am going to be in Canada for only 10 days. She proceeds to ask me questions. Please see the exchange below, with my response in italics
"How can you be a permanent resident if you are going to be here only for 10 days?"
"I don't have a job lined up in Canada."
"Well, how are you going to get a job in Canada sitting in your home country?"
"I am currently employed in a global company in my home country and I will get a transfer to its Canadian office."
"Why didn't you do it earlier? Your PR has been in process for a while now."
"I have not been long enough at the company to be eligible for transfer. I will be 6 months down the line, after I have been at the company for more than 10 months."
"What company is it?"
<Company name>
"When did you join?
"November 2019"
"Were you working for <Company name> in another country?"
"Yes. in <Country name>"
At this point, she asked me to take a seat.
She called me back in 15 minutes or so. She had stapled the CoPR to my passport. She had mistakenly stamped 18th Feb as my entry date, then crossed it out by pen and put another stamp for 21st Feb. She asked me not to lose my stapled CoPR- it was proof of my landing and PR status (for now).
Could I face an issue at any immigration for these 2 dates for Canadian entry - one correct and one incorrect?
Would my answers cause any trouble in the future entries to Canada? I am hoping not, but I would like to know the opinion of experienced folks on this forum.
4) Goods to Follow (GTF) and Good to Accompany(GTA) forms - At this point, I ask her about the 2 forms. She says that the customs form is sufficient and waves me off.
I leave immigration and head towards the customs exit - this is where you submit your customs forms or get stopped for a full search. Along the way, I ask multiple customs official how I should fill these forms, but all of them asks me to head to the customs exit. When I reach the exit, I ask again. The customs officer yells, "Well, do you have it?". I said no. I had read in these and other forums that I did not need to fill the forms in advance. He sends me off to the customs checking section, where people who are stopped have their bags checked.
After some waiting, I get to speak to a customs officer. I explain my situation to him - come to activate pr status, will go back and then come again to canada with the same stuff to settle. This is not entirely accurate by the way. I would have a hard disk, more clothes and more medication with me next time, if I can make it.
He asks me if I have the list of stuff with me. I had made the list in my personal diary sitting in my flight. He asks me if it is more than 8 items. I say yes, but I can group them. He says that there is no need to group them and makes me list all items. He makes a copy of the document, gives me a receipt and says that I need to bring the copy next time I come to Canada. He lets me go after that.
Commentary - I am a single person with no vehicles, jewellery or expensive items. Even my personal laptop is second-hand. So I did not take the customs thing too seriously - which was probably not the right thing to do. But I also had to declare my work laptop and work phone, which were expensive.
Did I do the customs thing right? Based on my actions, is there a possibility that I would face any problems in a future visit? I am not so worried about duty being charged - I am more worried about fines and jail.
5) Bank appointment in Toronto a few hours later- I went to create a TD chequing account but the banker pushed really hard for me to create a savings account as well. I had to waste a lot of time to prevent her from opening a savings account for me. She also
I) filled my tax residency status in Canada as resident, (although she also noted my tax residency in my birth country)
II) asked for my SIN (which I understand is not required unless I am getting money from the bank). In between steps 4 and 5, I had gone to a Service Canada office and had gotten a SIN, so I had it with me.
III) filled in my address as the Canadian one, with the understanding that this is where I would stay permanently once I move to Canada permanently - although it is just a mailbox rental.
I have set up an appointment with the bank to change the paperwork, so that I am listed as a tax non resident. I am going to show
i) my current job's employment reference letter
ii) my return flight ticket
iii) an email listing the dates on which I am on leave and which would end soon
ii) printed documents explaining difference between tax residency and immigration residency
iii) explain that I would have to pay taxes for my current non Canadian job to the CRA if I am listed as a Canadian tax resident.
What else can I provide to the bank for them to change the paperwork?
What is an easy way to explain these basic concepts to bankers? I am sorry but the ones I have interacted with seem to be really clueless about tax stuff. The banker I mentioned above does not even do her own taxes - she hires an accountant.
What are the consequences if I am unable to change the paperwork?
Thank you for reading!
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