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Soft Landing/Moving to Canada

h1btocanadapr

Member
May 3, 2021
15
1
Hi, I just realized that there's a medical surveillance code 2.02 in my Copr and I was not given any supplemental form for the same. My Copr expires in a week and I plan to doing soft landing and come back. How to handle this situation?
 

inda

Star Member
Jul 7, 2019
52
6
Hi All,

Do you all have water mark on COPR saying "not valid for travel" ? i just received mine, it says so. I am confused if i can land in canada and the visa expires in 2 months.
 

MST555

Full Member
Jun 16, 2021
30
14
Hi All,

Do you all have water mark on COPR saying "not valid for travel" ? i just received mine, it says so. I am confused if i can land in canada and the visa expires in 2 months.
You must have a visa stamped on your passport. That is for travel. You have time till visa expiry date to travel.
 
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inda

Star Member
Jul 7, 2019
52
6
I have COPR and visa, I plan to travel to Canada by road from US crossing at Niagara falls POE after July 6th(I am fully vaccinated), I want to apply for PR card, and bank account and return back in a day or two. After a month I plan to move to Canada permanently.

For US side: I have valid H1B visa until Sep, 2021, my extension is under progress.

Will i be allowed ? Are there any risks for soft landing ?
 

MST555

Full Member
Jun 16, 2021
30
14
I have COPR and visa, I plan to travel to Canada by road from US crossing at Niagara falls POE after July 6th(I am fully vaccinated), I want to apply for PR card, and bank account and return back in a day or two. After a month I plan to move to Canada permanently.

For US side: I have valid H1B visa until Sep, 2021, my extension is under progress.

Will i be allowed ? Are there any risks for soft landing ?
If your extension is under progress you should consult your attorney. As I remember it's not advisable to travel outside when a petition is under progress for H1/H4. Canada is a grey area since technically if you use AVR, then you won't get a new I-94.
 

inda

Star Member
Jul 7, 2019
52
6
If your extension is under progress you should consult your attorney. As I remember it's not advisable to travel outside when a petition is under progress for H1/H4. Canada is a grey area since technically if you use AVR, then you won't get a new I-94.
I checked with my attorney, they told its okay to travel until my current H1B is valid. It wouldn't hurt in process application.
 

inda

Star Member
Jul 7, 2019
52
6
If your extension is under progress you should consult your attorney. As I remember it's not advisable to travel outside when a petition is under progress for H1/H4. Canada is a grey area since technically if you use AVR, then you won't get a new I-94.
i have a valid visa i need not use AVR.
 

pjain64

Full Member
Feb 19, 2020
49
9
I noticed that this page on the CIC website was updated to say this:

"If you got your COPR, but haven’t landed
If we sent you a COPR, but you haven’t been able to go to one of our offices in Canada to validate it, we’ll contact you to tell you what to do. You should not travel to a port of entry to validate your COPR. This is not considered essential travel and you won’t be able to validate it this way."

Further, it also says:
If you hold a valid (not expired) Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and visa, you can travel to Canada as of June 21, 2021, if you’re
  • travelling to Canada with a valid COPR and
  • coming to live and settle permanently.

1. Does anyone know what does this mean? On one hand they're saying "You should not travel to a port of entry to validate your COPR" and on the other hand they are saying " you can travel to Canada as of June 21, 2021". Any thoughts on how this should be interpreted?

2. Also, any idea around how do they validate "coming to live and settle permanently" (since quarantine is not mandatory now)?

cc @MST555
 

pjain64

Full Member
Feb 19, 2020
49
9
Not sure if anyone is planning to do soft landing via land or not, but I found these links which state that US will not let non-essential travelers enter via land. I believe H1B/H4 are considered non-essential travel. Anyone knows or has been able to enter via land lately?

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/23/2021-13238/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1596?language=en_US
 
Last edited:

inda

Star Member
Jul 7, 2019
52
6
Not sure if anyone is planning to do soft landing via land or not, but I found these links which state that US will not let non-essential travelers enter via land. I believe F1/H1B/H4 are considered non-essential travel. Anyone knows or has been able to enter via land lately?

https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2021/06/23/2021-13238/notification-of-temporary-travel-restrictions-applicable-to-land-ports-of-entry-and-ferries-service
https://help.cbp.gov/s/article/Article-1596?language=en_US
thank you, looking at def. of essential travel.. i think h1b, f1 will be allowed..
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions;

  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the farming or agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada in furtherance of such work);
 

pjain64

Full Member
Feb 19, 2020
49
9
thank you, looking at def. of essential travel.. i think h1b, f1 will be allowed..
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions;

  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the farming or agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada in furtherance of such work);
F1 - yes, since it is for educational purposes.
H1B - not so sure, since the example here mentions "essential" travelers who must travel between US and Canada due to the nature of their work, such as farming or agriculture...

If anyone has tried to do this recently, then that would be great to know. It depends a lot on each border and officer. Wondering if anyone did it via Seattle border?
 

MST555

Full Member
Jun 16, 2021
30
14
thank you, looking at def. of essential travel.. i think h1b, f1 will be allowed..
  • Individuals traveling to attend educational institutions;

  • Individuals traveling to work in the United States (e.g., individuals working in the farming or agriculture industry who must travel between the United States and Canada in furtherance of such work);
Once you land in Canada, and become PR, and then travel to US to work for your US employer (and you are not working remote) - I don't think this situation is any different from the example above.
 

CanVisaUser77

Member
Jun 30, 2021
14
0
I have valid COPR and PR Visa which is expiring soon, can I travel to Canada and come back soon ( 3 to 4 days), essentially doing soft landing ?