I'm in a very blue state (MA), but that doesn't matter - people are still baffled
Before Thanksgiving.
US-based applicants, let's connect here
- Thread starter Adrouault
- Start date
I am also hoping by New Years. My resolution last New Years was to be in Canada by this one.
Does anyone have more information or stories about doing a "soft landing" from the US? Does it complicate things more? Make it easier? Has anyone had any trouble going back and forth while flying and/or driving?
It's so daunting trying to time it all correctly and it'd be nice to go before I have employment and housing lined up (but after COPR of course) and do any and all paperwork necessary to make the actual future move easier.
It's so daunting trying to time it all correctly and it'd be nice to go before I have employment and housing lined up (but after COPR of course) and do any and all paperwork necessary to make the actual future move easier.
You mean, cross the border, activate the COPR, spend a few days in Canada, go back to the States for a while, and then move?
The thing is that when you make your initial landing in Canada with the COPR, they'll ask an address to mail the PR Card within the next 8 weeks or so. The Address must be in Canada, and you'll need the PR card for any subsequent border crossing.
Yes, activate the COPR, take care of any immigration paperwork necessary, ideally have some interviews lined up, look at apartments, etc. But then come back to the US until I have received a job offer and am ready to make the official move. Is there no way around the PR card? I have a US passport, would I not be able to cross using that and supply a Canadian address for my PR card once I actually move?
You don't need PR card to travel to Canada by land; just show your validated COPR. If you are flying, then you will need PR card or PRTD.
The main issue (the only one that really made me question things) based on one story I saw was the car importation thing. Someone got crap from US CBP for not exporting and importing their car then, and while it seemed to work out fine, I'd rather not deal with an annoyed CBP agent! It looks like you can drive up to activate PR and just have the car as a "personal conveyance" as long as you have a specific destination in mind and aren't just being tourists or something, but I haven't looked too deeply into it yet and if worst comes to worst, we'll just rent a car for that trip since we want to do pretty much the same as you and have no reason to fly instead (it's only 4.5 hours to the closest border crossing from here). We have a friend in Canada who could receive our PR card and send it to us so we should be set with that issue thankfully.
As for our timeline, I'm waiting on an ITA but at 435, barring something crazy happening we should get that soon. Our FBI PCCs won't be back until mid-September and while we could use a channeler to speed that up, we may as well use the time to triple-check our application, deal with the employment letter, etc. Assuming the usual timelines from there, we hope to be approved sometime over the winter and then go up soon after to land and check out Toronto and the Kitchener/Waterloo/Cambridge area to see where we'd prefer to live (maybe even visit some apartments) soon after. Ideally my husband will miraculously get a job offer and that would determine it all but if that doesn't happen, we'll probably wait until spring/summer to go. We'd be selling our house too so we have extra logistics to deal with there.
You can get a UPS POBox, with a proper street address, and forwarding if you don't know anyone in Canada.
I did the soft landing, and gave the address of a friend in Toronto. Also, if you're driving in, you can enter with your COPR. I think you can also enter on your US passport, but I'm not sure about that - can't see why not though, you're a US citizen.
Can anyone confirm a PO Box would work?
Also, I believe I would fly for the soft landing, coming from California I really don't want to make the drive until I am ready to import my car as well. So it would be that I fly there, fly back, and then drive for the official move. I wonder if flying will complicate things then...
If you have PR status, then you are supposed to present that status to CBSA. Also if CBSA asks what your status is in Canada, then you are legally obligated to tell them you are PR and present your documents. In either case, you can just show validated COPR at the land border.
You do not need PR card for traveling to the US from Canada. Just your US passport or NEXUS card. PR card, COPR, or PRTD are only need if you are traveling to or through Canada.