Landing FAQs for USA to Canada Land Borders. (Soft or final landing)

[pryda31]

Hi folks!!

First up, thank you for all the wealth of information on the forum and the helpful nature of everyone on the forum.

However, I did not see a lot of information on landing via a Land border specifically USA to Canada and not flag poling. I will keep updating this thread as we keep finding more and more facts on the landing process and make this thread a useful resource for the same.


I will be going for a soft landing next week. Traveling from NY, USA to Toronto,ON mostly crossing the border at either
Lewiston-Queenston Bridge or Peace Bridge.

What is that you would recommend in terms of the bridge crossings and preferences, things to carry, forms that I should have filled out, any questions that I should be prepared to answer.

I will update the thread with my experience as well

Some info on my crossing:
1. Driving after work so will reach the border around midnight.
2. Driving personal car which I might bring to Canada at a later point.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi folks!!

First up, thank you for all the wealth of information on the forum and the helpful nature of everyone on the forum.

However, I did not see a lot of information on landing via a Land border specifically USA to Canada and not flag poling. I will keep updating this thread as we keep finding more and more facts on the landing process and make this thread a useful resource for the same.


I will be going for a soft landing next week. Traveling from NY, USA to Toronto,ON mostly crossing the border at either
Lewiston-Queenston Bridge or Peace Bridge.

What is that you would recommend in terms of the bridge crossings and preferences, things to carry, forms that I should have filled out, any questions that I should be prepared to answer.

I will update the thread with my experience as well

Some info on my crossing:
1. Driving after work so will reach the border around midnight.
2. Driving personal car which I might bring to Canada at a later point.

Hi

You aren't finding specific information because the landing process is no different. You bring the same things, as specified in the letter that came with your documents, and answer the same questions.

 

[pryda31]

Hi

You aren't finding specific information because the landing process is no different. You bring the same things, as specified in the letter that came with your documents, and answer the same questions.

i understand that however, I was hoping to get some first hand experiences from people and how easy or difficult it was to get the landing done. Like missing out a form or carrying an additional form, etc.

 

[albak]

I seem to remember reading a thread here about soft landing at the Rainbow bridge. I think his landing failed. That person had some suggestions about landing during the weekday and not during weekends for the land border. You may want to check it out. The topic was something like “rainbow bridge landing failed” or similar

 

[mgnlky]

I landed at Pacific Highway on a Monday afternoon & had no issues. The entire process took about 10 minutes. Just keep in mind to import a car into Canada you have to have the title and paperwork in hand (aka, it has to be paid off). If you're soft landing and bringing goods later, make sure you have the Goods to Follow form filled out.

 

[MattyTj]

I seem to remember reading a thread here about soft landing at the Rainbow bridge. I think his landing failed. That person had some suggestions about landing during the weekday and not during weekends for the land border. You may want to check it out. The topic was something like “rainbow bridge landing failed” or similar

I think there is a difference between “flag polling” (leaving Canada then coming right back because you are already in Canada legally) and coming “fresh” from the US. If you are coming “fresh” from the US, I’m pretty sure they have to do your landing when you show up at any border with immigration services (air or land) for the first time. CBSA works all airports and you don’t hear people being turned away there. Has anyone doing a “fresh” landing at a bridge ever been turned away? (As opposed to flag polling). I would be willing to bet that has never happened.

 

[pryda31]

I landed at Pacific Highway on a Monday afternoon & had no issues. The entire process took about 10 minutes. Just keep in mind to import a car into Canada you have to have the title and paperwork in hand (aka, it has to be paid off). If you're soft landing and bringing goods later, make sure you have the Goods to Follow form filled out.

Great!! That sounds promising. Also, were you asked any questions?

Also, when get to the border what did you tell them? I have a visitors visa for Canada as well so if i don't mention anything will they just process me as a visitor? Just asking from a curiosity perspective, not that i want to do that.

I will be importing the car later on. So would I be adding them to the goods to follow form or i still have to add it on the BSF186 form?

 

[mgnlky]

Great!! That sounds promising. Also, were you asked any questions? I was just asked for my Canadian address (I used a friends), and if everything I was shipping in later was included on the Goods to Follow form.

Also, when get to the border what did you tell them? I have a visitors visa for Canada as well so if i don't mention anything will they just process me as a visitor? Just asking from a curiosity perspective, not that i want to do that. I was in a car with 2 Canadian citizens, so we told them I was landing as a PR. Make sure you mention you are landing as a new PR. I have a US passport so the guy at the truck crossing would have let me in without questioning, despite the fact he was holding my CoPR. Once we told him a few times that I was landing, he directed us to pull off by the building and go inside. (From there it was 10 mins of smooth sailing.)

I will be importing the car later on. So would I be adding them to the goods to follow form or i still have to add it on the BSF186 form? I believe Goods to Follow, but see if anyone else confirms. I did not import a car.

 

[attituderohit]

Hey, Just wanted to check if you have done your soft landing ?

I will be in a similar condition ( will export car later MAYBE). So I understand that i should just mention the car details in Goods to Follow form.

Please confirm if someone has recently experienced something on this

Thank you