I am a direct nominee not a provininicial one, so I am not obliged to reside in a particular province. But I am asking this question because Quebec is not part of the express entry system so I want to know if this can cause any problems. My sister is living in Laval, so landing in Quebec will make life much easier for the first couple of weeks.
Can an express entry nominee land in Quebec?
- Thread starter Wahied
- Start date
You can't land in Quebec. You can move to Quebec after landing in some other province.
If you don't have proof of ongong travel out of Quebec, you may be refused landing.
You can move to Quebec after you are a PR.
If you want to make life easy, and stay with your sister in Laval, I would land in Ottawa. It's on the Ontario/Quebec border, and only about 2 hours drive to Laval. You can also land, and then catch the train (ViaRail) from Ottawa to Montreal station, and have your family meet you there. If you don't have that option, then you can land at Pearson in Toronto, and catch the train from Union Station to Montreal, however it's a much longer train ride, about 5.5 hours or so. Ottawa sounds like the best option for convenience, and to avoid trouble by trying to land in Quebec
Just in case the above responses didn't bring it home that you cannot and should not land in Quebec, read the below paying special attention to the paragraph in bold. I hope it helps.
"Canada’s immigration laws provide for a two step process for all visa applications. Immigration officers outside Canada carry out stage one; stage two is carried out for the most part by a port of entry (“POE”) immigration officer. The arrival of an immigrant with an immigrant visa is evidence that when the visa was issued, the visa officer was satisfied that the immigrant met Canada’s admission requirements as outlined in the Act and its attendant Regulations. At the point of arrival however, landing is not an automatic right: immigrants must still satisfy the POE immigration officer that entry is permissible: A12(1).
The immigration landing process is likewise a two step procedure: The first step entails a verification of the immigration visa/record of landing, while the second step involves the completion of the record of landing for admission into Canada.
Immigrants are under a statutory obligation to answer truthfully all questions posed by an immigration officer and to produce documentation as may be required by the officer for the purpose of establishing whether the person shall be allowed into Canada: A11(4).
During the verification and question process a POE officer will ensure THAT:
- The immigrant does not fall within the various inadmissible classes outlined in Sections 19(1)& (2) of the Act.
The inadmissible classes referenced under section 19 refer to persons who are suffering from serious medical disorders; persons affected by criminality issues and more commonly, persons who are unable or unwilling to support themselves and their dependants. Our web site writing on settlement funds briefly outlines the requirements regarding support.
- Admissibility has not been affected by a material change in circumstances. Immigrants will be questioned to confirm their intention to establish permanent residence in Canada.
Material change in circumstances include discrepancies that would have affected the decision by the overseas visa officer to issue the visa. Generally, material changes involve a change in marital status, the birth or adoption of a child or the death of a family member. Where in the opinion of the POE officer, the change in circumstances is significant such that the visa issuance would not have occurred, landing will be deferred.
The issue of intended destination has become the subject of a department memorandum. Applicants landing in the Province of Quebec without a valid Quebec Certificate of Selection and who appear destined to Quebec, will not, pursuant to current department directives, be admitted as a landed resident. Where it appears to the POE officer that the intended destination is the Province of Quebec, landing will be deferred until a valid CSQ has been procured.
Applicants who have previously declared their intended destination as being the Province of Quebec and who land outside the province, will generally not incur difficulties. Caution should be exercised. Applicants who have stated an intention to reside in Quebec are entitled to change their destination. At issue is how and when this material change occurs."