Flagpoling for Co-op Permit - Sharing my experience

[archit.shah]

I am a graduate student at University of Waterloo. I received a co-op offer in March 2019 and my joining date was May 2019. There was no way I would get a co-op permit in time so I decided to flag-pole and this is my experience, hopefully it helps others in need.

Flagpole Date - 19th March 2019
Co-op joining date - 6th May 2019
Flagpole Location - Niagara Rainbow Bridge - On foot
List of documents - Passport, Valid Study Permit, Letter of admission from University, Letter from University department stating co-op is necessary to complete your course and offer letter from your employer. I also carried the application form with me, but the officer did not ask for one. Better to have it on you than to regret later.

Important to note: Niagara bridges accept co-op permit applications via flagpole only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting 8.00 am. And the application acceptance window closes by 8.10 am somedays to high volume. Advisable to reach at the border before 7.15 am and cross the border by 7.30 am.

My experience:

I reached Niagara on a Tuesday, 7.00 am. I was accompanied by a friend who was also applying for a co-op permit. We started walking on Niagara Rainbow bridge at around 7.30 am. Pro tip - carry 1 dollar coins with you as you need them to enter the foot bridge. It is about a 5 minute walk, and at the end of the bridge we entered a small US immigration checkpoint. At this time of the morning they right away know you are here for flag poling and not actually to cross the border. They will ask for your passport and give you a white slip which says you crossed the border and you were in US immigration checkpoint.

I did not have a US visa - you do not need one. This whole process is completely legal and US officers were more than polite. Reaching US checkpoint and returning from there back to the bridge took us merely 30 seconds. They do not keep a record at US, because technically you haven't applied for a visa so there is no real rejection. This does not impact your future US visa application in anyway.

We walked back to the Canada side of the bridge carrying the white flagpole slip we received from US.

Make sure you have the right documents to enter Canada again. Without them you will not be able to enter the border.

Once we reached back to Canada side of the bridge, we entered the immigration office and there they asked for our passport and the white slip and asked us to wait for our call. They accept only a limited number of application in a day, so it is very important that you reach here before 7.45 am. We were second in line and soon the officer called out my name. I submitted all the relevant documents like my study permit, passport, letter of admission from University, letter from University stating co-op is absolutely necessary to complete my course and an offer letter from the company.

The officer asked me why did I not apply online and why am I applying here. His exact words were, "Is online application not fast enough for you?". I politely answered him that I have applied online but the current estimates for visa means that I will miss out on my co-op offer. He said that makes sense.

Make sure you are able to make your case for a flagpole co-op application. Apply online first, so officer knows you have already applied but the estimated timeline does not work for you. If you do not apply online beforehand, he might ask you to apply online first.

You should be confident in showing urgency in your case, should that be required. That's why I would recommend you flagpole only when the estimated timeline falls after your joining date. The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90. Rest everything went smooth and I had my co-op work permit in hand just in an hour.

Do not withdraw your online application before flag-poling. Once you get a coop permit in hand, then later you can take your time and withdraw your online application.

You can simply fill out the IRCC webform here to withdraw your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

I was worrying so much before the flagpole as I was pretty sure I will not get a co-op permit in time. But turns out you can get a co-op permit just in under an hour if you flagpole at the right time and with right documents Many of my friends followed the same procedure and everyone was able to get the co-op permit without any issues. Flagpoling might sound a bit scary but it is legal, it works and only thing to keep in mind is this is in place to fast-track urgent applications. If you go for a co-op permit with 3-4 months left before your joining date, the officer will reject the application and ask you to apply online.

I hope this is helpful to someone who is worried about their co-op permit. All the best and feel free to ask any questions on this thread, I am mostly active here. Please ensure that you post all the necessary details and structure your queries well. Also, it is better to post your question here instead of personal message, as our conversation might help someone else in future, you never know!

 

[Ekamdeep]

I am a graduate student at University of Waterloo. I received a co-op offer in March 2019 and my joining date was May 2019. There was no way I would get a co-op permit in time so I decided to flag-pole and this is my experience, hopefully it helps others in need.

Flagpole Date - 19th March 2019
Co-op joining date - 6th May 2019
Flagpole Location - Niagara Rainbow Bridge - On foot
List of documents - Passport, Valid Study Permit, Letter of admission from University, Letter from University department stating co-op is necessary to complete your course and offer letter from your employer. I also carried the application form with me, but the officer did not ask for one. Better to have it on you than to regret later.

Important to note: Niagara bridges accept co-op permit applications via flagpole only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting 8.00 am. And the application acceptance window closes by 8.10 am somedays to high volume. Advisable to reach at the border before 7.15 am and cross the border by 7.30 am.

My experience:

I reached Niagara on a Tuesday, 7.00 am. I was accompanied by a friend who was also applying for a co-op permit. We started walking on Niagara Rainbow bridge at around 7.30 am. Pro tip - carry 1 dollar coins with you as you need them to enter the foot bridge. It is about a 5 minute walk, and at the end of the bridge we entered a small US immigration checkpoint. At this time of the morning they right away know you are here for flag poling and not actually to cross the border. They will ask for your passport and give you a white slip which says you crossed the border and you were in US immigration checkpoint.

I did not have a US visa - you do not need one. This whole process is completely legal and US officers were more than polite. Reaching US checkpoint and returning from there back to the bridge took us merely 30 seconds. They do not keep a record at US, because technically you haven't applied for a visa so there is no real rejection. This does not impact your future US visa application in anyway.

We walked back to the Canada side of the bridge carrying the white flagpole slip we received from US.

Make sure you have the right documents to enter Canada again. Without them you will not be able to enter the border.

Once we reached back to Canada side of the bridge, we entered the immigration office and there they asked for our passport and the white slip and asked us to wait for our call. They accept only a limited number of application in a day, so it is very important that you reach here before 7.45 am. We were second in line and soon the officer called out my name. I submitted all the relevant documents like my study permit, passport, letter of admission from University, letter from University stating co-op is absolutely necessary to complete my course and an offer letter from the company.

The officer asked me why did I not apply online and why am I applying here. His exact words were, "Is online application not fast enough for you?". I politely answered him that I have applied online but the current estimates for visa means that I will miss out on my co-op offer. He said that makes sense.

Make sure you are able to make your case for a flagpole co-op application. Apply online first, so officer knows you have already applied but the estimated timeline does not work for you. If you do not apply online beforehand, he might ask you to apply online first.

You should be confident in showing urgency in your case, should that be required. That's why I would recommend you flagpole only when the estimated timeline falls after your joining date. The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90. Rest everything went smooth and I had my co-op work permit in hand just in an hour.

Do not withdraw your online application before flag-poling. Once you get a coop permit in hand, then later you can take your time and withdraw your online application.

You can simply fill out the IRCC webform here to withdraw your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

I was worrying so much before the flagpole as I was pretty sure I will not get a co-op permit in time. But turns out you can get a co-op permit just in under an hour if you flagpole at the right time and with right documents Many of my friends followed the same procedure and everyone was able to get the co-op permit without any issues. Flagpoling might sound a bit scary but it is legal, it works and only thing to keep in mind is this is in place to fast-track urgent applications. If you go for a co-op permit with 3-4 months left before your joining date, the officer will reject the application and ask you to apply online.

I hope this is helpful to someone who is worried about their co-op permit. All the best and feel free to ask any questions on this thread, I am mostly active here. Please ensure that you post all the necessary details and structure your queries well. Also, it is better to post your question here instead of personal message, as our conversation might help someone else in future, you never know![/QUOTE can u tell me about the experience u have after u enter the right office

 

[Ekamdeep]

I am a graduate student at University of Waterloo. I received a co-op offer in March 2019 and my joining date was May 2019. There was no way I would get a co-op permit in time so I decided to flag-pole and this is my experience, hopefully it helps others in need.

Flagpole Date - 19th March 2019
Co-op joining date - 6th May 2019
Flagpole Location - Niagara Rainbow Bridge - On foot
List of documents - Passport, Valid Study Permit, Letter of admission from University, Letter from University department stating co-op is necessary to complete your course and offer letter from your employer. I also carried the application form with me, but the officer did not ask for one. Better to have it on you than to regret later.

Important to note: Niagara bridges accept co-op permit applications via flagpole only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting 8.00 am. And the application acceptance window closes by 8.10 am somedays to high volume. Advisable to reach at the border before 7.15 am and cross the border by 7.30 am.

My experience:

I reached Niagara on a Tuesday, 7.00 am. I was accompanied by a friend who was also applying for a co-op permit. We started walking on Niagara Rainbow bridge at around 7.30 am. Pro tip - carry 1 dollar coins with you as you need them to enter the foot bridge. It is about a 5 minute walk, and at the end of the bridge we entered a small US immigration checkpoint. At this time of the morning they right away know you are here for flag poling and not actually to cross the border. They will ask for your passport and give you a white slip which says you crossed the border and you were in US immigration checkpoint.

I did not have a US visa - you do not need one. This whole process is completely legal and US officers were more than polite. Reaching US checkpoint and returning from there back to the bridge took us merely 30 seconds. They do not keep a record at US, because technically you haven't applied for a visa so there is no real rejection. This does not impact your future US visa application in anyway.

We walked back to the Canada side of the bridge carrying the white flagpole slip we received from US.

Make sure you have the right documents to enter Canada again. Without them you will not be able to enter the border.

Once we reached back to Canada side of the bridge, we entered the immigration office and there they asked for our passport and the white slip and asked us to wait for our call. They accept only a limited number of application in a day, so it is very important that you reach here before 7.45 am. We were second in line and soon the officer called out my name. I submitted all the relevant documents like my study permit, passport, letter of admission from University, letter from University stating co-op is absolutely necessary to complete my course and an offer letter from the company.

The officer asked me why did I not apply online and why am I applying here. His exact words were, "Is online application not fast enough for you?". I politely answered him that I have applied online but the current estimates for visa means that I will miss out on my co-op offer. He said that makes sense.

Make sure you are able to make your case for a flagpole co-op application. Apply online first, so officer knows you have already applied but the estimated timeline does not work for you. If you do not apply online beforehand, he might ask you to apply online first.

You should be confident in showing urgency in your case, should that be required. That's why I would recommend you flagpole only when the estimated timeline falls after your joining date. The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90. Rest everything went smooth and I had my co-op work permit in hand just in an hour.

Do not withdraw your online application before flag-poling. Once you get a coop permit in hand, then later you can take your time and withdraw your online application.

You can simply fill out the IRCC webform here to withdraw your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

I was worrying so much before the flagpole as I was pretty sure I will not get a co-op permit in time. But turns out you can get a co-op permit just in under an hour if you flagpole at the right time and with right documents Many of my friends followed the same procedure and everyone was able to get the co-op permit without any issues. Flagpoling might sound a bit scary but it is legal, it works and only thing to keep in mind is this is in place to fast-track urgent applications. If you go for a co-op permit with 3-4 months left before your joining date, the officer will reject the application and ask you to apply online.

I hope this is helpful to someone who is worried about their co-op permit. All the best and feel free to ask any questions on this thread, I am mostly active here. Please ensure that you post all the necessary details and structure your queries well. Also, it is better to post your question here instead of personal message, as our conversation might help someone else in future, you never know!

Hello can u tell me the experience after u get in the right hand side building and did u need transcripts to apply co op and were they rude when processing urr application.

 

[archit.shah]

Hello can u tell me the experience after u get in the right hand side building and did u need transcripts to apply co op and were they rude when processing urr application.

No they were not rude. As long as you can convince them that this is an urgent application and online processing times are taking too long, you should be fine. You should carry all essential documents that you have, including transcript.

 

[Ekamdeep]

No they were not rude. As long as you can convince them that this is an urgent application and online processing times are taking too long, you should be fine. You should carry all essential documents that you have, including transcript.

Did they ask for it because I have to apply for the transcripts of second sem and it will take 5 days to come and did they ask for medical also?

 

[archit.shah]

Did they ask for it because I have to apply for the transcripts of second sem and it will take 5 days to come and did they ask for medical also?

No they only asked for my offer letter and University' letter confirming that I am in a co-op program

 

[Ekamdeep]

No they only asked for my offer letter and University' letter confirming that I am in a co-op program

Thanks mate I am going tommorow morning will post about my experience also

 

[scarbsmans]

I am a graduate student at University of Waterloo. I received a co-op offer in March 2019 and my joining date was May 2019. There was no way I would get a co-op permit in time so I decided to flag-pole and this is my experience, hopefully it helps others in need.

Flagpole Date - 19th March 2019
Co-op joining date - 6th May 2019
Flagpole Location - Niagara Rainbow Bridge - On foot
List of documents - Passport, Valid Study Permit, Letter of admission from University, Letter from University department stating co-op is necessary to complete your course and offer letter from your employer. I also carried the application form with me, but the officer did not ask for one. Better to have it on you than to regret later.

Important to note: Niagara bridges accept co-op permit applications via flagpole only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting 8.00 am. And the application acceptance window closes by 8.10 am somedays to high volume. Advisable to reach at the border before 7.15 am and cross the border by 7.30 am.

My experience:

I reached Niagara on a Tuesday, 7.00 am. I was accompanied by a friend who was also applying for a co-op permit. We started walking on Niagara Rainbow bridge at around 7.30 am. Pro tip - carry 1 dollar coins with you as you need them to enter the foot bridge. It is about a 5 minute walk, and at the end of the bridge we entered a small US immigration checkpoint. At this time of the morning they right away know you are here for flag poling and not actually to cross the border. They will ask for your passport and give you a white slip which says you crossed the border and you were in US immigration checkpoint.

I did not have a US visa - you do not need one. This whole process is completely legal and US officers were more than polite. Reaching US checkpoint and returning from there back to the bridge took us merely 30 seconds. They do not keep a record at US, because technically you haven't applied for a visa so there is no real rejection. This does not impact your future US visa application in anyway.

We walked back to the Canada side of the bridge carrying the white flagpole slip we received from US.

Make sure you have the right documents to enter Canada again. Without them you will not be able to enter the border.

Once we reached back to Canada side of the bridge, we entered the immigration office and there they asked for our passport and the white slip and asked us to wait for our call. They accept only a limited number of application in a day, so it is very important that you reach here before 7.45 am. We were second in line and soon the officer called out my name. I submitted all the relevant documents like my study permit, passport, letter of admission from University, letter from University stating co-op is absolutely necessary to complete my course and an offer letter from the company.

The officer asked me why did I not apply online and why am I applying here. His exact words were, "Is online application not fast enough for you?". I politely answered him that I have applied online but the current estimates for visa means that I will miss out on my co-op offer. He said that makes sense.

Make sure you are able to make your case for a flagpole co-op application. Apply online first, so officer knows you have already applied but the estimated timeline does not work for you. If you do not apply online beforehand, he might ask you to apply online first.

You should be confident in showing urgency in your case, should that be required. That's why I would recommend you flagpole only when the estimated timeline falls after your joining date. The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90. Rest everything went smooth and I had my co-op work permit in hand just in an hour.

Do not withdraw your online application before flag-poling. Once you get a coop permit in hand, then later you can take your time and withdraw your online application.

You can simply fill out the IRCC webform here to withdraw your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

I was worrying so much before the flagpole as I was pretty sure I will not get a co-op permit in time. But turns out you can get a co-op permit just in under an hour if you flagpole at the right time and with right documents Many of my friends followed the same procedure and everyone was able to get the co-op permit without any issues. Flagpoling might sound a bit scary but it is legal, it works and only thing to keep in mind is this is in place to fast-track urgent applications. If you go for a co-op permit with 3-4 months left before your joining date, the officer will reject the application and ask you to apply online.

I hope this is helpful to someone who is worried about their co-op permit. All the best and feel free to ask any questions on this thread, I am mostly active here. Please ensure that you post all the necessary details and structure your queries well. Also, it is better to post your question here instead of personal message, as our conversation might help someone else in future, you never know!

First of all, thank you very much for posting your experience, this is very helpful and reassuring.

"The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90"

I am not sure what this is about could you please clarify? is this a requirement written somewhere? Is this something that needs to be done beforehand and then provided? or it's done while talking to the officer?

thanks

 

[archit.shah]

First of all, thank you very much for posting your experience, this is very helpful and reassuring.

"The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90"

I am not sure what this is about could you please clarify? is this a requirement written somewhere? Is this something that needs to be done beforehand and then provided? or it's done while talking to the officer?

hanks

They have a new law to capture fingerprints. It is mandatory and will be done at the time you’re talking to the officer at the Border Agency. Nothing to be worried about.

 

[Indrajith06]

Hi, I came to Canada 3 months before, doing all by myself and i missed to collect the co-op work permit from my POE. I was unaware of that by a misunderstanding that its a separate document all this time and when i came to know about this and i applied for the permit which i need for my co-op semester in January. But as you know the processing time now about 5 months. Is it possible for me to Flagpole to get my application processed before my current semester ends in December. Should i do it now or do it later !?

 

[archit.shah]

Hi, I came to Canada 3 months before, doing all by myself and i missed to collect the co-op work permit from my POE. I was unaware of that by a misunderstanding that its a separate document all this time and when i came to know about this and i applied for the permit which i need for my co-op semester in January. But as you know the processing time now about 5 months. Is it possible for me to Flagpole to get my application processed before my current semester ends in December. Should i do it now or do it later !?

I think you should flagpole in Nov-Dec. Because there’s still time. You need to show urgency in your application at flagpole. If your job is 4 months from now, that might not make a strong case for you.

It all depends on the Visa officer. He might not ask anything and simply process your application even if you go right now. But its better to be safe then rejected unnecessarily and having to go twice.

 

[Chamie0607]

Hi what is the offer letter from your employer? Coz in my case I don't have this one yet. We will have our placement next year January 2023 and the school will be the one to find us which clinic or hospital to do our placement and it is one of the requirements for us to graduate. And also I'm planning to do the flagpoling coz I think online applications as of now takes long.

 

[Pooja2709]

I am a graduate student at University of Waterloo. I received a co-op offer in March 2019 and my joining date was May 2019. There was no way I would get a co-op permit in time so I decided to flag-pole and this is my experience, hopefully it helps others in need.

Flagpole Date - 19th March 2019
Co-op joining date - 6th May 2019
Flagpole Location - Niagara Rainbow Bridge - On foot
List of documents - Passport, Valid Study Permit, Letter of admission from University, Letter from University department stating co-op is necessary to complete your course and offer letter from your employer. I also carried the application form with me, but the officer did not ask for one. Better to have it on you than to regret later.

Important to note: Niagara bridges accept co-op permit applications via flagpole only on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting 8.00 am. And the application acceptance window closes by 8.10 am somedays to high volume. Advisable to reach at the border before 7.15 am and cross the border by 7.30 am.

My experience:

I reached Niagara on a Tuesday, 7.00 am. I was accompanied by a friend who was also applying for a co-op permit. We started walking on Niagara Rainbow bridge at around 7.30 am. Pro tip - carry 1 dollar coins with you as you need them to enter the foot bridge. It is about a 5 minute walk, and at the end of the bridge we entered a small US immigration checkpoint. At this time of the morning they right away know you are here for flag poling and not actually to cross the border. They will ask for your passport and give you a white slip which says you crossed the border and you were in US immigration checkpoint.

I did not have a US visa - you do not need one. This whole process is completely legal and US officers were more than polite. Reaching US checkpoint and returning from there back to the bridge took us merely 30 seconds. They do not keep a record at US, because technically you haven't applied for a visa so there is no real rejection. This does not impact your future US visa application in anyway.

We walked back to the Canada side of the bridge carrying the white flagpole slip we received from US.

Make sure you have the right documents to enter Canada again. Without them you will not be able to enter the border.

Once we reached back to Canada side of the bridge, we entered the immigration office and there they asked for our passport and the white slip and asked us to wait for our call. They accept only a limited number of application in a day, so it is very important that you reach here before 7.45 am. We were second in line and soon the officer called out my name. I submitted all the relevant documents like my study permit, passport, letter of admission from University, letter from University stating co-op is absolutely necessary to complete my course and an offer letter from the company.

The officer asked me why did I not apply online and why am I applying here. His exact words were, "Is online application not fast enough for you?". I politely answered him that I have applied online but the current estimates for visa means that I will miss out on my co-op offer. He said that makes sense.

Make sure you are able to make your case for a flagpole co-op application. Apply online first, so officer knows you have already applied but the estimated timeline does not work for you. If you do not apply online beforehand, he might ask you to apply online first.

You should be confident in showing urgency in your case, should that be required. That's why I would recommend you flagpole only when the estimated timeline falls after your joining date. The officer then asked for my biometrics which cost me around $80-$90. Rest everything went smooth and I had my co-op work permit in hand just in an hour.

Do not withdraw your online application before flag-poling. Once you get a coop permit in hand, then later you can take your time and withdraw your online application.

You can simply fill out the IRCC webform here to withdraw your application
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp

I was worrying so much before the flagpole as I was pretty sure I will not get a co-op permit in time. But turns out you can get a co-op permit just in under an hour if you flagpole at the right time and with right documents Many of my friends followed the same procedure and everyone was able to get the co-op permit without any issues. Flagpoling might sound a bit scary but it is legal, it works and only thing to keep in mind is this is in place to fast-track urgent applications. If you go for a co-op permit with 3-4 months left before your joining date, the officer will reject the application and ask you to apply online.

I hope this is helpful to someone who is worried about their co-op permit. All the best and feel free to ask any questions on this thread, I am mostly active here. Please ensure that you post all the necessary details and structure your queries well. Also, it is better to post your question here instead of personal message, as our conversation might help someone else in future, you never know!

Hi
Are you from a TRV exempt country? Do you have to be from a TRV exempt country to flagpole?