Flagpoling by foot (no personal car)

[OldBoy31]

Hi,
I recently got the copr. I want to do flagpoling but border is closed for non essential travel. Hence I'm stuck with copr expiring june 30. My bowp is valid till nov 2020. For some reason the copr came with 5 month validity instead of 6.
I want to know if we can walk across the bridge instead of driving. Right now I do not own a vehicle.
Is there a way to flagpole?
I email the folks for an interview appointment (etobicoke) but its been 45 days and haven't received any response from them. My friend who got pr in December is still waiting for response from them. They may be overloaded right now. Im not sure though.

 

[9191]

With the current pandemic going on, I doubt they will let you cross over. You can go try though but am 90% sure they might not let you in following current happenings in the news.

 

[PMM]

Hi

With the current pandemic going on, I doubt they will let you cross over. You can go try though but am 90% sure they might not let you in following current happenings in the news.

1. Here is what CBSA has posted

Travellers
Work permit, study permit and confirmation of permanent residence requests

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Immigration services
Travel for the purpose of obtaining immigration services is non-essential. If you are in Canada, and are seeking to travel to the border in order to make an application for a work permit, study permit or permanent residence, you are asked to consider federal and provincial guidelines for self-isolation and social distancing. Do not travel to the border for these services until further notice. If you are currently in Canada as a visitor, student or worker, you can apply online to IRCC to extend your temporary resident status. By doing so, you can continue to stay, study or work in Canada while your application is being processed. This is referred to as implied status, and as long as you apply before your current document expires, your current immigration authorizations and conditions remain unchanged. In-Canada services are available through Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.

 

[pv=nrt]

Hi,
I recently got the copr. I want to do flagpoling but border is closed for non essential travel. Hence I'm stuck with copr expiring june 30. My bowp is valid till nov 2020. For some reason the copr came with 5 month validity instead of 6.
I want to know if we can walk across the bridge instead of driving. Right now I do not own a vehicle.
Is there a way to flagpole?
I email the folks for an interview appointment (etobicoke) but its been 45 days and haven't received any response from them. My friend who got pr in December is still waiting for response from them. They may be overloaded right now. Im not sure though.

If you live close the border, you should try flagpoling and see what CBSA does. I am in similar situation but I live more than 1500 kms from the closest southern border so I haven't tried it because all that travel for disappointment would not be great.

I have heard that people might not be eligible to reenter but what I don't understand is what are they going to make you do, stand between US and Canada border? I don't what the procedure is in this kind of case. Make sure you take re-entry aspect into account.

CBSA even in normal situations discourages people to flagpole so no point asking them as they will always discourage.

 

[Bs65]

If you live close the border, you should try flagpoling and see what CBSA does. I am in similar situation but I live more than 1500 kms from the closest southern border so I haven't tried it because all that travel for disappointment would not be great.

I have heard that people might not be eligible to reenter but what I don't understand is what are they going to make you do, stand between US and Canada border? I don't what the procedure is in this kind of case. Make sure you take re-entry aspect into account.

CBSA even in normal situations discourages people to flagpole so no point asking them as they will always discourage.

Really do not understand why anyone is still telling people to try flagpoling given the CBSA guidance is clear DO NOT ATTEND the border from within Canada for any immigration purposes.

Not a case of not being able to come back in and being stuck in no mans land between borders just that CBSA will not process any immigration specific travellers given classified as non essential travel . Even if someone leaves Canada and heads for the US to get an admin refusal as per the flagpole process then apart from fact likely to get some hassle from USCBP and CBSA for even attempting it is unlikely CBSA will process any immigration documentation on the reentry.

Neither the US or Canada are accepting non essential travellers so not even an option to fully enter the US and come back.

People just need to be patient and follow any official guidance on the IRCC website by keeping IRCC informed through a web form. It is not as though are not thousands of people whose COPRs are due to expire in next few months.

If people want to ignore the guidelines then is their decision but also keep in mind the government has emergency powers envoked so quarantine for exemple is always an option no matter how long someone steps across the border

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/settle-setablir-eng.html

 

[lossada]

Hi,
I recently got the copr. I want to do flagpoling but border is closed for non essential travel. Hence I'm stuck with copr expiring june 30. My bowp is valid till nov 2020. For some reason the copr came with 5 month validity instead of 6.
I want to know if we can walk across the bridge instead of driving. Right now I do not own a vehicle.
Is there a way to flagpole?
I email the folks for an interview appointment (etobicoke) but its been 45 days and haven't received any response from them. My friend who got pr in December is still waiting for response from them. They may be overloaded right now. Im not sure though.

so, you lost 2 months waiting for?, good luck

 

[Cassiano]

Hi,
I recently got the copr. I want to do flagpoling but border is closed for non essential travel. Hence I'm stuck with copr expiring june 30. My bowp is valid till nov 2020. For some reason the copr came with 5 month validity instead of 6.
I want to know if we can walk across the bridge instead of driving. Right now I do not own a vehicle.
Is there a way to flagpole?
I email the folks for an interview appointment (etobicoke) but its been 45 days and haven't received any response from them. My friend who got pr in December is still waiting for response from them. They may be overloaded right now. Im not sure though.

just, think, you would open your house's door to someone by foot you don't know?.
you should do flagpoling 2 months ago.

 

[Copingwithlife]

If you live close the border, you should try flagpoling and see what CBSA does. I am in similar situation but I live more than 1500 kms from the closest southern border so I haven't tried it because all that travel for disappointment would not be great.

I have heard that people might not be eligible to reenter but what I don't understand is what are they going to make you do, stand between US and Canada border? I don't what the procedure is in this kind of case. Make sure you take re-entry aspect into account.

CBSA even in normal situations discourages people to flagpole so no point asking them as they will always discourage.

What part of pandemic, stopping the spread, people dying do you quite not understand?
Just interested in the inner workings of the human mind. It's working together for the collective good of others to ensure that they do not fall ill. You know, thinking of others before YOUR self. Stay at home and follow the directions
Good grief

 

[canuck78]

Would wait. You may be able to flagpole in a May or June. Maybe even April if we all get lucky!

 

[pv=nrt]

What part of pandemic, stopping the spread, people dying do you quite not understand?

Knowing how the infection spreads is what I do understand. Flagpoling is done by fraction of a population to begin with - if observing the recommend isolation period after visiting the border, flagpoling makes no difference to the overall situation. Why one would chose to flagpole in this kind of situation you may ask? It would depend on the personal circumstances that you aren't privy to perhaps.

As far as the official policy is concerned, it must be followed but inconsistency in the language put out by CBSA is the problem then. They advise to self-isolate if flagpoling but on the other hand discourages it. CBSA has lot of discretion and it is one of those things.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Knowing how the infection spreads is what I do understand. Flagpoling is done by fraction of a population to begin with - if observing the recommend isolation period after visiting the border, flagpoling makes no difference to the overall situation. Why one would chose to flagpole in this kind of situation you may ask? It would depend on the personal circumstances that you aren't privy to perhaps.

As far as the official policy is concerned, it must be followed but inconsistency in the language put out by CBSA is the problem then. They advise to self-isolate if flagpoling but on the other hand discourages it. CBSA has lot of discretion and it is one of those things.

“ Aren’t privy ?” No ,I could care less . It’s when people can’t follow simple rules

 

[OldBoy31]

Would wait. You may be able to flagpole in a May or June. Maybe even April if we all get lucky!

Thanks, Guess what! I did get lucky.
IRCC Etobicoke office contacted me and activated my PR with a letter. They asked me to send copr and 1 picture by mail so they can issue pr card. I just mailed it today. I just gotto wait for the card now.

 

[fara81]

Thanks, Guess what! I did get lucky.
IRCC Etobicoke office contacted me and activated my PR with a letter. They asked me to send copr and 1 picture by mail so they can issue pr card. I just mailed it today. I just gotto wait for the card now.

Congratulation. Can you please share your timeline? Did you have a landing interview that got canceled? What did you do that IRCC contacted you?

 

[OldBoy31]

Congratulation. Can you please share your timeline? Did you have a landing interview that got canceled? What did you do that IRCC contacted you?

Thanks
Here's my timeline

(NOC code 1225)
2019 May 29 ITA (479)
2019 June 14 AOR
2020 Jan 22 COPR
2020 Jan 24 Mailed them for landing interview
2020 Feb 25 Mailed again for interview (Since I didnt get any reply)
2020 April 02 Got a mail from IRCC saying all appointments are cancelled and they will contact me with what happens next.
2020 April 14 I got a mail in response to the interview mail sent on Jan 24.
(In this mail they said that the interviews are not going to be conducted and border is closed and that I need to maintain a status in Canada. They said they will contact me regarding the instructions to activate PR)
2020 April 24 I got a mail saying PR is activated and I need to send COPR + 1 photo to IRCC Etobicoke so they can issue PR card.
The letter that they sent me on April 24 is valid for 1 year incase Im not able to get the photo in time. But I had already gotten the photo in January

I applied for BOWP on June 18th. It was approved on Oct 10 2019 and is valid for 1 year.

 

[marrymechrispratt]

People keep talking about traveling through Canada for the purposes of flagpolling as nonessential travel, but what about traveling *to* Canada for the purpose of activating a work permit? I'm American, and just waiting for my POE letter - I applied online March 19, and processing time estimates 2-3 weeks, however I'm going on 7 weeks now...what difference would it make b/w waiting for the POE letter and traveling to the border to activate the WP, vs. going to the border to activate the WP? I'm about to lose my income and health benefits (last American paycheck is coming soon) because I can't access the job that's waiting for me just across the border.