At least a reassurance that once essential travel restrictions are lifted, soft landing will be permitted will work wonders for my faint heart
COPR and coronavirus
- Thread starter zeus89
- Start date
Hi everyone, I'm an applicant from U.S. and I received my CoPR around mid-May. I'm still not able to land to confirm the PR status due to border closure between U.S. and Canada. However, my visa is going to expire by the end of August. What should I do? I read from IRCC online that they have a new process to confirm PR status. Does anyone know about it? If I could not land before my visa expires, do I need to do medical exams once again? Does anyone have experiences with this situation? Or, am I allowed to enter Canada anytime before my visa expires? How will they know whether I will "settle and live" in Canada or just do the soft landing? Thanks!!
Hi, border closure does not have any impact on air travel and you can travel to Canada through any one of US airport. Recently, one of the member posted that he upfront told the officer that he would return to US after 14 days and there was no objection to it. However, since there is a clear official communication from IRCC that it does not permit soft landing, you need to be little cautious. In my opinion, you should plan to stay some more time after quarantine period ( say 2-3 more weeks and complete other formalities) and then return if you wish. And dont book return ticket upfront and you may tell the officer that you want to settle in Canada and assess the job market first. Of course, you are allowed to enter anytime before your visa expires. Yes, they may or may not ask for re-medical but no one knows concretely about that now. There is no objective answer to your last question and it is all about spirit and your situation.
All the best.
Hi,
This is the response got through twitter when we asked for extension in case flight starts.
"Yes, that is possible. If we already approved your permanent resident application but you can't travel to Canada before your documents expire, use the Web form to tell us why you can’t travel: https://t.co/NYde9cC0No".
Any suggestions if we have to give reason other than covid. Kindly advice. If someone of the same copr expiry has raised webform for extension.
Thanks.
This is the response got through twitter when we asked for extension in case flight starts.
"Yes, that is possible. If we already approved your permanent resident application but you can't travel to Canada before your documents expire, use the Web form to tell us why you can’t travel: https://t.co/NYde9cC0No".
Any suggestions if we have to give reason other than covid. Kindly advice. If someone of the same copr expiry has raised webform for extension.
Thanks.
There is no new procedure to activate PR process atleast IRCC hasn't mentioned it either on twitter or official announcement. If you have a link please post it.
Yes US - Canada land border is closed to non-essential travel but you can fly to Canada. Soft landing is completely prohibited under current scenario.
Regarding extension process each VO is doing what they think is best based on the situation in specific country or region. Hence it's difficult for anyone to know if your VO will extend the medicals or ask you to redo them.
If you want to do soft landing or want to apply for extension is something you will have to decide on your own.
Hello, thank you for sharing your experience!Hi All,
Long post alert !!
Sharing my experience on landing in Toronto ,Canada first time- CoPR holder from USA.
PR received before 18 March 2020.
Route- Chicago - Toronto
We were not able to get the boarding pass online so we did it at the airport and the staff asked us our purpose of travel to Canada and why are we travelling two days prior to the expiry of the PR. We just said we are landing for the first time and we have a valid PR and we showed the mail from IRCC which stated we are eligible to travel. But still she was not very convinced and took around 20 mins to go through various rules on her system. She asked our travel plans back to US and we said we do not have plans to return and then after some 10 mins she gave us the boarding pass. Before boarding the flight a form with general health questions was given and need to be filled and handed over to the airline agent before boarding.
We landed in Toronto by noon.
Immigration :
1) As soon as we enter the terminal we were asked to fill a form with our name,purpose of visit, date of landing and airbnb address ( quarantine address) details for the next 14 days. We were asked to give this form at the immigration counter.
2) Then we went to the kiosk and filled our details and answered basic questions on purpose of visit,security protocol questions etc. and scanned our passports and declared food items and fruits that we had. A receipt with our photo was generated with all the mentioned details.
3) Next stop was a counter where an officer asked what kind of food items we carry, purpose of visit and quarantine plan.She checked our COPR,the kiosk receipt, our passport and wrote a code on the receipt and asked us to go to the immigration counter. Before entering the counter we were asked to drop the form (point 1) in a box.
4) There were 5 people before us and when our turn came we gave the kiosk receipt, COPR, passport to the IO. She asked us the below ques:
a) Purpose of visit - New PR holders Landing for first time.
b) Quarantine plan - Have booked a private airbnb basement with private entrance, kitchen and restroom. No part of the house is shared.
c) Plan for food and medicines - We have some basic food with us and we have ordered grocery delivery to the airbnb address as well. For medicines we have basic medicine with us and in case if we need we will order it online as well.
d) Plan after quarantine - We have some house visits scheduled to rent and we will start applying for jobs as well post quarantine.
e) Any other dependents - No.
f) Address to which PR card need to be sent - We filled our friend's address on the IRCC copy of the COPR.
The IO asked us to be seated and after five mins she called us and asked us to sign the COPR ( both copy) and stamped the passports and congratulated us on becoming the PR of Canada and she signed the COPR ( both copy ) as well. She took the IRCC copy which had our photos on it and gave us the client copy.
Informed PR card will take four months to be delivered and we can apply for SIN online and health card once the service canada opens and we need to wait for 3 months before applying for health card. Asked us to be on quarantine for next 14 days and informed that if we leave the country then we need PR card to enter else we need to apply for PRTD visa. She asked us if we plan to leave Canada and we said nope we are settling in and we have goods to follow list with us. She directed us to the Customs dept.
Customs :
1) I had four copy each for Goods accompanying and goods to follow and pics of Gold jewels as well.
2) The officer stamped the forms and the pics and checked the line item of gold jewels and verified it with attached pics.
3) Gave us a printed bill with the total value of goods to follow and asked us to give a copy of that to the transport company when they cross the land border with our goods.
If you have everything ready then its a simple process. You can have a normal handwritten copy or you can take a print of the form online and fill the columns with the goods and the value. I did both to be on a safer side and the officer was curious to know why I did that
Quarantine :
We booked Uber to the airbnb address and did not stop anywhere on the way. The owner of airbnb left us some grocery, a small bag of rice and ready to eat stuff as well near our entrance
Linking PR application to CIC Profile :
Was able to link my PR application with the CIC profile but was unable to do it for my husband (dependent) though we gave all the details properly. Have raised a webform so will keep updated if there are any improvements.
Phone Number :
We ordered Koodo Prepaid SIM and took the basic plan since we needed a local number.
Post - Quarantine :
Opened two bank accounts with credit card - One for me (Scotia Bank) and one for my husband (CIBC) for address proof purpose for SIN. In Scotia they asked me if I have any Canada address proof and I showed my Friend's bank statement and they asked us if we have one in our name. It was not logical since we were in quarantine for 14 days but we had the billing address of Koodo mobile in our name and it had my friend's Canada address. So we showed that and he accepted that. In CIBC no address proof was asked but they asked us the current address alone ( Gave the friend's address).
SIN Application :
Applied SIN for both of us with COPR, Passport and Bank statement which had our name and Canada address.
Thank u all for helping me in this process.
Did you provide the list of all goods? Including clothing, cosmetics etc??
Strongly advised to ask for an extension based on COVID-19 considerations
Watch out, the rules have changed. Check the IRCC COVID-19 webpage. It now states that you should not raise a webform to request for an extension. You should only contact them once you are "ready to travel".
Check IRCC's website.
I had requested for an extension of my expired COPR through the webform (informed that I am able and ready to travel to Canada now). I received the response below from IRCC. What should my next steps? Please help.
"We have received your request to extend the duration within which you can confirm your status as a permanent resident. Please be assured that your application will not be refused if you are unable or unwilling to travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the situation is resolved and you are able to travel within the existing validity of your documents, you may do so. Otherwise, once you and your family members (if applicable) are able to travel, please notify us through the IRCC Web form. At that time, IRCC will respond with the most up to date information we have on next steps."
"We have received your request to extend the duration within which you can confirm your status as a permanent resident. Please be assured that your application will not be refused if you are unable or unwilling to travel as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
If the situation is resolved and you are able to travel within the existing validity of your documents, you may do so. Otherwise, once you and your family members (if applicable) are able to travel, please notify us through the IRCC Web form. At that time, IRCC will respond with the most up to date information we have on next steps."
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Thanks for sharing. So if I cover just travel risk through private insurance it should suffice. Correct ?
I assume that the 3 months waiting period to become eligible for OHIP in Ontario has been waived and we are covered for all medical risk including Covid from the day we land. Please correct me if I am wrong. Thanks
You need to send a new webform telling them that you are able to travel and wait for their instructions.
Approved permanent resident applicants with expired or expiring documents
If you’re outside Canada
If we already approved your permanent resident application, but you can't travel to Canada before your documents expire, or your documents have already expired, don’t contact us until you’re ready to travel to Canada.
So we only have to inform them once we are ready to travel, we don't have to raise a webform stating that we are not able to travel before the expiry of our COPR ? Is that correct ?
If you’re outside Canada
If we already approved your permanent resident application, but you can't travel to Canada before your documents expire, or your documents have already expired, don’t contact us until you’re ready to travel to Canada.
So we only have to inform them once we are ready to travel, we don't have to raise a webform stating that we are not able to travel before the expiry of our COPR ? Is that correct ?