Planning to utilize AVR via Detroit - Windsor ambassador bridge.

[Nav731]

Hi ,
I am currently in USA on a H1-B visa with my COPR expiring soon on August 29th 2020. I do not have a valid H1-B visa stamp in my passport but have an I797 approved till Jan 2023. I am planning to drive in the first week of august through ambassador bridge from Detroit to Windsor , activate my PR and come back on the same day.
I would like to know if any recent experiences of using AVR from this POE. Also, any documentation which will be needed at CSA. Please let me know.

Thanks

 

[harirajmohan]

Hi ,
I am currently in USA on a H1-B visa with my COPR expiring soon on August 29th 2020. I do not have a valid H1-B visa stamp in my passport but have an I797 approved till Jan 2023. I am planning to drive in the first week of august through ambassador bridge from Detroit to Windsor , activate my PR and come back on the same day.
I would like to know if any recent experiences of using AVR from this POE. Also, any documentation which will be needed at CSA. Please let me know.

Thanks

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/pr-soft-landing-from-us-after-eo.693114/
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/moving-from-michigan-to-windsor.695318/#post-8738052

 

[Nav731]

Thanks ! I was able to complete the soft landing in Canada from Detroit - Windsor Ambassador bridge and returned to USA on the same day with expired visa and Valid I 797.

No Issues at Canada POE ( gave my USA address to mail the PR Card).
While at the CBP Detroit POE ( officers asked few questions and they separated the I-94 from my I797 document and stapled it onto my passport)

 

[umyla2]

Thanks ! I was able to complete the soft landing in Canada from Detroit - Windsor Ambassador bridge and returned to USA on the same day with expired visa and Valid I 797.

No Issues at Canada POE ( gave my USA address to mail the PR Card).
While at the CBP Detroit POE ( officers asked few questions and they separated the I-94 from my I797 document and stapled it onto my passport)

Hey bro .. you were ble to give your US address for them to send yout PR card, i have never heard this before this is very interesting and so helpful in situations like your's and mine.

I am planning to land tomorrow via PEACE bridge but since seeing your post i am leaning towards going to detroit instead, do you think its a good idea??? also, what did they say when you gave them your US address for PR Card, did they push back in anyway?

Appreciate you posting your experience here. \m/

 

[Nav731]

Hey bro .. you were ble to give your US address for them to send yout PR card, i have never heard this before this is very interesting and so helpful in situations like your's and mine.

I am planning to land tomorrow via PEACE bridge but since seeing your post i am leaning towards going to detroit instead, do you think its a good idea??? also, what did they say when you gave them your US address for PR Card, did they push back in anyway?

Appreciate you posting your experience here. \m/

 

[Nav731]

Initially in the goods to follow form i had my friend's Canada address, but the officer said that i cannot use my friend's address if i wanted to return to USA and asked me to fill in my US address while i was refilling the Goods to follow form. It was the CBSA officer's call to include my USA address( i think it mostly depends on the officer who is working on your case) , you can try asking them if you can do that at the PEACE bridge. Have an extra copy of the goods to follow form.

 

[Janani2109]

Thanks ! I was able to complete the soft landing in Canada from Detroit - Windsor Ambassador bridge and returned to USA on the same day with expired visa and Valid I 797.

No Issues at Canada POE ( gave my USA address to mail the PR Card).
While at the CBP Detroit POE ( officers asked few questions and they separated the I-94 from my I797 document and stapled it onto my passport)

Hi,

We are also planning to cross the border through Ambassador bridge next week. Did they ask for 14 day quarantine plan?

 

[Nav731]

Hi,

We are also planning to cross the border through Ambassador bridge next week. Did they ask for 14 day quarantine plan?

They asked me where i was planning to stay in Canada. I told them that i wanted to return back to USA on the same day

 

[Janani2109]

They asked me where i was planning to stay in Canada. I told them that i wanted to return back to USA on the same day

Thank you! So is it ok if we don’t make any quarantine plans before going

 

[Nav731]

Thank you! So is it ok if we don’t make any quarantine plans before going

It is better to have an alternate plan to stay at a hotel since what worked for me may not work for others and it totally depends on the officer who works on your case.

 

[Janani2109]

It is better to have an alternate plan to stay at a hotel since what worked for me may not work for others and it totally depends on the officer who works on your case.

Thank you. What I meant was , we are going to pack for 2 weeks but is it ok to book a hotel or Airbnb after crossing the border since none of the Airbnb hosts accept last minute cancellations

 

[NerdNinjaMan]

@Nav731 ,
I think the CBSA agent made a mistake in your case. IRCC WILL NOT mail PR cards to an address outside of Canada. See https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=061&top=10 and https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/pr-card-mailing-to-us-address.573911/. As you can see, this has happened before with someone else at Ambassador bridge. I suggest you reach out to IRCC customer care and give them a Canadian address to get your PR card mailed to (OR) go to https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=coanotify and submit a Canadian address online.

Also, the agent was wrong in asking you for a Goods to follow form. You don't need to provide it if your visit was just to "Activate your PR" AKA SOFT LANDING. See The 'official word' that 'landing as a settler' is different from an immigration landing (i.e. landing to declare PR) is here (see item no 9 about 1/3rd of the way down the 'page'):

Difference between customs and immigration status

For more info check: https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Landing_as_PR-Canada

It's quite concerning that that some CBSA agents don't have the knowledge of certain critical immigration rules and guidelines.

I suggest you go to this link: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/com-eng.html and file a complaint about these two issues. This has been successfully done before and things were fixed. Best of luck!

 

[ccqq]

Thanks ! I was able to complete the soft landing in Canada from Detroit - Windsor Ambassador bridge and returned to USA on the same day with expired visa and Valid I 797.

No Issues at Canada POE ( gave my USA address to mail the PR Card).
While at the CBP Detroit POE ( officers asked few questions and they separated the I-94 from my I797 document and stapled it onto my passport)

Congratulations! May I know when did you do the soft landing?

 

[praveen07cse]

Congratulations! May I know when did you do the soft landing?

July 26 2020

 

[Nav731]

@Nav731 ,
I think the CBSA agent made a mistake in your case. IRCC WILL NOT mail PR cards to an address outside of Canada. See https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=061&top=10 and https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/pr-card-mailing-to-us-address.573911/. As you can see, this has happened before with someone else at Ambassador bridge. I suggest you reach out to IRCC customer care and give them a Canadian address to get your PR card mailed to (OR) go to https://services3.cic.gc.ca/ecas/introduction.do?app=coanotify and submit a Canadian address online.

Also, the agent was wrong in asking you for a Goods to follow form. You don't need to provide it if your visit was just to "Activate your PR" AKA SOFT LANDING. See The 'official word' that 'landing as a settler' is different from an immigration landing (i.e. landing to declare PR) is here (see item no 9 about 1/3rd of the way down the 'page'):

Difference between customs and immigration status

For more info check: https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Landing_as_PR-Canada

It's quite concerning that that some CBSA agents don't have the knowledge of certain critical immigration rules and guidelines.

I suggest you go to this link: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/com-eng.html and file a complaint about these two issues. This has been successfully done before and things were fixed. Best of luck!

Thanks for clarifying every one!