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Soft Landing experience at Toronto via air

D

DixvilleNotch

Hero Member
Mar 11, 2019
255
117
Hi everyone:

I did my soft landing last week and thought I’d share my experience. I’m in the US on an H1B visa valid through next year.

US-Toronto Leg

Documents to carry:
  • COPR (both copies)
  • Passport
Documents to upload while checking-in to your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 RT PCR Test taken within 72 hours of flight’s departure to Canada. If you’re taking connecting flights from the US to Canada, it’s within 72 hours of your last flight's departure time to Canada.
  • Proof of vaccination
  • ArriveCAN barcode page
Most airlines will check and approve your documents the same day. If you do not have a US passport or Green card, you’ll need to get your passport verified at the check-in counter. I would recommend the document upload and pre-approval as it makes the process at the airport hassle free. All you’ll need to keep handy is your boarding pass and your passport.

Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • Once you land, you’ll make your way to immigration and punch in your details at the kiosk. Enter details like where you’re traveling from, purpose of your visit, customs declaration, vaccination confirmation, if you’ve been to any high risk places etc.
  • Make sure you select “immigration” as the purpose of your visit (even if it’s a short visit for soft landing).
  • Print out a kiosk form here and take that to the immigration officer. This process is petty quick.
  • The immigration officer will check your passport, verbally confirm your vaccination status, affix a green sticker(for fully vaccinated travelers from the US, no random testing or quarantine applies if you’ve only been in the US in the 14 days prior to your travel to Canada) and direct you to secondary immigration.
  • Secondary immigration is a separate room. The wait here was probably 15 mins or so.
  • Tell the officer you’re there to complete your residency landing. Hand over passport and COPR.
  • Routine questions about whether you’ve married or had kids since the COPR, changes in circumstances etc.
  • They’ll ask you for an address to send your PR card (I had this address printed on a separate paper for convenience).
  • Ask you questions about whether you’ve been convicted of crimes or asked to leave Canada etc. All routine.
  • Was also asked how much cash I’m carrying in Canadian dollars, so keep this figure handy (above 10k CAD has to be declared).
  • Initial the COPR at two places and sign at the bottom. The officer will also sign and date the COPR and write the address (on the COPR) where PR card will be mailed. This is very important and proof that you completed landing before your documents expired, so make sure your copy of the COPR IS SIGNED AND DATED BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER.
  • They’ll then stamp the passport, take your picture and cancel/cross out out the COPR visa (since it’s single entry visa).
  • They’ll give you instructions about maintaining your residency and how to travel internationally before the PR card is delivered.
  • You’re free to leave.
Other notes:
  • I did carry my whole PR application package with me. This included proof of funds (most recent bank statement), IELTS score, WES degree assessment, FBI PCC etc. I was not asked for any of these documents though.
  • You don’t need to carry any pictures. The picture copy of the COPR is what they use to produce your PR card. The non-picture copy is for your records.
  • You can use your copy of the COPR to enter Canada by land (if you don’t have the PR card). Air travel pre-PR card to Canada needs a PR-travel document. The officer said that PR card production is taking 8-10 weeks currently.
  • Canada has strict vaccination requirements at public places. Keep a photo of your CDC card on your phone and ID handy. You will need to show this at every place you dine-in.
Toronto-US Leg

Documents to carry:
  • Rapid antigen test negative confirmation. The US accepts rapid antigen tests done 24 hours before your scheduled flight. This cost me 28 CAD. Make sure you book this in advance; it’s very difficult to get appointments 2-4 days before travel. You gotta book this atleast a week in advance to get the day and time of your choice. Also, Air Canada has several coupon codes on their website for different providers. If you fly Air Canada, you can get discounts on these tests. Test takes about 15 minutes. You will need to take your passport for verification. You will get a printout of your results within 30 minutes of taking the test.
  • Proof of vaccination. Unlike the US, I was asked for vaccination proof multiple times at YYZ airport. So keep this handy on your phone.
  • Passport, US visa.
Documents to upload while checking into your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of flight departure to the US.
  • Proof of vaccination.
  • Attestation for the US gov/CDC (confirming vaccination, negative Covid test). You don’t need to print this out. Airline apps should have electronic versions of this form while checking-in.
Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • US CBP has services at the Toronto airport. So your US immigration happens in Toronto after security. Your flight from Toronto then lands in the US like a domestic flight would (no immigration formalities in the US again).
  • This was pretty crowded when I traveled and took 45-50 minutes of wait.
  • The stamping process was about 30 seconds or so. Asked for passport/visa, why and how long I was in Canada, any items to declare, whether I’m carrying any food or drinks.
  • Confirm that the stamped date and visa category written on the stamp is correct.
  • Proceed to your boarding gate.
I spent about 5 days in Toronto with extended family and had a smooth trip overall. I would definitely recommend this option for folks looking to soft land. Just be sure to verify the vaccination, quarantine and testing requirements before travel as these change every few weeks/months.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to me. Thanks and good luck to everyone here!
 
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Reactions: Lpranitha
K

kinjal1110

Member
Jan 2, 2019
12
1
That is really helpful. Thanks for all the details!

How did you return back to USA? Do you have valid H1B stamping or did you return via AVR?
 
S

Sinha.616

Star Member
Oct 12, 2016
62
12
DixvilleNotch said:
Hi everyone:

I did my soft landing last week and thought I’d share my experience. I’m in the US on an H1B visa valid through next year.

US-Toronto Leg

Documents to carry:
  • COPR (both copies)
  • Passport
Documents to upload while checking-in to your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 RT PCR Test taken within 72 hours of flight’s departure to Canada. If you’re taking connecting flights from the US to Canada, it’s within 72 hours of your last flight's departure time to Canada.
  • Proof of vaccination
  • ArriveCAN barcode page
Most airlines will check and approve your documents the same day. If you do not have a US passport or Green card, you’ll need to get your passport verified at the check-in counter. I would recommend the document upload and pre-approval as it makes the process at the airport hassle free. All you’ll need to keep handy is your boarding pass and your passport.

Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • Once you land, you’ll make your way to immigration and punch in your details at the kiosk. Enter details like where you’re traveling from, purpose of your visit, customs declaration, vaccination confirmation, if you’ve been to any high risk places etc.
  • Make sure you select “immigration” as the purpose of your visit (even if it’s a short visit for soft landing).
  • Print out a kiosk form here and take that to the immigration officer. This process is petty quick.
  • The immigration officer will check your passport, verbally confirm your vaccination status, affix a green sticker(for fully vaccinated travelers from the US, no random testing or quarantine applies if you’ve only been in the US in the 14 days prior to your travel to Canada) and direct you to secondary immigration.
  • Secondary immigration is a separate room. The wait here was probably 15 mins or so.
  • Tell the officer you’re there to complete your residency landing. Hand over passport and COPR.
  • Routine questions about whether you’ve married or had kids since the COPR, changes in circumstances etc.
  • They’ll ask you for an address to send your PR card (I had this address printed on a separate paper for convenience).
  • Ask you questions about whether you’ve been convicted of crimes or asked to leave Canada etc. All routine.
  • Was also asked how much cash I’m carrying in Canadian dollars, so keep this figure handy (above 10k CAD has to be declared).
  • Initial the COPR at two places and sign at the bottom. The officer will also sign and date the COPR and write the address (on the COPR) where PR card will be mailed. This is very important and proof that you completed landing before your documents expired, so make sure your copy of the COPR IS SIGNED AND DATED BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER.
  • They’ll then stamp the passport, take your picture and cancel/cross out out the COPR visa (since it’s single entry visa).
  • They’ll give you instructions about maintaining your residency and how to travel internationally before the PR card is delivered.
  • You’re free to leave.
Other notes:
  • I did carry my whole PR application package with me. This included proof of funds (most recent bank statement), IELTS score, WES degree assessment, FBI PCC etc. I was not asked for any of these documents though.
  • You don’t need to carry any pictures. The picture copy of the COPR is what they use to produce your PR card. The non-picture copy is for your records.
  • You can use your copy of the COPR to enter Canada by land (if you don’t have the PR card). Air travel pre-PR card to Canada needs a PR-travel document. The officer said that PR card production is taking 8-10 weeks currently.
  • Canada has strict vaccination requirements at public places. Keep a photo of your CDC card on your phone and ID handy. You will need to show this at every place you dine-in.
Toronto-US Leg

Documents to carry:
  • Rapid antigen test negative confirmation. The US accepts rapid antigen tests done 24 hours before your scheduled flight. This cost me 28 CAD. Make sure you book this in advance; it’s very difficult to get appointments 2-4 days before travel. You gotta book this atleast a week in advance to get the day and time of your choice. Also, Air Canada has several coupon codes on their website for different providers. If you fly Air Canada, you can get discounts on these tests. Test takes about 15 minutes. You will need to take your passport for verification. You will get a printout of your results within 30 minutes of taking the test.
  • Proof of vaccination. Unlike the US, I was asked for vaccination proof multiple times at YYZ airport. So keep this handy on your phone.
  • Passport, US visa.
Documents to upload while checking into your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of flight departure to the US.
  • Proof of vaccination.
  • Attestation for the US gov/CDC (confirming vaccination, negative Covid test). You don’t need to print this out. Airline apps should have electronic versions of this form while checking-in.
Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • US CBP has services at the Toronto airport. So your US immigration happens in Toronto after security. Your flight from Toronto then lands in the US like a domestic flight would (no immigration formalities in the US again).
  • This was pretty crowded when I traveled and took 45-50 minutes of wait.
  • The stamping process was about 30 seconds or so. Asked for passport/visa, why and how long I was in Canada, any items to declare, whether I’m carrying any food or drinks.
  • Confirm that the stamped date and visa category written on the stamp is correct.
  • Proceed to your boarding gate.
I spent about 5 days in Toronto with extended family and had a smooth trip overall. I would definitely recommend this option for folks looking to soft land. Just be sure to verify the vaccination, quarantine and testing requirements before travel as these change every few weeks/months.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to me. Thanks and good luck to everyone here!
Click to expand...
Thank you for the detailed info, very helpful. Could you please provide the location where you got rapid antigen test? I am trying to get one for travel but it is 115 dollars.
 
K

kinjal1110

Member
Jan 2, 2019
12
1
S

sprysom91

Newbie
Jan 25, 2022
5
1
DixvilleNotch said:
Hi everyone:

I did my soft landing last week and thought I’d share my experience. I’m in the US on an H1B visa valid through next year.

US-Toronto Leg

Documents to carry:
  • COPR (both copies)
  • Passport
Documents to upload while checking-in to your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 RT PCR Test taken within 72 hours of flight’s departure to Canada. If you’re taking connecting flights from the US to Canada, it’s within 72 hours of your last flight's departure time to Canada.
  • Proof of vaccination
  • ArriveCAN barcode page
Most airlines will check and approve your documents the same day. If you do not have a US passport or Green card, you’ll need to get your passport verified at the check-in counter. I would recommend the document upload and pre-approval as it makes the process at the airport hassle free. All you’ll need to keep handy is your boarding pass and your passport.

Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • Once you land, you’ll make your way to immigration and punch in your details at the kiosk. Enter details like where you’re traveling from, purpose of your visit, customs declaration, vaccination confirmation, if you’ve been to any high risk places etc.
  • Make sure you select “immigration” as the purpose of your visit (even if it’s a short visit for soft landing).
  • Print out a kiosk form here and take that to the immigration officer. This process is petty quick.
  • The immigration officer will check your passport, verbally confirm your vaccination status, affix a green sticker(for fully vaccinated travelers from the US, no random testing or quarantine applies if you’ve only been in the US in the 14 days prior to your travel to Canada) and direct you to secondary immigration.
  • Secondary immigration is a separate room. The wait here was probably 15 mins or so.
  • Tell the officer you’re there to complete your residency landing. Hand over passport and COPR.
  • Routine questions about whether you’ve married or had kids since the COPR, changes in circumstances etc.
  • They’ll ask you for an address to send your PR card (I had this address printed on a separate paper for convenience).
  • Ask you questions about whether you’ve been convicted of crimes or asked to leave Canada etc. All routine.
  • Was also asked how much cash I’m carrying in Canadian dollars, so keep this figure handy (above 10k CAD has to be declared).
  • Initial the COPR at two places and sign at the bottom. The officer will also sign and date the COPR and write the address (on the COPR) where PR card will be mailed. This is very important and proof that you completed landing before your documents expired, so make sure your copy of the COPR IS SIGNED AND DATED BY THE IMMIGRATION OFFICER.
  • They’ll then stamp the passport, take your picture and cancel/cross out out the COPR visa (since it’s single entry visa).
  • They’ll give you instructions about maintaining your residency and how to travel internationally before the PR card is delivered.
  • You’re free to leave.
Other notes:
  • I did carry my whole PR application package with me. This included proof of funds (most recent bank statement), IELTS score, WES degree assessment, FBI PCC etc. I was not asked for any of these documents though.
  • You don’t need to carry any pictures. The picture copy of the COPR is what they use to produce your PR card. The non-picture copy is for your records.
  • You can use your copy of the COPR to enter Canada by land (if you don’t have the PR card). Air travel pre-PR card to Canada needs a PR-travel document. The officer said that PR card production is taking 8-10 weeks currently.
  • Canada has strict vaccination requirements at public places. Keep a photo of your CDC card on your phone and ID handy. You will need to show this at every place you dine-in.
Toronto-US Leg

Documents to carry:
  • Rapid antigen test negative confirmation. The US accepts rapid antigen tests done 24 hours before your scheduled flight. This cost me 28 CAD. Make sure you book this in advance; it’s very difficult to get appointments 2-4 days before travel. You gotta book this atleast a week in advance to get the day and time of your choice. Also, Air Canada has several coupon codes on their website for different providers. If you fly Air Canada, you can get discounts on these tests. Test takes about 15 minutes. You will need to take your passport for verification. You will get a printout of your results within 30 minutes of taking the test.
  • Proof of vaccination. Unlike the US, I was asked for vaccination proof multiple times at YYZ airport. So keep this handy on your phone.
  • Passport, US visa.
Documents to upload while checking into your flight (using flight app or website):
  • Covid 19 rapid antigen test within 24 hours of flight departure to the US.
  • Proof of vaccination.
  • Attestation for the US gov/CDC (confirming vaccination, negative Covid test). You don’t need to print this out. Airline apps should have electronic versions of this form while checking-in.
Immigration formalities at YYZ:
  • US CBP has services at the Toronto airport. So your US immigration happens in Toronto after security. Your flight from Toronto then lands in the US like a domestic flight would (no immigration formalities in the US again).
  • This was pretty crowded when I traveled and took 45-50 minutes of wait.
  • The stamping process was about 30 seconds or so. Asked for passport/visa, why and how long I was in Canada, any items to declare, whether I’m carrying any food or drinks.
  • Confirm that the stamped date and visa category written on the stamp is correct.
  • Proceed to your boarding gate.
I spent about 5 days in Toronto with extended family and had a smooth trip overall. I would definitely recommend this option for folks looking to soft land. Just be sure to verify the vaccination, quarantine and testing requirements before travel as these change every few weeks/months.

If anyone has any questions please feel free to reach out to me. Thanks and good luck to everyone here!
Click to expand...
Hi DixvilleNotch

Thank you so much for the details ! A lot of my questions were answered reading your post.
If I could trouble you for a little more information to get some clarity on my future steps : My COPR expires end of March 2022 and I am also in the US on H1B which expires in 7 months. I'm planning on a soft landing via air at Toronto airport YYZ.
1. I intend on flying into Toronto in the morning, completing the immigration process and returning back to US on the same day on an evening flight. Would this be feasible or do I have to stay in Toronto for longer - like a week ?
2. I was wondering if the immigration officer asked any questions on the address to mail the PR card to. Can I give a friend's residential address to have my PR card mailed? I read some posts about not being able to do that
3. Can I apply for my health card at YYZ?

Thanks again ! Really appreciate the guidance :)
 
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