An enquiry for returning to Canada

[dutsub]

Hi Leon

I am planning to return to Canada with all my personal belongings. These personal belongings were previously declared and recorded in 2008 when we landed for the first time for future arrival. These items will arrive by shipment as unaccompanied luggage and some valuable items as accompanied items. My enquiry is;

If we enter Canada by road in private vehicles, will we have to declare our items voluntarily, if not asked to declare.

When entering by road, is there any process of declaration either by filling a form as in flight or by orally? As we will have some unaccompanied shipment, if we enter Canada without being reported, and if there is no declaration about our unaccompanied shipment, will there be any problem in clearance when the shipment when it arrives after 60 days.

Appreciate your response.

Regards

 

[eileenf]

Bring your manifest/declaration from 2008 and explain to border guard at entry.

 

[torontosm]

Hi Leon

I am planning to return to Canada with all my personal belongings. These personal belongings were previously declared and recorded in 2008 when we landed for the first time for future arrival. These items will arrive by shipment as unaccompanied luggage and some valuable items as accompanied items. My enquiry is;

If we enter Canada by road in private vehicles, will we have to declare our items voluntarily, if not asked to declare.

When entering by road, is there any process of declaration either by filling a form as in flight or by orally? As we will have some unaccompanied shipment, if we enter Canada without being reported, and if there is no declaration about our unaccompanied shipment, will there be any problem in clearance when the shipment when it arrives after 60 days.

Appreciate your response.

Regards

After you landed in 2008, did you ever return to Canada? Did you get your PR card renewed?

There are no declaration forms when crossing the border by car, but you must verbally declare everything when asked by the border security officer.

 

[dutsub]

Hi Torontosm
We went back to Toronto to our kids for temporary stay for a month or two since 2013, my wife 4/5 months. We did not renew our PR cards which expired in Aug 2013. We will travel in our son and relatives vehicle to cross the border.

Will it be easy entering through Road border ?

Can you please give some idea about the type of questions they may ask while crossing the road border.

Do we have to show our expired PR card or landing Paper?

Appreciate your response.

 

[torontosm]

Hi Torontosm
We went back to Toronto to our kids for temporary stay for a month or two since 2013, my wife 4/5 months. We did not renew our PR cards which expired in Aug 2013. We will travel in our son and relatives vehicle to cross the border.

Will it be easy entering through Road border ?

Can you please give some idea about the type of questions they may ask while crossing the road border.

Do we have to show our expired PR card or landing Paper?

Appreciate your response.

According to this bulletin, "There is no time limit for importing goods to follow that were listed on the settler’s Form B4."

http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/dm-md/d2/d2-2-1-eng.html

So, you should be fine from that standpoint.

That said, you have obviously not met your residency obligation, and are risking being reported when you cross at the road border, and again being questions when you have to go and clear your shipment. No one can tell you what your chances are, or whether it will be easy. Typically when you cross by road, the CBSA officer asks you how long you've been away, what the purpose of your trip was, what you are bringing back, what you do, where you live, etc. Based on your answers to these questions, they can send you to secondary inspection where you will be questioned in more detail.

 

[dutsub]

Hi Torontosm

While crossing the border by road in private vehicle, should we show our expired PR card or our landing paper. CIC in its website indicated that while crossing the border by road in private vehicle, PR card is not required, Landing paper will do. I am not able to understand the difference between Expired PR card and Landing paper. Can you please explain.

We will have some valuables with us in person and our shipment to follow in 2 months time. So, which is a better option;
1. Entering as visitor (as we are from Visa exempt country) then continue living for 730 days or
2.declaring our PR status (without fulfilling Residential obligation), then leave it to border officer and our luck. If he does not report, we are lucky and make 730 days.

Can you kindly discuss pros an cons.

Regards

 

[jazibkg]

Hi Torontosm

While crossing the border by road in private vehicle, should we show our expired PR card or our landing paper. CIC in its website indicated that while crossing the border by road in private vehicle, PR card is not required, Landing paper will do. I am not able to understand the difference between Expired PR card and Landing paper. Can you please explain.

We will have some valuables with us in person and our shipment to follow in 2 months time. So, which is a better option;
1. Entering as visitor (as we are from Visa exempt country) then continue living for 730 days or
2.declaring our PR status (without fulfilling Residential obligation), then leave it to border officer and our luck. If he does not report, we are lucky and make 730 days.

Can you kindly discuss pros an cons.

Regards

In what capacity exactly do you intend to enter Canada? Are you an american citizen / visa exempt? If your PR card has expired and you have spent little time in Canada, you may no longer be able to be admitted as a permanent resident, according to my knowledge. Visitors to Canada aren't supposed to spend 2 years in Canada, technically.

The difference between an expired PR card, and a COPR is - COPR isn't a time-barred document, it is something which stays on your record and confirms your landed status as an immigrant / permanent resident. A PR card is like a driver's license, in that sense that it entitles you to use it as a travel document whilst it is valid (just like a passport is, but different then that); just like a valid driver's license allows you to drive a car.