Hello folks,
I would like to share my landing experience at Carway border with you guys. I live in Edmonton, Alberta. On Thursday I received my passport back from CIC with CoPR letter and everything looked good. Then I reserved a car from Enterprise for the drive down to the Carway border on Friday morning. I chose Carway because almost all of my friends have landed there within last 4 years. Thursday night my friend called me and told me that one of his friends went to Carway weeks ago and they sent him back and told him that you have to book an appointment with Canada Place and do your landing there not at the border. Since I was prepared for the trip, I came to this conclusion to go no matter whether I can land or not. In case not be able to land, I thought that it might be a day trip. Anyway, I headed to the border Friday morning and got there about 4:30 in the afternoon. The lineup on both sides was long as it was beginning of the weekend. Us side everything went normal and got that refusal letter and went to the Canada side. The Canadian officer was a really nice guy but so exhausted and sick of us, people who can land in town with a simple appointment but rather drive 6-7 hours to the border. His problem was that there are only 2 officers doing the entire Canadian side border including immigration. After hearing that, I totally agreed with him as they had to deal with so many people in line. Anyway, he told me that you have to wait for amount of time that I don’t know how long it would be. And once the traffic at the border gets a bit slower I will process your application. I waited for about 1.5 – 2 hours there just sitting and looking at wall and checking my watch. Lucky me, traffic got really slow as he could do my paper works. He told me that if traffic didn’t become slow you would have to wait for about 3-4 hours like the last person I did immigration paper works for. Anyhow, he told me to let everyone of my friends who is going to do their landing know that for immigration landing you have to book an appointment with Canada Place in Edmonton or Calgary and do not go to Carway border. Thus, my suggestion to all my friends living in Alberta is:
PLEASE DO NOT GO TO CARWAY BORDER FOR IMMIGRATION LANDING (PERMANENT RESIDENCY LANDING) AS THEY MAY NEED TO SEND YOU BACK.
For your information, here is my timeline:
Application received to Sydney: Nov 21, 2014
First line update on ECAS on Jan. 30, 2015
Application file number received via email on Feb 14, 2015
They have started processing my application on April 29, 2015
Medical request and permanent residency fund for $490 received on May 4, 2015
$490 paid on May 4, 2015
Medical (e-medical) done on May 16, 2015
Third line appeared on ECAS on May 27, 2015
Additional information request email received on May 27, 2015 (based on my experience this is only for Iranians)
Additional information sent via email and mail on June 1, 2015
Ready for Visa email received on July 17, 2015
Passport sent to CIC on July 17, 2015 via Canada Post xpress
Fourth line appeared as Decision Made on ECAS on July 18, 2015
I don’t know when my passport got there as the Canada Post online system still says that my package is out for delivery in Ottawa. My return package was activated on July 29, 2015
Passport received from CIC on July 30, 2015
Landed on July 31, 2015
Nationality: Iranian
NOC code: 4012 (4 years PhD RA and graduated in Nov 2014)
I didn’t want to post this but the officer asked me to tell others in same situation that DO NOT GOT TO CARWAY BORDER.
Thanks a lot guys for sharing part of your life with others which definitely helps people in this situation feel better and relieved.
Good Luck everyone.