Assisted Landing

[CSH]

My mother will be a new immigrant landing to Canada in early 2014. Once she lands she will have to fill out some required documentation (PR form, goods to follow list etc.) Since she has never left her country of origin and is in her 60’s,a nd does not understand english very well she may have problems communicating to the immigration officer in filling out documentation and answering her questions. Is there a means by which I assist her by physically being present with her at the appropriate area in the airport.I wont travel with her, just want to be there when she is asked to fill out forms etc.

Is there a formal way to request this? Can someone just walk into this area at the airport (i am thinking not)

 

[keesio]

My wife landed last month when we arrived at the airport together from a trip. I don't recall her having to fill out any forms. Maybe sign something. Her B4 (Goods to Follow) form should be filled out beforehand and all she needs to do is present it. What is the PR form? She should just have her COPR paper and present that. She will need to provide an address in Canada where her PR card gets mailed (I assume your address) which again she can just present it on a paper written or printed out beforehand.

What airport is she landing in? My wife landed in Toronto Pearson. They had a variety of officers who speak multiple languages - Hindi, Cantonese, Urdu...

 

[Rob_TO]

My mother will be a new immigrant landing to Canada in early 2014. Once she lands she will have to fill out some required documentation (PR form, goods to follow list etc.) Since she has never left her country of origin and is in her 60's,a nd does not understand english very well she may have problems communicating to the immigration officer in filling out documentation and answering her questions. Is there a means by which I assist her by physically being present with her at the appropriate area in the airport.I wont travel with her, just want to be there when she is asked to fill out forms etc.

Is there a formal way to request this? Can someone just walk into this area at the airport (i am thinking not)

There is absolutely NO chance that you can do the landing with her, as that will be in a restricted area so you must have arrived also from an international flight in order to be there. You can't just walk into the airport off the street and go to that area. They will not make an exception for anyone.

Translators are available at major airports for new immigrants that don't speak english. Your best bet may be to call the airport and/or border services, and ask if they will have someone that speaks her language on duty at the time she lands.

Also, perhaps she could call you during the landing and you could be on speaker phone with her and the immigration officer to assist (no idea if they will allow this though).

You should help her prepare all necessary info to present beforehand (B4 customs forms, address in Canada, etc) so there should be minimal talking required with the officer.

 

[DuberBlue]

Hi there,

I don't believe there's any way you'll be able to meet her inside Customs and Immigration at the airport, so she would be on her own there.

It may be possible you can just use the airport arrival as a "visit" and then go with her by car to a US border to flagpole and re-enter with her, but she would need a visa to enter the US, unless she is from a visa-exempt country.

Does anyone else think that idea would work? It seems solid to me but I can't say for certain...

 

[DuberBlue]

Also, perhaps she could call you during the landing and you could be on speaker phone with her and the immigration officer to assist (no idea if they will allow this though).

Phones are almost always verboten during an inspection. Not sure if they'd make an exception in this case either... I just remember once getting yelled at from a US Customs Officer because I (stupidly) answered my cell phone while at the counter.

 

[Rob_TO]

It may be possible you can just use the airport arrival as a "visit" and then go with her by car to a US border to flagpole and re-enter with her, but she would need a visa to enter the US, unless she is from a visa-exempt country.

Does anyone else think that idea would work? It seems solid to me but I can't say for certain...

That will probably not work.

If visa-exempt, they would need to do even more talking to enter as a visitor vs landing as a PR.

If visa is required and in their passport, it is most likely single use only since all it's meant for is to land as a PR. So they wouldn't let her enter with her PR visa, if she doesn't do the landing at the same time.

 

[scylla]

It will only be possible for you to accompany her if you actually fly in with her on the same flight. So if this is a real concern, then you should make plans accordingly.

Otherwise you'll have to rely on the immigration officers - they deal with international visitors daily and are used to dealing with inidividuals with little/no English abilities. I wouldn't worry.