POE - Peace Bridge, Fort Erie, ON
Date - 22 Nov 2022
I am posting my flagpoling experience as i believe it would be helpful for anyone who is planning to do the same. I was issued with an S1 visa even though the program that I joined have a mandatory co-op semester. I came to Canada lately as I was doing my previous semester through online from India.
Currently the processing time for work permits made inside canada is taking an average of 4 months and may even extend to 5-6 months. Student who have a work permit before of have applied for one before Nov 15 2022 can do full-time jobs over the limit of 20 hours until 2024. But still the co-op work permit is required by the employers for hiring students for co-op semesters.
The flagpoling is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting from 8 AM.
For my co-op permit, I first tried at Rainbow Bridge and failed as the flagpoling window was closed within 20 minutes,after few people were admitted. I started at 5 AM and crossed the border, came back within 20 minutes. The problem for flagpoling at rainbow bridge is that people can wait at queue for being admitted to the immigration, so even before 5AM there was people waiting at the brigde for flagpoling and as a result i was denied the entry to the immigration office as the flagpoling process was closed after admitting 10-12 people. You will have to do the whole process again at a later time for processing the application. Due to this i went to Peace Bridge for the same, at that POE due to security restrictions waiting to be admitted to the immigration office is not allowed. If you are late, you have to go back again to US office and ome back.
Peace bridge is pretty long by almost 1 km as compared to Rainbow Bridge. If you are doing it by walking start atleast at 7:15AM for reaching back by exactly 8AM. If you come back before 8AM you won't be admitted and you have to flagpole again and it would take another 20 minutes to the other side and 20 minutes back and by that time the flagpoling window will be closed. If you are willing tonstay anywhere nearby, you can give a call to that office at +18882422100 and check the next time, usually this will be reopened within few hours.
I started from peace bridge at 7:00AM and reached the US office around 7:20, after reaching the entrance you have to press the button on the camera panel right in front of you and tell the officer that you are there for flagpoling. An officer will then grant you entry into the building, and will ask for you passport, and reason for flagpoling. They will take your picture and biometrics and will provide you with a white slip marked as flagpoling. I walked too slowly towards the Canadian side to make sure that I reach there at exactly 8AM (this is one of the advantage of going by walk), after i got to the Canadian checkpoint (you can just walk and stand at any open lanes) the office asked for my flagpoling slip, passport, study permit and reason for flagpoling. After I was admitted to the officer I gave my, passport and study permit at the counter and waited. After 10-15 minutes, i was called and asked what service that i need, I said that i need to apply for my co-op work permit and gave the application form (will explain about it at the last) and LOA from my college which states that my course requires a mandatory co-op. And after 10-15 more minutes i got my co-op permit in hand.
Documents for flagpoling
Passport, visa
Letter from college
Documents related to my visa including LOI, Biometrics validity (not mandatory, but take it with you)
Confirmation letter for co-op online application (I applied for online application 2 months before flagpoling)
Filled out Application form (IMM5710 which you can download from IRCC website)
The officers will ask whether you have applied for the permit online, if they feel that you case in not urgent they will reject your application and tell you to apply online. If you have your co-op starting in above 4 months, it is better to start an application online and wait for it to be approved online (you just need your study, permit, passport, n visa copy for applying online, no need for job offer) If there is no time for you to apply and wait for the process you can flagpole before 1 month from your co-op semester is starting, or if you have a job offer with you which will expire before the online application starts processing. And clearly explain the officer that your case is urgent.
I didn't had to pay any fee there, but in some cases they may ask to retake your biometrics which will cost around 80$
I hope this is clear, If you have anymore questions you can ask here or find me on insta as indrajith.jayadevan
Good luck
Date - 22 Nov 2022
I am posting my flagpoling experience as i believe it would be helpful for anyone who is planning to do the same. I was issued with an S1 visa even though the program that I joined have a mandatory co-op semester. I came to Canada lately as I was doing my previous semester through online from India.
Currently the processing time for work permits made inside canada is taking an average of 4 months and may even extend to 5-6 months. Student who have a work permit before of have applied for one before Nov 15 2022 can do full-time jobs over the limit of 20 hours until 2024. But still the co-op work permit is required by the employers for hiring students for co-op semesters.
The flagpoling is only open on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting from 8 AM.
For my co-op permit, I first tried at Rainbow Bridge and failed as the flagpoling window was closed within 20 minutes,after few people were admitted. I started at 5 AM and crossed the border, came back within 20 minutes. The problem for flagpoling at rainbow bridge is that people can wait at queue for being admitted to the immigration, so even before 5AM there was people waiting at the brigde for flagpoling and as a result i was denied the entry to the immigration office as the flagpoling process was closed after admitting 10-12 people. You will have to do the whole process again at a later time for processing the application. Due to this i went to Peace Bridge for the same, at that POE due to security restrictions waiting to be admitted to the immigration office is not allowed. If you are late, you have to go back again to US office and ome back.
Peace bridge is pretty long by almost 1 km as compared to Rainbow Bridge. If you are doing it by walking start atleast at 7:15AM for reaching back by exactly 8AM. If you come back before 8AM you won't be admitted and you have to flagpole again and it would take another 20 minutes to the other side and 20 minutes back and by that time the flagpoling window will be closed. If you are willing tonstay anywhere nearby, you can give a call to that office at +18882422100 and check the next time, usually this will be reopened within few hours.
I started from peace bridge at 7:00AM and reached the US office around 7:20, after reaching the entrance you have to press the button on the camera panel right in front of you and tell the officer that you are there for flagpoling. An officer will then grant you entry into the building, and will ask for you passport, and reason for flagpoling. They will take your picture and biometrics and will provide you with a white slip marked as flagpoling. I walked too slowly towards the Canadian side to make sure that I reach there at exactly 8AM (this is one of the advantage of going by walk), after i got to the Canadian checkpoint (you can just walk and stand at any open lanes) the office asked for my flagpoling slip, passport, study permit and reason for flagpoling. After I was admitted to the officer I gave my, passport and study permit at the counter and waited. After 10-15 minutes, i was called and asked what service that i need, I said that i need to apply for my co-op work permit and gave the application form (will explain about it at the last) and LOA from my college which states that my course requires a mandatory co-op. And after 10-15 more minutes i got my co-op permit in hand.
Documents for flagpoling
Passport, visa
Letter from college
Documents related to my visa including LOI, Biometrics validity (not mandatory, but take it with you)
Confirmation letter for co-op online application (I applied for online application 2 months before flagpoling)
Filled out Application form (IMM5710 which you can download from IRCC website)
The officers will ask whether you have applied for the permit online, if they feel that you case in not urgent they will reject your application and tell you to apply online. If you have your co-op starting in above 4 months, it is better to start an application online and wait for it to be approved online (you just need your study, permit, passport, n visa copy for applying online, no need for job offer) If there is no time for you to apply and wait for the process you can flagpole before 1 month from your co-op semester is starting, or if you have a job offer with you which will expire before the online application starts processing. And clearly explain the officer that your case is urgent.
I didn't had to pay any fee there, but in some cases they may ask to retake your biometrics which will cost around 80$
I hope this is clear, If you have anymore questions you can ask here or find me on insta as indrajith.jayadevan
Good luck
