Hi everyone,
I want to share my PR landing experience about flagpoling on foot in Coutts Alberta.
As you may know Alberta has a few land border checkpoints on South and I needed to drive 4 hours each way to a border. I used a rent car and didn't want to have any problems because of that with immigration officers. Based on other posts on this forum, they check number plates, drive you around, ask to park and leave a car, etc. So, I decided to walk through borders. In this case best place for that in Alberta is Coutts because US and Canada border security use the same building.
I parked my car on a visitors parking lot, it's free. If you check google maps, you will see this parking lot on a left side from a border security building. After that you just need to walk through a glass bridge, it leads from a parking lot to an actual building. Again you can use google maps street view to check how it looks. When you in a building, use the elevator and go to a second floor. Go outside and turn left. Walk to the US booth, it's probably about 30 metres away. US officer will take your passport, ask a few questions and tell you to walk extra 10 metres to go inside a building. Inside a building it's a visitors waiting area. After 10 minutes they will give you your passport back with a refusal letter and ask to go back to Canada.
Once again, go outside and walk about 30 metres to a Canadian booth. They will let you through after a few questions and ask to go inside a building. When you are inside, go to a travellers booth, they will take your documents and ask to grab a seat and wait.
Now just wait and you are a permanent resident!
When everything was done. I used an elevator once again, to go from a first floor to a third. And walk back through a glass bridge to a parking lot.
All border officers were friendly and supportive. Told me where to go and what to do.
Good luck everyone!
I want to share my PR landing experience about flagpoling on foot in Coutts Alberta.
As you may know Alberta has a few land border checkpoints on South and I needed to drive 4 hours each way to a border. I used a rent car and didn't want to have any problems because of that with immigration officers. Based on other posts on this forum, they check number plates, drive you around, ask to park and leave a car, etc. So, I decided to walk through borders. In this case best place for that in Alberta is Coutts because US and Canada border security use the same building.
I parked my car on a visitors parking lot, it's free. If you check google maps, you will see this parking lot on a left side from a border security building. After that you just need to walk through a glass bridge, it leads from a parking lot to an actual building. Again you can use google maps street view to check how it looks. When you in a building, use the elevator and go to a second floor. Go outside and turn left. Walk to the US booth, it's probably about 30 metres away. US officer will take your passport, ask a few questions and tell you to walk extra 10 metres to go inside a building. Inside a building it's a visitors waiting area. After 10 minutes they will give you your passport back with a refusal letter and ask to go back to Canada.
Once again, go outside and walk about 30 metres to a Canadian booth. They will let you through after a few questions and ask to go inside a building. When you are inside, go to a travellers booth, they will take your documents and ask to grab a seat and wait.
Now just wait and you are a permanent resident!
When everything was done. I used an elevator once again, to go from a first floor to a third. And walk back through a glass bridge to a parking lot.
All border officers were friendly and supportive. Told me where to go and what to do.
Good luck everyone!
