How long to process at airport - connecting flight

[Mike7Louw]

Hi all,

It just occurred to me that there might not be a lot of time to process my paperwork once I arrive at the airport.

For context: I am landing in Montreal from Doha. I then have a 2 hour layover before my connecting flight to Ottawa.

Will immigration look to process my permanent residency paperwork in Montreal or Ottawa? In your experiences, how long does this process with customs last? The one person I know who has been through it said they waited for 2 hours which might make it difficult for me to make it in time for my connecting flight...

Thanks in advance

 

[Bs65]

You always complete PR landing and custom formalities at the first POE, Montreal in your case. Advisable to allow 3-4 hrs for a connection and PR landing could be less could be more depending on arrivals at same time.

Note as you are landing in Montreal be prepared for a few extra questions for your PR landing given you will need to be convincing you are not staying in Quebec. Easy enough as you have an onward flight.

Montreal to Ottawa is a domestic flight so once you have completed PR and custom formalities at Montreal you just find the connections desk airside drop your luggage off and head for the Ottawa flight.

 

[nayr69sg]

Hi all,

It just occurred to me that there might not be a lot of time to process my paperwork once I arrive at the airport.

For context: I am landing in Montreal from Doha. I then have a 2 hour layover before my connecting flight to Ottawa.

Will immigration look to process my permanent residency paperwork in Montreal or Ottawa? In your experiences, how long does this process with customs last? The one person I know who has been through it said they waited for 2 hours which might make it difficult for me to make it in time for my connecting flight...

Thanks in advance

2 hours might be cutting it a little tight considering you need to queue to go through security checks again as well.

But you will probably be fine.Hopefully very few people are immigrating to Montreal/Quebec and there is no wait at the immigration office.

 

[Jnicole45]

@PeacefulMan asked about something similar recently, maybe they have some insight from their experience?

 

[Canada2020eh]

Hi all,

It just occurred to me that there might not be a lot of time to process my paperwork once I arrive at the airport.

For context: I am landing in Montreal from Doha. I then have a 2 hour layover before my connecting flight to Ottawa.

Will immigration look to process my permanent residency paperwork in Montreal or Ottawa? In your experiences, how long does this process with customs last? The one person I know who has been through it said they waited for 2 hours which might make it difficult for me to make it in time for my connecting flight...

Thanks in advance

From experience a 2 hr connection time from International to domestic could be tight under normal circumstances for a CDN citizen. A lot longer going thru the queue as a non CDN, then add the first landing immigration requirements I doubt 2 hours is enough. To be safe I think 4 hours minimum. Before Immigration you will have to collect your bags, after you will have to drop them off again, all takes time.

If you are on Air Canada or Westjet there are hourly flights from YUL to YOW, better to change it and be safe, you don't want to be disappointed by missing your flight to Ottawa, then depending on the time of day you might have to wait for a few hours if the other flights are full.

 

[Hurlabrick]

I agree with Canada2020 on this one.

There is no way to find out in advance how long it will take as it is entirely dependant to how many people have landed at roughly the same time that also want to declare PR and how many CBSA officers they have on tgat part of the job.

If you happen to be tge only one and get processed immidiately, it will add an extra 30 minutes over and above normal transit times, so it depends ENTIRELY on how many in front of you.

 

[PeacefulMan]

Sorry, late replying here, I was away. We connected through Montreal to Calgary with about 3-4 hours layover and we barely made it, seconds to catch the next flight.
It'll depend on each situation but I would say plan for the worst.
Also, they didn't send the luggage on the same flight with us, I'm guessing because we weren't early checking in in that flight. But we talked to them at the Calgary airport and were able to pick-it up at a day later. They also offer to send it by taxi to your house.
Good luck.

 

[GodSend]

Montreal is SO close to Ottawa I wouldent worry. If you miss your flight you could literally take a bus or taxi and be in Ottawa in a few hours. The only issue you would have would be your baggage. if I were you I would just ask the airline to tag your bags to Montreal, grab them there.. and continue to Ottawa outside of the airport.

 

[Jnicole45]

Montreal is SO close to Ottawa I wouldent worry. If you miss your flight you could literally take a bus or taxi and be in Ottawa in a few hours. The only issue you would have would be your baggage. if I were you I would just ask the airline to tag your bags to Montreal, grab them there.. and continue to Ottawa outside of the airport.

Air Canada is (as far as I know) the only airline that has agreements to forward luggage from international to domestic flights, and your whole itinerary has to be with AC for them to do that. When you land in Canada and process through customs, you have to pick up your baggage at the international terminal and transfer it yourself (take it to the domestic check in desk for your airline). So they could easily hop on a bus to Ottawa without worrying about their luggage as they would already have it