Is soft landing legal? How safe it is?

[Hansdza]

Hi Canuck_in_Uk. Yes you are right. Also there is another condition in there where it says if you have been a permanent resident for less than 5 years. That is what confused me.

No biggie,

I helped my friend to applied PRTD one one week later after her "soft" landing. PRTD issued in few days after sending the application to Canadian embassy.. Just make a note on the form (i think under compassionate ground section or something like that at the very end of the form) that you became permanent resident of Canada a few days/weeks ago and you need PRTD to go back to Canada and to work/stay permanently.

Done..

 

[dsr]

What I understand by soft landing is - you land and than go back to your country and come back at a later time.

Their is no place where it says it's wrong. you can do that and my uncle did that too. he came gave his friend's address and went back. Than came back after an year.

Only issue occurs if you dont stay for a set periord of time in Canada after landing, because PR card have a expiry date of 5 years since landing. IF you are not in canada for an X amount of days in those 5 years you will not be able to renew the PR card.

I am traveling to Canada in Jan 2018.. will return in 5 days.. will get my PR to a friend's address. will update everyone based on my experience... cheers

 

[dsr]

Guys, I received my COPR on Sept 29th, 2016. I am planning to do a soft landing in Canada next week. I was reading about the PRTD on the CIC website. It says that you must meet the obligation requirements in order to even apply for a PRTD!
So now I am confused and not sure if I should do it at all.

Here is the link:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5529ETOC.asp

Please see the PR Obligation section.

Has someone recently done a soft landing and applied for a PRTD? Do we need to prove that we will be meeting the obligation requirements (staying at least 730 days in 5 years)? If yes, how can you prove? I definitely intend to move to Canada but would want to work out something with my current employer for possible transfer to Canada or find a good job in Canada before I move with all my stuff.

Any information will be helpful here. Thanks guys!!

Can you share your experience ? Thanks in advance

 

[yodheydhara]

Can you share your experience ? Thanks in advance

Hi,
I did the landing as planned and came back to the US to continue my current job. For soft landing, I flew to Toronto and did my landing at Toronto airport. There was no rush or crowd for immigration process, so my process got completed within 15 minutes.
Upon landing, we showed our COPR at the immigration window and were redirected to a different section for landing procedure. The officer there saw our COPRs and asked us a few questions as to how much cash I was carrying and where was I going to stay. Then he asked for a Canadian address where the PR cards would be delivered. He also advised me that I do not go out of the country till I got my PR card as otherwise I would need the PRTD and would need to get the one time entry visa again, which could be long process.
However, I had to come back to continue my job in the US. Hence I stayed there for a week, applied for and got the SIN number during my stay.
Upon returning, I also started looking for jobs in Canada while trying to work with my employer in the US for potential transfer. My employer did agree for the transfer and finally in August 2017, I decided to move for good. This time, I drove in a rented truck across the border and hence did not need a PRTD.
See the below link for my detailed experience on crossing the border in a rental truck:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/crossing-the-border-in-rental-car-or-truck.511124/#post-6329331

Hope this helps and all the best!!

 

[javisam376]

Hi,
I did the landing as planned and came back to the US to continue my current job. For soft landing, I flew to Toronto and did my landing at Toronto airport. There was no rush or crowd for immigration process, so my process got completed within 15 minutes.
Upon landing, we showed our COPR at the immigration window and were redirected to a different section for landing procedure. The officer there saw our COPRs and asked us a few questions as to how much cash I was carrying and where was I going to stay. Then he asked for a Canadian address where the PR cards would be delivered. He also advised me that I do not go out of the country till I got my PR card as otherwise I would need the PRTD and would need to get the one time entry visa again, which could be long process.
However, I had to come back to continue my job in the US. Hence I stayed there for a week, applied for and got the SIN number during my stay.
Upon returning, I also started looking for jobs in Canada while trying to work with my employer in the US for potential transfer. My employer did agree for the transfer and finally in August 2017, I decided to move for good. This time, I drove in a rented truck across the border and hence did not need a PRTD.
See the below link for my detailed experience on crossing the border in a rental truck:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/crossing-the-border-in-rental-car-or-truck.511124/#post-6329331

Hope this helps and all the best!!

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I am also in need of doing a soft landing before moving permanently to Canada. You mention you didn't need the PR card when traveling by car from the US, how does that work? I mean did you show to the canadian border officer? I do have a valid US visa but my passport is from a south american country that requires to have a visitor visa to enter canada, would I be able to do the same as you? (meaning entering from the US driving)

Thanks.

 

[yodheydhara]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I am also in need of doing a soft landing before moving permanently to Canada. You mention you didn't need the PR card when traveling by car from the US, how does that work? I mean did you show to the canadian border officer? I do have a valid US visa but my passport is from a south american country that requires to have a visitor visa to enter canada, would I be able to do the same as you? (meaning entering from the US driving)

Thanks.

Hi javisam. So after the soft landing, the PR card was with my relative. Hence, I did not have the PR card when I was entering Canada. In such a case, you usually need a PRTD (Permanent Resident Travel Document) if you are entering Canada via any public transport via land (includes rail), water and air. The only case in which you do not need a PRTD is when you are driving in to Canada in a private or rented vehicle. In my case, I had rented a UHaul truck. In such cases, you can show your COPR to the Canadian Border Officer.
However, later I was asked by the customs officer as to why I did not have the PR card with me and I explained it to her that it was with my relative in Canada.
Please note that you do need a visa to enter Canada for the first time. i.e. for the landing. At this time although you have the COPR but it has not been signed and stamped by the Canadian authorities. This will happen when you do the landing as this is the time they will keep one copy and give you the other copy.

Hope this answers your questions?

 

[adrlim]

Thanks for sharing your experience.

I am also in need of doing a soft landing before moving permanently to Canada. You mention you didn't need the PR card when traveling by car from the US, how does that work? I mean did you show to the canadian border officer? I do have a valid US visa but my passport is from a south american country that requires to have a visitor visa to enter canada, would I be able to do the same as you? (meaning entering from the US driving)

Thanks.

You can show the officer at the border your signed COPR. That's only if you cross via the border by car. You cannot fly in as the one who checks your passport is the airlines when you check in and they do not have a system that shows that unlike the border agents.

 

[javisam376]

Hi javisam. So after the soft landing, the PR card was with my relative. Hence, I did not have the PR card when I was entering Canada. In such a case, you usually need a PRTD (Permanent Resident Travel Document) if you are entering Canada via any public transport via land (includes rail), water and air. The only case in which you do not need a PRTD is when you are driving in to Canada in a private or rented vehicle. In my case, I had rented a UHaul truck. In such cases, you can show your COPR to the Canadian Border Officer.
However, later I was asked by the customs officer as to why I did not have the PR card with me and I explained it to her that it was with my relative in Canada.
Please note that you do need a visa to enter Canada for the first time. i.e. for the landing. At this time although you have the COPR but it has not been signed and stamped by the Canadian authorities. This will happen when you do the landing as this is the time they will keep one copy and give you the other copy.

Hope this answers your questions?

Thanks for the info @yodheydhara!!

This is great news for me, I am planning on doing my soft landing for a week in January or February (cheaper air fare tickets) and move permamently either on September '17 or early '18, I can totally fly to the US and then drive into Canada in a rental car.

Thanks!

 

[javisam376]

You can show the officer at the border your signed COPR. That's only if you cross via the border by car. You cannot fly in as the one who checks your passport is the airlines when you check in and they do not have a system that shows that unlike the border agents.

Thanks!

I guess flying to the US and renting a car will be the way to go for me after my soft landing!

 

[dsr]

Hi,
I did the landing as planned and came back to the US to continue my current job. For soft landing, I flew to Toronto and did my landing at Toronto airport. There was no rush or crowd for immigration process, so my process got completed within 15 minutes.
Upon landing, we showed our COPR at the immigration window and were redirected to a different section for landing procedure. The officer there saw our COPRs and asked us a few questions as to how much cash I was carrying and where was I going to stay. Then he asked for a Canadian address where the PR cards would be delivered. He also advised me that I do not go out of the country till I got my PR card as otherwise I would need the PRTD and would need to get the one time entry visa again, which could be long process.
However, I had to come back to continue my job in the US. Hence I stayed there for a week, applied for and got the SIN number during my stay.
Upon returning, I also started looking for jobs in Canada while trying to work with my employer in the US for potential transfer. My employer did agree for the transfer and finally in August 2017, I decided to move for good. This time, I drove in a rented truck across the border and hence did not need a PRTD.
See the below link for my detailed experience on crossing the border in a rental truck:
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/crossing-the-border-in-rental-car-or-truck.511124/#post-6329331

Hope this helps and all the best!!

Thanks for this information! I will be traveling to Toronto on 17th Jan from London, UK. My wife will join me at Pearson airport, toronto. She is traveling from India. I have similar plan. We will be staying for 4 days only. Will apply PR card, SIN and open bank account , get mobile sims etc. during our stay. Plan is that we will get PR card delivered to our friends in Toronto and we can later collect from them when they visit India. Currently we are planning to stay in UK for two more years before migrating to Canada for good.

Did they ask proof of funds at the airport ? What all documents did they check besides passport and copr?

 

[yodheydhara]

Thanks for this information! I will be traveling to Toronto on 17th Jan from London, UK. My wife will join me at Pearson airport, toronto. She is traveling from India. I have similar plan. We will be staying for 4 days only. Will apply PR card, SIN and open bank account , get mobile sims etc. during our stay. Plan is that we will get PR card delivered to our friends in Toronto and we can later collect from them when they visit India. Currently we are planning to stay in UK for two more years before migrating to Canada for good.

Did they ask proof of funds at the airport ? What all documents did they check besides passport and copr?

PR card will be applied at the immigration point only during the landing process. Be sure to provide the correct address as that is the address your PR cards will be posted to. You can apply for SIN, its a very simple process.
On opening bank accounts and getting phone numbers - It really depends if you are going to actively use both. Fyi, telecom is expensive here. For banking, banks have promotional offers for new residents that will be valid for the first 6 months. So if you open the accounts now and then go back and not use them for another two years, one is these offers wont be valid anymore (although you can open account with another bank) and 2nd is that you will have to maintain minimum balance in the accounts. Just some points to consider.

You can find the complete list of documents that you need to carry on the CIC website. See the Immigration and citizenship area.

They may or may not ask for proof of funds, its best to carry the required documents that serve as the proof of funds - like bank statements signed and stamped by the bank personnel. See the list on CIC website.

 

[RG2005]

Thanks for this information! I will be traveling to Toronto on 17th Jan from London, UK. My wife will join me at Pearson airport, toronto. She is traveling from India. I have similar plan. We will be staying for 4 days only. Will apply PR card, SIN and open bank account , get mobile sims etc. during our stay. Plan is that we will get PR card delivered to our friends in Toronto and we can later collect from them when they visit India. Currently we are planning to stay in UK for two more years before migrating to Canada for good.

Did they ask proof of funds at the airport ? What all documents did they check besides passport and copr?

Hello,

I have exactly similar plan as yours. My concern here is that what if the CBSA officer asks at the time of landing that for how long we are going to stay in Canada. Is it ok to let him know that we will be returning in 3-4 days if he asks?

 

[dsr]

Hello,

I have exactly similar plan as yours. My concern here is that what if the CBSA officer asks at the time of landing that for how long we are going to stay in Canada. Is it ok to let him know that we will be returning in 3-4 days if he asks?

I have done my soft landing and back in UK. The officer did not ask any such questions to me. But an african american couple next to us were being questioned for long on their purpose of moving to Canada. In case if they ask you, don't mention 3-4 days else they may not issue the PR card and you need to get PRDT documents next time you visit Canada. Simply tell that you are migrating and will be looking for a job or something. Give an address of relative/friends where PR card can be mailed.