Landing and Leaving question

[asmama]

Hello Dear Forum Friends

I have a couple of questions about landing and leaving and would like your help. Especially if you have gone thru something similar in your situation.

I am Originally from Pakistan. Now a days living in UK on student visa. I am doing my M.Sc. in UK. My M.Sc. started in November 2011 and will finish in January 2013.
Just recently I got immigrant visa and I have to do the landing before August 31, 2012.

So I plan on Landing in British Columbia before August 31, 2012. But I can't stay in BC for long because of my studies. So I plan on going back to UK after landing and finishing my studies and then permanently move to BC. I do have permanent address in BC, so my PR cards will be mailed out to that address and I will get those cards.

Here are my questions:

1) If i land in BC and stay there for 3 or 4 days and then leave to go back to UK. Stay in UK until Jan 2013, finish my studies and then move permanently to BC. Will that cause any problems? in my landing or later?

2) At the time of landing (especially in BC) do I have to tell immigration officer, how long i am going to stay in BC for? Does immigration officer even ask that kind of questions or do they know electronically that I have a return ticket after 3 or 4 days?

3) if someone has recently gone thru landing in BC, please PM me or tell me your email address, i would like to ask you some very landing specific questions and your personal experiences.

Your answers and personal experiences would greatly help me

Thanks

 

[ahaboubi]

You will not face any problems if you land and then leave after a few days. They won't ask at the airport. and even if they did ask, it's not a problem.

Regards and good luck

 

[troyporter]

I have a similar plan also and enquired on this forum - Qorax said it should be fine.

 

[Leon]

It will be fine. The only possible problem is that if the immigration officer asks you how long you are staying or when you give your address, asks if you will be at this address when the PR card arrives in the mail and if you say no, they could decide to refuse your address and hold your PR card until you are back to stay.

If this happens, you have an option to update your address with CIC a couple of days later. Just say you did not have an address when you landed and now you do and try to give them the same one. It has worked for other people in the past.

Worst case scenario, if it doesn't work and you end up not getting your PR card, that is not a big deal. Once you are back to stay, if it is still less than 6 months since you landed, you can simply call CIC and say you are back and give your address and they will mail you the PR card. If it is more than 6 months, you will have to apply for the card, provide new photos and pay $50 but otherwise not a big deal.

 

[troyporter]

I thought the embassy only gives you a single entry visa which means if you land and leave you can't travel back to Canada without the card in hand.

Is this not true?

 

[scylla]

I thought the embassy only gives you a single entry visa which means if you land and leave you can't travel back to Canada without the card in hand.

Is this not true?

If you are from a non visa exempt country - then you either need a PR card or a travel document to return.

 

[Leon]

1. If you are visa exempt, you will have no problems. You can board a plane to Canada on the strength of your passport alone and once you arrive in Canada, you show your landing papers and they will let you enter.

2. If you are not visa exempt, you will need to apply for a PR travel document at a Canadian embassy before an airline will let you board or if you are in the US or can get to the US, you can enter without a travel document at the land border.