Landing and PR card questons

[Gary_87]

Hi folks,

I will be doing my landing net week (April 3rd) at Toronto Pearson. I have a few questions.

Do I need (or can I) to prefill my PR card application? I'm taking a look at it and there are a lot of questions about my movement and travel history. I've been outside of Canada since 2012. The form asks questions about my movements in the last 5 years, my addresses, where i've worked and studied ... all of this was provided in my PR application pack. Do I need to do this again, or is there a different procedure for when I arrive at the airport?

Do I need to bring photos with me and if so, what are the specs?

I know I have to complete the customs forms ... is there anything else I will need?

Lastly, any idea how long the whole procedure will take for a flight landing on a Monday at 3:30pm? I need to get over to Kelowna, and am wondering if I should take a flight later in the day or just wait till the following day.

Much appreciation in advance!

Thanks!

 

[scylla]

The PR card application is for renewals only. No photos needed.

How long it takes really varies. I would leave 4 hours between flights to be safe in case there's a backlog at customs.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hi folks,

I will be doing my landing net week (April 3rd) at Toronto Pearson. I have a few questions.

Do I need (or can I) to prefill my PR card application? I'm taking a look at it and there are a lot of questions about my movement and travel history. I've been outside of Canada since 2012. The form asks questions about my movements in the last 5 years, my addresses, where i've worked and studied ... all of this was provided in my PR application pack. Do I need to do this again, or is there a different procedure for when I arrive at the airport?

Do I need to bring photos with me and if so, what are the specs?

I know I have to complete the customs forms ... is there anything else I will need?

Lastly, any idea how long the whole procedure will take for a flight landing on a Monday at 3:30pm? I need to get over to Kelowna, and am wondering if I should take a flight later in the day or just wait till the following day.

Much appreciation in advance!

Thanks!

So are you saying you have a CoPR and are doing a landing to declare PR (i.e. this will be your first PR Card)?

If so, then YOU don't fill out any PR card forms, CBSA already have all this from your application form on the computer, so you don't need to do anything.

Have your:

* Original and copy CoPR,
* Passport (of course),
* Have an ETA before you board for Canada,
* Have your customs list and values of 'goods accompanying' and 'goods to follow' (if this is also your settlement trip)

As regards Pearson, estimates vary between allowing an additional half an hour to an additional 3 - 4 hours depending on how many there are ahead of you in the line and how many agents are on.

 

[Gary_87]

Thanks for the reply both. Yeah, that's the conclusion I came to with the PR card so it's good to hear I don't have to!

I think I'll fly the next day to be safe.

RE the customs forms (BSF186?):
- I am bringing goods with me. Therefore I need to fill out this form. I will have clothes, some house decorations, personal effects, a computer, cell phone, other electronics (ipod, e-reader, beard trimmer etc etc), and a watch/necklace which I will be wearing. Do I need to declare all of these things?
- I have some goods to follow. This includes futher personal effects, maybe some books and a guitar. Which form do I put these on?

Thanks! Just trying to prep and make this process speedy!

 

[Hurlabrick]

As regards landing experiences, including Pearson, see this wiki article:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Landing_as_PR-Canada

As regards customs lists, see this wiki article. It includes example of the level of detail of a typical list:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Goods_To_Follow

Anything of higher value or electronic etc. (laptops, expensive watches etc.) list the model details and serial numbers and for jewellery, perhaps photos and any formal valuations you may have.

You will need two copies of each. They will write them out again on their official forms, you don't have to do this.

 

[Gary_87]

Thanks!

So just create a couple spreadsheets and don't prefill BSF186?

 

[Hurlabrick]

Thanks!

So just create a couple spreadsheets and don't prefill BSF186?

Correct!

And summarise things as it says in the wiki - Gents clothes, Skiing equipment, Kitchen cooking utensils, Crockery etc.

.....or, if you are anal / fancy a bit of fun / have time on your hands (like me!), I made my spreadsheets look like the BSF186 just for the hell of it!

 

[Gary_87]

Nice!

I'm thinking something along the lines of the following:

Good Accompanying
Description Serial Number (if applicable) Quantity Value (CAD)
Clothing NA Numerous $400
Suitcase NA 1 $100
Computer (Samsung) FX8732920 1 $1000

Goods To Follow
Description Serial Number (if applicable) Quantity Value (CAD)
Guitar Les Paul HGGD2837 1 $3000


Does this look about right?

 

[Hurlabrick]

Nice!

I'm thinking something along the lines of the following:

Good Accompanying
Description Serial Number (if applicable) Quantity Value (CAD)
Clothing NA Numerous $400
Suitcase NA 1 $100
Computer (Samsung) FX8732920 1 $1000

Goods To Follow
Description Serial Number (if applicable) Quantity Value (CAD)
Guitar Les Paul HGGD2837 1 $3000


Does this look about right?

Close.

For clothes, I would use '1 suitcase' or 'two boxes' or whatever.

Similarly for goods to follow - Kitchen utensil - 3 boxes etc.

But yes, you've got it for the guitar etc. (nice BTW!!)

 

[Gary_87]

Close.

For clothes, I would use '1 suitcase' or 'two boxes' or whatever.

Similarly for goods to follow - Kitchen utensil - 3 boxes etc.

But yes, you've got it for the guitar etc. (nice BTW!!)

I'm not really able to quantify things into boxes etc. I can say "1 suitcase" for the clothes, but as for things to follow, I have no idea. Quantity is possibly what's going to trip me up I think. For accompanying, its easy, but otherwise not sure.

 

[Hurlabrick]

I'm not really able to quantify things into boxes etc. I can say "1 suitcase" for the clothes, but as for things to follow, I have no idea. Quantity is possibly what's going to trip me up I think. For accompanying, its easy, but otherwise not sure.

Why will you not be sure? Is this trip your 'final settlement trip' (i.e. packing up all your wordly goods and getting them shipped to Canada and hello, this is me and I am here for good)

......or is it just to land to activate / declare PR, then you return to the UK sell your house and pack things up for your second and final 'settlement' trip?

If this is your 'activate CoPR trip' only, then you don't do any good accompanying / goods to follow list, you just explain that you will land as settler later once you have sold up in the UK (you have I year IIRC for customs purposes, may be wrong on this).

 

[Gary_87]

Why will you not be sure? Is this trip your 'final settlement trip' (i.e. packing up all your wordly goods and getting them shipped to Canada and hello, this is me and I am here for good)

......or is it just to land to activate / declare PR, then you return to the UK sell your house and pack things up for your second and final 'settlement' trip?

If this is your 'activate CoPR trip' only, then you don't do any good accompanying / goods to follow list, you just explain that you will land as settler later once you have sold up in the UK (you have I year IIRC for customs purposes, may be wrong on this).

This is the full move. However, I'm currently in transit doing a move from Australia. Wife is already in Canada, I'm visiting family in the UK. Have all the stuff with us from Aus, but I also have stuff in the UK to bring along later. Can't fit it all with me for the upcoming trip. So, I'll know what I have, but in terms of to follow, I have no idea how much it'll all be.

 

[SoyErika]

Hello Gary,

Since you are planning to arrive very soon, I recommend you to contact a pre-arrival information referral specialist. You can find them on this website nextstopcanada.ca They can provide accurate and updated information about settlement in Canada.

Have a safe trip!

 

[Hurlabrick]

This is the full move. However, I'm currently in transit doing a move from Australia. Wife is already in Canada, I'm visiting family in the UK. Have all the stuff with us from Aus, but I also have stuff in the UK to bring along later. Can't fit it all with me for the upcoming trip. So, I'll know what I have, but in terms of to follow, I have no idea how much it'll all be.

AIUI, you can only land as a settler once (i.e. you can't do your goods accompanying now and the goods to follow later, you do them both at the same time - I asked the same question - happy for someone to contradict if I have this wrong!).

AND (again AIUI) you have to 'land as settler' within one year or landing to declare PR.

I suggest that you land as PR on your planned trip and land as settler with your customs stuff when you are ready to ship, as the shipper will have to prepare a list of what they have packed.

Having said all of this, there have been stories that if you get the wrong immigration guy, they will INSIST they you have to do the customs stuff on your PR trip (you don't, but the level of knowledge and training of CBSA staff is, shall we say, variable!). So just in case, I will have my customs lists with me (yes, including our best guess at 'goods to follow').

So I personally plan to land with my wife (she is the PA) to activate her PR status in April 2017, then return to the UK to finalise the sale of our house here, hopefully by summer and then land finally as 'settler' with the customs forms in summer 2017 - hence I have looked into this in some detail.

 

[TANMEX]

So are you saying you have a CoPR and are doing a landing to declare PR (i.e. this will be your first PR Card)?

If so, then YOU don't fill out any PR card forms, CBSA already have all this from your application form on the computer, so you don't need to do anything.

Have your:

* Original and copy CoPR,
* Passport (of course),
* Have an ETA before you board for Canada,
* Have your customs list and values of 'goods accompanying' and 'goods to follow' (if this is also your settlement trip)

As regards Pearson, estimates vary between allowing an additional half an hour to an additional 3 - 4 hours depending on how many there are ahead of you in the line and how many agents are on.

Hi ,
in Regards to ETA , were you personaly requested an ETA to board the plane ? the government website cic indicate no need for ETA if you are from a Visa Exempt country .
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1184&top=16

My wife is coming next week and we need to get one if it's really needed .