Landing at Toronto Pearson

[sarinavene]

Hello,

I am planning to do my landing at Toronto Pearson airport this month, flying from Bermuda, where my husband and I currently live. Has anyone done this recently and can you give me any advice about what the landing process is like, what questions they will ask me, and how long it takes?

Also, I noticed that my COPR has my sponsor's (husband's) address as our old address. Shortly after we filed my PR application, we moved houses - same town, same parish, we moved literally down the street. I notified CIC and they updated ECAS with the new address, and my COPR came in the mail to the new address, but they have the old address for my sponsor on the COPR. Does this matter, since they have the updated address in their system, and since my PR card will be sent to our Canada address and not the Bermuda address? (BTW, I notice the COPR does not show the address for the principal applicant, me.)

Also, since my husband and I are stuck in a lease here until April, I was planning to do the landing and come back to Bermuda next day. But someone on here was saying you can't leave Canada until you have the PR card (which can take 4-6 weeks). Is that correct? Can I travel back to Canada in April using my regular passport (Bermuda is a visa exempt country)? My mother-in-law also stays at our Canada address, she gets our mail, so I was thinking she could bring the PR card to me when it arrives, she travels back and forth frequently.

Thanks, I appreciate any help.

 

[keesio]

I landed in Toronto Pearson a few years ago. You declare to customs that you would like to land and present your COPR. They then instruct you to go to a separate room where you wait in line and then go through the landing process. From what I remember, they checked my docs, signed the COPR, took one copy and gave me the other. They confirmed my Canadian mailing address and asked if there are any changes. Then that was basically it I think. So you will have a chance at landing to update your address.

It is correct that you need a PR card to return to Canada on a flight (you don't need it for land crossing). But since you are from a visa-exempt country, you should be fine if you carry around your COPR with you. There is a minor chance the airline itself may notice you are a landed immigrant and prevent you getting on the flight but sounds like the risks are very small if from a visa-exempt country.

You can also have your mother-in-law bring the card down for you if you wish. That would work.

Note that if you plan on living in Ontario, you need to spend at least 153 or your first 183 days in Ontario to be eligible for OHIP. If you are gone too long, you can lose it.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hello,

I am planning to do my landing at Toronto Pearson airport this month, flying from Bermuda, where my husband and I currently live. Has anyone done this recently and can you give me any advice about what the landing process is like, what questions they will ask me, and how long it takes?

The landing process itself is pretty quick, so should be done in around 10 minutes. The possible delay you'll face is if there is a big lineup ahead of you. Could be empty, just a few people, or dozens of people waiting... it all depends on how many other flights arrive around the same time as yours, and how many staff are working at that time that can do PR landings.

There is a minor chance the airline itself may notice you are a landed immigrant and prevent you getting on the flight but sounds like the risks are very small if from a visa-exempt country.

There should be no problem for visa-exempt travelers, as they can just travel as if they were visiting Canada as a tourist. I think it's best not to even mention the PR status or show COPR to the airline staff in Bermuda. Often airline staff are only trained to recognize a PR card, and won't even know what the COPR is, and they won't have access to Canadian immigration computer system that shows you are a PR. So simply saying you're a tourist travelling on a visa-exempt passport, should be good enough.

There have been cases where airline staff demand to see a return ticket before boarding, but these are very rare as far as i know.

Once back in Canada the COPR and your passport should be good enough for the immigration officer as they can confirm your PR status in their computer.

 

[frege]

There should be no problem for visa-exempt travelers, as they can just travel as if they were visiting Canada as a tourist.

They put a special immigrant stamp in your passport, marked "I", when you land. So in theory, this gives airline staff a way of knowing you're a PR. This would seem extremely unlikely unless you're travelling with a Canadian airline.

 

[sarinavene]

Thanks everyone for your help! I'm ready to go soon!

 

[IceCube]

The landing process itself is pretty quick, so should be done in around 10 minutes. The possible delay you'll face is if there is a big lineup ahead of you. Could be empty, just a few people, or dozens of people waiting... it all depends on how many other flights arrive around the same time as yours, and how many staff are working at that time that can do PR landings.

There should be no problem for visa-exempt travelers, as they can just travel as if they were visiting Canada as a tourist. I think it's best not to even mention the PR status or show COPR to the airline staff in Bermuda. Often airline staff are only trained to recognize a PR card, and won't even know what the COPR is, and they won't have access to Canadian immigration computer system that shows you are a PR. So simply saying you're a tourist travelling on a visa-exempt passport, should be good enough.

There have been cases where airline staff demand to see a return ticket before boarding, but these are very rare as far as i know.

Once back in Canada the COPR and your passport should be good enough for the immigration officer as they can confirm your PR status in their computer.

Hi. I would like to find out:

1. Being a visa exempted passport holder, is your passport requested by CIC? Does CIC paste the "PR visa sticker" onto the passport?
2. Did the COPR mention your passport number on it? If not, how does the COPR identity you?

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi. I would like to find out:

1. Being a visa exempted passport holder, is your passport requested by CIC? Does CIC paste the "PR visa sticker" onto the passport?
2. Did the COPR mention your passport number on it? If not, how does the COPR identity you?

1 - It really depends on the VO. In our case, my wife has visa-exempt passport so we never needed to send it in, as there is no special visa required to enter Canada. They simply mailed us the COPR. However i've heard for some VOs (like through USA) people have had to send in their passports.
2 - I can't recall if the passport number was on COPR. When we arrived back in Canada, the immigration officer checked the landing date stamped on the COPR, and matched it to the landing stamp in her passport. Plus they have all PR's information on their online systems.

 

[keesio]

The passport number is indeed on the COPR.

 

[IceCube]

Thanks for the quick reply.

BTW, is there any tell tale sign that the COPR is about to be issued ?

We want to get a new passport as close to the COPR issue date as possible
yet want to have the new passport number included on the COPR.

 

[keesio]

Thanks for the quick reply.

BTW, is there any tell tale sign that the COPR is about to be issued ?

We want to get a new passport as close to the COPR issue date as possible
yet want to have the new passport number included on the COPR.

Not really. Usually, the first real update you get after Sponsor Approval for visa-exempt countries is when the case officer asks for a copy of your passport. I guess if there are problems with the application, you will get notified earlier... though that would be a bad thing.

Why not just get a new passport now?

 

[IceCube]

Not really. Usually, the first real update you get after Sponsor Approval for visa-exempt countries is when the case officer asks for a copy of your passport. I guess if there are problems with the application, you will get notified earlier... though that would be a bad thing.

Why not just get a new passport now?

Hi. Thanks for your quick reply.

Our passport is still valid for another 1.5yr+. But from recent cases, our VO seems to take around a year. Thus, it's still a long wait ahead for us. We were just wondering, since we are visa exempted, and saw Rob's post here.