- Sep 11, 2015
- 5
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- Ottawa
- NOC Code......
- 2174
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 25-08-2014
- Doc's Request.
- Copies of passport 08-03-2016
- AOR Received.
- 19-12-2014
- File Transfer...
- RPRF 03-03-2016
- Med's Request
- 03-02-2016
- Med's Done....
- 08-02-2016
- Passport Req..
- 04-04-2016 (Received at CIC on April 06th)
- VISA ISSUED...
- 07-04-2016 (Received passports back on April 22nd)
- LANDED..........
- 25-04-2016
In case someone find this helpful, I'll share my detailed experience of flagpoling at Coutts in Alberta.
The drive from Calgary is three hours (one way). The roads are in great conditions and it's mostly highway. Once you're on highway 4 you just keep driving to the end of Coutts and eventually you'll find the costums building that is shared by both countries. You arrive at the USA side first.
Keep on the lane to the left and you'll see the many cameras USA customs have there, they'll take a photo of your car. Once at the window, we handed our passports and the officer asked us these questions:
Is this your first time down here?
Yes sir
What's your status in Canada?
We hold work permit and study permit and just recently got PR
So you're here to flagpole
Yes
Have you done flagpoling before?
No sir
Have you ever been arrested? (he said something similar to this)
No
Do you carry any weapons or are there any weapons on your car?
No
Then he asked to roll down the car windows and he came and looked a bit inside. Also asked me to take off my eyeglasses when inspecting the passports. Asked us to go through, park and to come inside. After 10 min they called our names and gave us the passport and a piece of paper with administrative refusal. No stamps are made in the passports.
Officer said to get into our vehicle and to follow him to go back to Canada. We followed his car and after few meters he pointed out the U turn.
The entrance to Canada has way less cameras and no picture is taken. Handed the passports to the officer and he asked the purpose of the visit and we replied we wanted to land as permanent residents. He asked if we had just flagpoled and we said yes.
Also asked the same questions about weapons or being arrested. I think he also asked if we have ever been refused entrance to a country and we replied that just the flagpoling we just did. He handed the passports back and said to park, go inside the building and go to Traffic.
Inside, the counters are labelled, the Traffic ones are to the left. There the lady officer was not like super nice but she was not rude at all. She asked first how many people were landing. She asked where we lived and if we lived together. Asked us to write down the address on the refusal paper.
She asked for the current permits and asked if they were all the permits we have had, we answered yes. She asked if we were sure and if we didn't have any others at home. We said no, no more permits.
Then she went through both questions on the COPR and asked to write the answer (No) and our initials next to them. Also, she said to verify the information and to sign the COPR.
Lastly, the officer asked if all the information provided was the truth and you have to reply. And then she kept the documents and asked to sit and wait. Less than 10 min later another officer called our names to the counter and he made the entry stamps on the passports, signed the COPR and asked if we had any questions. He added that we had now all the rights of a citizen except voting or holding public office.
And then off we went, very happy that it was all over.
There were no car line ups on either side, and just one other family that it was landing a bit before us, and another family came right after us.
All very smooth. Officers were not all that chatty or friendly, but they were not rude at all. It was a rainy Monday morning (we arrived at 8:15am) so it's not to blame
Happy landing to everyone and thanks for all the help and support. See you on the citizenship forum in a few years from now
The drive from Calgary is three hours (one way). The roads are in great conditions and it's mostly highway. Once you're on highway 4 you just keep driving to the end of Coutts and eventually you'll find the costums building that is shared by both countries. You arrive at the USA side first.
Keep on the lane to the left and you'll see the many cameras USA customs have there, they'll take a photo of your car. Once at the window, we handed our passports and the officer asked us these questions:
Is this your first time down here?
Yes sir
What's your status in Canada?
We hold work permit and study permit and just recently got PR
So you're here to flagpole
Yes
Have you done flagpoling before?
No sir
Have you ever been arrested? (he said something similar to this)
No
Do you carry any weapons or are there any weapons on your car?
No
Then he asked to roll down the car windows and he came and looked a bit inside. Also asked me to take off my eyeglasses when inspecting the passports. Asked us to go through, park and to come inside. After 10 min they called our names and gave us the passport and a piece of paper with administrative refusal. No stamps are made in the passports.
Officer said to get into our vehicle and to follow him to go back to Canada. We followed his car and after few meters he pointed out the U turn.
The entrance to Canada has way less cameras and no picture is taken. Handed the passports to the officer and he asked the purpose of the visit and we replied we wanted to land as permanent residents. He asked if we had just flagpoled and we said yes.
Also asked the same questions about weapons or being arrested. I think he also asked if we have ever been refused entrance to a country and we replied that just the flagpoling we just did. He handed the passports back and said to park, go inside the building and go to Traffic.
Inside, the counters are labelled, the Traffic ones are to the left. There the lady officer was not like super nice but she was not rude at all. She asked first how many people were landing. She asked where we lived and if we lived together. Asked us to write down the address on the refusal paper.
She asked for the current permits and asked if they were all the permits we have had, we answered yes. She asked if we were sure and if we didn't have any others at home. We said no, no more permits.
Then she went through both questions on the COPR and asked to write the answer (No) and our initials next to them. Also, she said to verify the information and to sign the COPR.
Lastly, the officer asked if all the information provided was the truth and you have to reply. And then she kept the documents and asked to sit and wait. Less than 10 min later another officer called our names to the counter and he made the entry stamps on the passports, signed the COPR and asked if we had any questions. He added that we had now all the rights of a citizen except voting or holding public office.
And then off we went, very happy that it was all over.
There were no car line ups on either side, and just one other family that it was landing a bit before us, and another family came right after us.
All very smooth. Officers were not all that chatty or friendly, but they were not rude at all. It was a rainy Monday morning (we arrived at 8:15am) so it's not to blame
Happy landing to everyone and thanks for all the help and support. See you on the citizenship forum in a few years from now
