Landing to Canada and returning to US after 3 days, questions...

[seppo]

Hello all,

I received the family based (spousal) permanent residency single-entry
visa and related CPR form this summer. Me and my family are planning
on visiting Ottawa during Labor day, to check some rental
properties. This would be my 'landing to Canada' at US-Quebec border.

We plan on returning to US immediately after the Labor day. I will
continue working and living in US until the end of October, when we
will move to Ottawa/Canada for real.

My questions are as follows:

1) Do I need to apply for 'Travel Document for Permanent Residents w/o
the proper Permanent Resident Card' in order to enter Canada later in
the fall? Or can I just enter Canada again later since as a citizen of
a Scandinavian country I should be able to enter freely (as a
visitor)? If needed, can this Travel Doc be mailed to my US address?

2) We will be traveling with our US registered (fully paid) car to
Canada during the Labor day weekend. Do I need to have all the
(myriad) automobile import documents related ready on Labor day, or
can I start the import process and present those when we move for real
later in the fall? We will move our furniture etc only in late
October, so the car could naturally be part of that.

3) Since we will be crossing from US to Quebec (but planning to settle
in Ottawa), we need to prove that we are not going settle in
Quebec. We were planning to present a signed and payed pre-school
contract for a pre-school in Ottawa as a proof our intent to not to
stay in Quebec. Is that sufficient?

4) Do we need to present any financial statements at the border when I
apply for the Permanent Residency? My application was family based,
where my Canadian wife has lived abroad for over a decade.

Any links to relevant official documentation would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any advise you might have.

 

[AllisonVSC]

Hello all,

I received the family based (spousal) permanent residency single-entry
visa and related CPR form this summer. Me and my family are planning
on visiting Ottawa during Labor day, to check some rental
properties. This would be my 'landing to Canada' at US-Quebec border.

YOU CAN LAND AT THAT TIME, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO. YOU JUST NEED TO LAND BY A CERTAIN DATE (USUALLY BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF YOUR MEDICALS). WHEN YOU LAND YOU MUST DECLARE A CANADIAN ADDRESS FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR PR CARDS, SO IF YOU DON'T YET HAVE ONE THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER REASON TO LAND AT A LATER DATE.

We plan on returning to US immediately after the Labor day. I will
continue working and living in US until the end of October, when we
will move to Ottawa/Canada for real.

My questions are as follows:

1) Do I need to apply for 'Travel Document for Permanent Residents w/o
the proper Permanent Resident Card' in order to enter Canada later in
the fall? Or can I just enter Canada again later since as a citizen of
a Scandinavian country I should be able to enter freely (as a
visitor)? If needed, can this Travel Doc be mailed to my US address?

NOT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE, BUT IF YOU ARE FROM A VISA EXEMPT COUNTRY AND ARE TRAVELING BY CAR AFTER LANDING YOU CAN ENTER WITH YOUR JUST YOUR COPR AND PASSPORT (EVEN IF YOU HAVE YET TO RECEIVE YOUR PR CARD). THIS ONLY WORKS FOR AUTO TRAVEL IN A PERSONAL VEHICLE.

2) We will be traveling with our US registered (fully paid) car to
Canada during the Labor day weekend. Do I need to have all the
(myriad) automobile import documents related ready on Labor day, or
can I start the import process and present those when we move for real
later in the fall? We will move our furniture etc only in late
October, so the car could naturally be part of that.

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXPORT YOUR VEHICLE FROM THE US ON A WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY. THE EXPORT OFFICE KEEPS REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT TRYING TO DEAL WITH YOUR CAR THIS WEEKEND. ALSO THE EXPORT OFFICE NEEDS 2 COPIES OF YOUR TITLE SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO EXPORT IT. IF YOU NEED MORE ADVICE ON IMPORT/EXPORT SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE. I JUST DID IT THIS YEAR.

3) Since we will be crossing from US to Quebec (but planning to settle
in Ottawa), we need to prove that we are not going settle in
Quebec. We were planning to present a signed and payed pre-school
contract for a pre-school in Ottawa as a proof our intent to not to
stay in Quebec. Is that sufficient?

HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE CAN ADVISE, BUT IF YOU DON'T LAND ON THIS VISIT IT WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE

4) Do we need to present any financial statements at the border when I
apply for the Permanent Residency? My application was family based,
where my Canadian wife has lived abroad for over a decade.

TO LAND YOU ONLY NEED PASSPORT AND COPR. YOU ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. THEY DO SOME STUFF ON THE COMPUTER. IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD AND EASY. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO LAND YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO CUSTOMS AFTER IMMIGRATION AND PRESENT YOUR B4 FORM TO DECLARE YOUR GOODS TO FOLLOW (INCLUDING YOUR CAR). YOU MUST DECLARE ALL GOODS AND ASSESS THERE VALUE WHEN YOU LAND.

Any links to relevant official documentation would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any advise you might have.

Sorry the all caps, it just makes it easier to see where I've inserted comments within the quote. Please feel free to PM me, if you want any more advice. Congrats on your impending new status. Allison

 

[seppo]

Hi Allison,

Thank you very much for your expert advice. I ended up consulting an immigration lawyer for my situation, and your answers are right on. Please see some additional comments below, as this discussion might be of interest to other people too...

My comments are in italics.


Hello all,

I received the family based (spousal) permanent residency single-entry
visa and related CPR form this summer. Me and my family are planning
on visiting Ottawa during Labor day, to check some rental
properties. This would be my 'landing to Canada' at US-Quebec border.

YOU CAN LAND AT THAT TIME, BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO. YOU JUST NEED TO LAND BY A CERTAIN DATE (USUALLY BEFORE THE EXPIRY OF YOUR MEDICALS). WHEN YOU LAND YOU MUST DECLARE A CANADIAN ADDRESS FOR THE DELIVERY OF YOUR PR CARDS, SO IF YOU DON'T YET HAVE ONE THAT MIGHT BE ANOTHER REASON TO LAND AT A LATER DATE.

Per the advice of my lawyer, indeed, I was able to enter Canada this weekend as a visitor and did not have to land even though I had the PR visa in my passport.

So my follow up questions below were not that crucial / time sensitive.


We plan on returning to US immediately after the Labor day. I will
continue working and living in US until the end of October, when we
will move to Ottawa/Canada for real.

My questions are as follows:

1) Do I need to apply for 'Travel Document for Permanent Residents w/o
the proper Permanent Resident Card' in order to enter Canada later in
the fall? Or can I just enter Canada again later since as a citizen of
a Scandinavian country I should be able to enter freely (as a
visitor)? If needed, can this Travel Doc be mailed to my US address?

NOT SURE ABOUT THIS ONE, BUT IF YOU ARE FROM A VISA EXEMPT COUNTRY AND ARE TRAVELING BY CAR AFTER LANDING YOU CAN ENTER WITH YOUR JUST YOUR COPR AND PASSPORT (EVEN IF YOU HAVE YET TO RECEIVE YOUR PR CARD). THIS ONLY WORKS FOR AUTO TRAVEL IN A PERSONAL VEHICLE.

Thank you, you are confirming exactly what my lawyer is telling me.


2) We will be traveling with our US registered (fully paid) car to
Canada during the Labor day weekend. Do I need to have all the
(myriad) automobile import documents related ready on Labor day, or
can I start the import process and present those when we move for real
later in the fall? We will move our furniture etc only in late
October, so the car could naturally be part of that.

YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO EXPORT YOUR VEHICLE FROM THE US ON A WEEKEND OR HOLIDAY. THE EXPORT OFFICE KEEPS REGULAR BUSINESS HOURS SO DON'T WORRY ABOUT TRYING TO DEAL WITH YOUR CAR THIS WEEKEND. ALSO THE EXPORT OFFICE NEEDS 2 COPIES OF YOUR TITLE SEVERAL DAYS BEFORE YOU ATTEMPT TO EXPORT IT. IF YOU NEED MORE ADVICE ON IMPORT/EXPORT SEND ME A PRIVATE MESSAGE. I JUST DID IT THIS YEAR.


My lawyer did not comment on this question, but my own research (i.e. extensive googling) indicates to me that the situation (of having to import the car when landing or option to import after landing) depends on the border station one uses for crossing. Some stations force one to import the car at the time of landing, whereas some others allow one to drive the US plated car in Canada after landing without importing (just remember to declare it in the 'goods to follow' list).

It seems to me that the former [border stations]are incorrect as they confuse the term physical residence (which can be still outside Canada) with the term Permanent Resident, which is the new status for the landed person, but only describes an immigration status, not physical residence. This discussion has a good explanation in one of the last comments:

forums.immigration.com/showthread.php?61641-One-can-t-drive-own-car-without-importing-Landing-experience-thru-1000-Islands



3) Since we will be crossing from US to Quebec (but planning to settle
in Ottawa), we need to prove that we are not going settle in
Quebec. We were planning to present a signed and payed pre-school
contract for a pre-school in Ottawa as a proof our intent to not to
stay in Quebec. Is that sufficient?

HOPEFULLY SOMEONE ELSE CAN ADVISE, BUT IF YOU DON'T LAND ON THIS VISIT IT WILL NOT BE AN ISSUE

My lawyer is strongly advising me to land in Ontario, and not in Quebec, no matter what kind of proof I can show of planning to stay in Ottawa. Apparently there is a great likelihood of hassle and issues, if one shows up in the Quebec border w/o proper Quebec paperwork. So, when I land in October, it will be in Cornwall, ON.


4) Do we need to present any financial statements at the border when I
apply for the Permanent Residency? My application was family based,
where my Canadian wife has lived abroad for over a decade.

TO LAND YOU ONLY NEED PASSPORT AND COPR. YOU ANSWER SOME QUESTIONS. THEY DO SOME STUFF ON THE COMPUTER. IT'S PRETTY STRAIGHT FORWARD AND EASY. IF YOU ARE PLANNING TO LAND YOU WILL NEED TO GO TO CUSTOMS AFTER IMMIGRATION AND PRESENT YOUR B4 FORM TO DECLARE YOUR GOODS TO FOLLOW (INCLUDING YOUR CAR). YOU MUST DECLARE ALL GOODS AND ASSESS THERE VALUE WHEN YOU LAND.

Yep, and since our family did not have the list of goods ready, we decided not to land yet on this Labor day trip, see question #1.

Any links to relevant official documentation would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you for any advise you might have.


Sorry the all caps, it just makes it easier to see where I've inserted comments within the quote. Please feel free to PM me, if you want any more advice. Congrats on your impending new status. Allison

Again, Allison, thank you very much for you advice.

Thanks,
Seppo

 

[AllisonVSC]

Hi Seppo,

So glad to hear that I was helpful, my info correct(!) and that you had no problems coming to visit and look for a place to live. I hope you found something suitable.

As per the requirement at some locations to import your vehicle at landing, I am not aware of the requirement that it must be done at that time. If you land at say midnight, it would most likely be impossible for you to import your vehicle if you haven't exported it prior to approaching the border. And I can't imagine a scenario where they would require you to leave the car or deny you entry because of the car. But, you never can tell with immigration, eh? All my border dealings have been with Queenstown/Lewiston near Niagara Falls. I drove my vehicle into Canada as a visitor last June 2009. When I landed in November, I drove my partner's vehicle to Buffalo to present my passport in person because the license tags on my car had expired and the new sticker had not yet arrived. When we left Canada again for Christmas we took my partner's vehicle to the Buffalo airport, and drove back to Canada in January on a 2 day road trip in a u-haul truck (complete with snowstorm in PA) and he drove his car own vehicle back across the border while I dealt with customs and my "goods to follow". It was nearly midnight (thanks to the snowstorm), and I imported everything except my vehicle.

About a week or so later I had to leave Canada again because my brother died unexpectedly and I needed to be with my family. I crossed the border back into Canada without importing my car because I didn't have the paperwork with me. I just explained to the border guard the situation, and he let me through without sending me inside the building. So a week or so later, I was back at the border to finish the process. Good thing I live near the border, I guess. All in all my vehicle was in Canada with US plates for about 9 months. I did not have any problems, except the occasion officer doing a u-turn when he saw no front plates on the vehicle. But once they saw the back plates, they didn't stop me.


I found my previous post regarding the importation of my vehicle. I am sure that you have already found some of this information in your Google searches, but I will re-post the whole hoping you and others will find helpful.

...finished importing my car from the US. The RIV (registry of Imported Vehicles) instructions require that you have a clear title (or a written agreement with your lender to allow you to export to Canada). The owner's name on the title must match the name of the immigrant importing it as goods. In addition the car must be deemed "importable" by the RIV and they provide a list of cars on their website. The car also has to be exported from the US and you must provide copies of the title several days before you wish to export. The US export officers will check your title, identity, and the VIN on the vehicle to insure they all match. The export office is only open Mon through Fri work day hours and Friday is their busiest day (reference to Buffalo border crossing at Lewiston).

All imported cars require a recall clearance letter which is easier to obtain (and get any recall work done) while you are still in the states. While you are still in the states get copies of your driving record and copies of your claims record from your insurance company. You will need both either to get your license, get insurance or both. In Canada you will have to pay for any recall work and THEN request reimbursement and the clearance letter from the US branch of your car manufacturer.

Then there are required modifications to your vehicle (like day time running lights) to meet safety and emission standards in Canada; because it meets US standards does not mean it meets those in Canada.

Here are the costs I incurred in the process...

Cost of the Recall Clearance letter $0, but I had to have several updates which required I return to the states if I didn`t want to pay the CAN car dealership then request a refund.
Cost to export $0, but took over an hour due to the volume of exporters...mostly truckers loaded with multiple vehicles
Cost to import $204.75 payable to RIV which can be paid online or at the border
Cost to install day time running lights $80 after some searching...Crappy Tire (the nickname for Canadian Tire) wanted over $400 to do the same work!
Cost for safety & emissions testing $39.99 and $89.99 cost controlled, I think, had this done at Crappy Tire
Cost to register and get tags in ON $125.00
Cost for US driver record for insurance purposes $7
Cost to insure the vehicle in ON even with highest driver safety rating (no insurance claims, no tickets and they want proof for the last 10 years) $1741 which almost $1000 more than my US insurance plan

Some of these costs also included taxes and some were tax exempt because it was on my goods to follow.

Geez, I'm exhausted just proofreading and remembering all the hurdles I had to jump through to get this done. But you'll get an idea of what you are in for. I suggest you run the recall check now and get fixed anything that shows up, and then request the clearance letter. Get a 10 year driver's record from the state where you are licensed and a 10 year claims record from your insurance company (make copies). You will need one or both for exchanging your license and qualifying for insurance. Make sure you have your car title and make several copies (export office requests two) in preparation to export. Then start saving for all the costs involved. I'm NOT kidding, the insurance prices in ON were quite a shock.

There are lots of "certification" or re-certification requirements here in Canada. Beyond bringing your driving record and insurance info, be prepared to submit any "international" diplomas for Canadian certification. Most services require your university to send directly to them a transcript and duplicate diploma. As it can take several months (at least from my university) to get those processed you may want to look into it now. World Education Services (www.wes.org/ca) is one company that certifies academic credentials for a reasonable price. If you hold any other certifications (specialized like IT, microsoft, nursing, etc) those will need to be assessed too. If you intend to be employed in any industry that requires licensing start looking into that too.

If there is anything else I can do, please let me know. Feel free to PM me, if you want to ask more questions or for clarification. I am no expert, but I certainly am experienced in a few immigration and US/CAN transition things. If I don't know or am not sure about an answer I will certainly tell you.

Good luck with the move and best wishes.
Allison

 

[verajmg]

Thank you so much Allison and seppo for those useful information.

I am a student in the us and will land on august with my mum. I dont want to import my car at this time so that i can drive it in the us till i graduate.

I read someone's post that he was refused to drive his car to canada for a short time landing w/o importing it, so he has to drive back after his first landing.

i think i'd better call a board station to check if i could drive my car to canada w/o importing on my fisrt landing, since some cbsa dont understand the differences btwn physical resident and permanent resident.