Leave and reenter Canada to register PR?

[Phe]

Hi all

I am currently in Canada on a visitors visa. I have a PR visa in progress (my husband is a Canadian citizen). I received a letter a few days ago from immigration informing me that my PR application is in its final stage and requesting for my passport so that they can provide me with the relevant PR document/sticker. My question is (may seem like a stupid question), i realise that i would need to register my PR at the border, but do you actually need to leave the country in order to do this? Is it not possible to make a trip to the international airport and register it with immigration there without actually having to leave the country for the sake of coming back in? I hope that makes sense.

Its just that im on a Malaysian passport, so if i were to plan a trip to the States simply for the sake of having to leave and re-enter Canada, that means id need to apply for a visa to enter the States...would like to avoid having to go through this whole step if its even possible.

Thanks for your help!
Phelia.

 

[rjessome]

Hi all

I am currently in Canada on a visitors visa. I have a PR visa in progress (my husband is a Canadian citizen). I received a letter a few days ago from immigration informing me that my PR application is in its final stage and requesting for my passport so that they can provide me with the relevant PR document/sticker. My question is (may seem like a stupid question), i realise that i would need to register my PR at the border, but do you actually need to leave the country in order to do this? Is it not possible to make a trip to the international airport and register it with immigration there without actually having to leave the country for the sake of coming back in? I hope that makes sense.

Its just that im on a Malaysian passport, so if i were to plan a trip to the States simply for the sake of having to leave and re-enter Canada, that means id need to apply for a visa to enter the States...would like to avoid having to go through this whole step if its even possible.

Thanks for your help!
Phelia.

You can't go to the airport to land unless you are actually entering the country. However, you could flagpole at the border without entering the US or you could make an appointment at the local CIC office to do your landing procedures.

 

[Michelle Q]

Hello Phelia.

I am currently in the same situation as you were back in 2011. It's been so hard to find someone in similar situation, so I do hope you see this! I'm also a Malaysian married to a Canadian and I am here in Canada on a visitor visa. My PR application is being processed in Singapore and is well under way. Hopefully without any major hurdles.

The status of my application is "Medical records received", and I'd like to be prepared for the next steps. My question is, did you have to leave Canada to submit your passport for PR processing? Or could you make an appointment with a CIC office in Canada to get that step done? Thank you so much for your help.

Michelle

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi all

I am currently in Canada on a visitors visa. I have a PR visa in progress (my husband is a Canadian citizen). I received a letter a few days ago from immigration informing me that my PR application is in its final stage and requesting for my passport so that they can provide me with the relevant PR document/sticker. My question is (may seem like a stupid question), i realise that i would need to register my PR at the border, but do you actually need to leave the country in order to do this? Is it not possible to make a trip to the international airport and register it with immigration there without actually having to leave the country for the sake of coming back in? I hope that makes sense.

Its just that im on a Malaysian passport, so if i were to plan a trip to the States simply for the sake of having to leave and re-enter Canada, that means id need to apply for a visa to enter the States...would like to avoid having to go through this whole step if its even possible.

As mentioned you could always make an inland appointment at the CIC office in your city, to "land". However depending where you are there can be a big wait time of several months to get this appointment, after you receive COPR.

Your best and quickest bet is to flag-pole at your closest US land border. Note you can't do this at any airport by just walking in off the street... you must actually travel to US first. So even at the land border, you can't just go straight to the Canadian border office, you MUST first go to the US side and talk to a US border officer.

You don't need to worry about having a US visa. The officers know what flag-polling is, so you can just tell the border guard you want to return right back to the Canadian side to do your landing as PR. If you don't have a proper US visa, they will give you an "administrative denied entry" paper, and turn you right back to the Canadian side. You just give this paper to the Canada officer, and can then do your landing. You also don't need to worry in that the administrative denied entry to US has no impact on future travel to the US.

 

[AnaMaria]

Did you apply outland? If so, you can do flagpoling, not entering US. My whole process, from the time I left my home to the time we cerebrated at my BF's parents house after getting my PR took less than 2 hours!

 

[Michelle Q]

Thanks, Rob and Ana Maria!

Yes, I am applying from Singapore, and I have been visiting my husband in BC and might get the passport processing request letter while I am in BC. I have a US visa so I'm not worried about entering the US, just worried about the Canadian border side. Hopefully flagpoling will work for me as well as it did for you, Ana Maria.

Cheers,
Michelle

 

[davek1979]

Thanks, Rob and Ana Maria!

Yes, I am applying from Singapore, and I have been visiting my husband in BC and might get the passport processing request letter while I am in BC. I have a US visa so I'm not worried about entering the US, just worried about the Canadian border side. Hopefully flagpoling will work for me as well as it did for you, Ana Maria.

Cheers,
Michelle

Flagpole landing is easy. It took us just under 2 hours for both sides of the boarder because they offices were really busy. It easy though. Have you customs forms ready for anything you want to bring into Canada from home because they will ask for it when you become a PR. Congrats on finishing