Congrats! It seems like there was almost no wait times at the airport for immigration. Let's see how fast they send your PR card. I think should be a month.Guess who is the newest PR of Canada? Daren2023!!! I finally landed at Toronto airport yesterday. Are there any other outlanders from this thread that have landed or am I the first one?
The landing experience went well. My flight landed at exactly midnight (such a Cinderella moment lol). I think my plane was sent to the furthest away gate from the arrivals area because we had to walk for 15+ minutes from the gate to arrivals, the longest walk ever! Then in the arrivals area I scanned my passport, got a receipt and saw a border agent. I told her that the purpose for my travel is to immigrate and then she sent me to immigration . I was the third one in line behind a couple of Mexicans. Interestingly the immigration agents spoke to the Mexicans in Spanish! So they know English, French and Spanish too, very impressive.
When my turn came everything went very smoothly. The immigration agent asked me a few questions and then signed and stamped my COPR with a date stamp. Was he supposed to put a more complicated stamp on it, not just a date stamp? Furthermore, the date stamp says June 3rd even tho I landed shortly after midnight on June 4th
He asked me for my address and I told him that I don't have a permanent address at the moment, but I have a PO Box from Anytime Mailboxes. He said it was fine to send the PR card to a PO Box so he entered that address in the computer. Then he advised me of my responsibilities as a PR (live in CA for 2 years, taxes etc.) and told me that it will take about 3 months to get the PR card. And finally he declared "Now you are a PR of Canada, welcome". Awwww such magical words .
It is a beautiful sunny day in Toronto today. I hope all of you make the journey here soon.
Unless you are already doing so, do meet a few realtors while you visit Ottawa and Halifax (if you are still thinking about buying a house this year/early next year). You'll find a few that you really like working with and can trust very early on that way.