My Details:
Type of Application: Express Entry FSW
PR Application Date: September 15, 2019
COPR date of Approval: February 2, 2020
Landing Date in Canada: June 26, 2020
Landing Location: Blue Water Bridge, Sarnia, Ontario
Landing Time: 5 PM EST
Mode of Transport: Personal Vehicle
My Experience
I live in USA on work visa and I applied to Canada PR in search of a better life without visa issues. I decided to perform my landing formalities on June 26, 2020 through Sarnia, ON. Since I was approved as a PR before March 18, 2020 I was exempt from the USA-Canada border restrictions.
I started from Chicago, IL in the morning in my personal vehicle and drove to Port Huron, MI with intermediate stops to buy groceries. I had read about the 14-day mandatory quarantine requirement put in place by Government of Canada for COVID19. I bought enough groceries for isolating at home for 14 days. I reached the Blue Water Bridge at 5 PM to cross the border. On my way to the bridge, there were a bunch of signs showing ‘Bridge to Canada’ board and my excitement was growing as I passed each board. Then there came a sign saying ‘Last Exit to USA’ but I moved on. My excitement had reached its peak by now. There was a toll booth just before the bridge and I payed $3 with my credit card to access the bridge. As a started out onto the bridge, suddenly my Google Maps shouted ‘Welcome to Canada !!’. Now, I was both excited and nervous for the next process. The Google Maps quickly shifted from ‘miles’ to ‘kilometers’ and from ‘MPH’ to ‘KMPH’ and asked me to slow down from 50 MPH to 50 KMPH. The road bifurcated into two separate entry posts, one for Semis and other for Cars. There was literally No One at the border apart from me who was there to complete the landing formalities. I entered the entry post in my car and saw an officer there. I was wearing a face mask. He asked me for my passport and the COPR papers. Next, he asked me following questions:
- Why are you here today?
- I said I am here to immigrate
- What do you do in USA?
- I said I work in XYZ company and I live in Illinois state
- Where are you headed to in Canada? And do you have a plan for 14-day quarantine?
- I said I have booked an Airbnb for 14 days and I plan to stay there for all those days to quarantine
- I handed out my plan for quarantine that included booking receipt of Airbnb, My insurance documents, Receipts of all the Groceries that I brought with me
- How many days are you going to stay?
- I said I will stay for 15 days and return to USA
I drove there and parked my car. I took my documents and went inside it. Inside, it was all deserted and there was not even a single person waiting for completing their formalities. It looked like all the officers in there were waiting to pounce on the first person that walked into that office There were 6 booths and 4 of them were occupied with officers. One of the officers waived at me and I walked up to that booth. The officer asked me for my passport, the yellow page from above and my COPR documents. The officer asked me loudly ‘ Why are you here?’ and that too ‘just for 15 days’. I said I was here to complete my landing formalities and would quarantine for 14 days and would return back to USA on the 15 day. The officer looked a bit furious because I was traveling during a pandemic. The officer asked me ‘What do you do in the USA?’, I said I work. The officer asked me the Employment Offer Letter and Pay slips for last 12 months.
Next The officer asked me the bank statements that showed enough money required for settlement. At this point, I was asked to go and sit in the waiting room until they cross checked my documents. It took them about 10 minutes to go through the documents and I was asked to come to the booth again. Now they asked me for my List of Accompanying Goods and List of Goods to Follow along with an address where my PR card would be sent to. I had already filled up the form BSF186 with all that information and gave them that. They asked me if there anything in your car that is not listed on the Form, I said I haven’t included the list of groceries and gave them the receipt. They again asked me to wait and they finalized the BSF186 list by including the groceries on the list.
My heart was racing! I was called to the booth again. They asked me for my plan for 14-day quarantine once again and cross checked my Airbnb reservation against their database. They made copies of all the documents I had given and returned my copies.
Their last sentence: “Congratulations!! Welcome to Canada!” I heaved a sigh of relief!!!! They said a bunch of things after this but I don’t remember any of it lol! I was too excited and relieved! Finally, my wish had been fulfilled. I am now an official PR of Canada. I walked out of the office and headed straight to my Airbnb to quarantine.
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