Dear all,
By the grace of ALMIGHTY, I have reached Canada and landed on 8th of May on Toronto's Pearson International. Overall the whole experience was pretty smooth except that CBSA officer did not accept my Goods to follow list as it only contained the jewelry items and I did have the photographs with me. Details to follow:
1: Boarded the aircraft from Lahore, Pakistan using PIA's long haul flight. 14 hours straight to Toronto. Plane was Boeing 777 and the flight was very smooth and services were good. Filled the disembarkation card during flight which was provided by cabin crew.
2. Landed around 1:30 pm on Pearson international as per schedule.
3. Took the long walk till passport control (You won't find it tiring if you are accustom to Dubai's Airport or London Heathrow.) Terminal was not crowded, within minutes I was facing the first officer, he was very welcoming, asked a couple of questions like how much money you are bringing with you? Do you have family in here? He wrote some code and the amount I told, on the disembarkation card and "Welcome to Canada", he guided me to Immigration counters.
4. Went to Immigration counters and an Immigration officer asked me to have a seat. He was processing another immigrant, I waited there for 5 to 10 min. and then he came to the waiting area and requested me to come to his cabin. He then checked my COPR and Visa , He wrote the date and something on the passport. He asked, where I am gonna stay, he noted down the address and told me that my PR card will be shipped on that address in 5 to 8 weeks. He asked me to sign at different places on COPR and gave me my landing paper, he asked some questions like Do you have any children? I said, no I am single, never been married. Have you ever been arrested? No, never. There was another question and that was a certain No too. Question were asked while he was filling some areas of COPR. After that he asked me if I have any questions for him, he then told me to go to services canada counter and let them show my landing paper and after services canada I can collect my luggage and can proceed to customs. The whole process took 5 min. The gentleman was very friendly.
5. Proceeded to services canada area and the gentleman there welcomed me, he asked me where I am going to stay and I told, Mississagua, he then handed over me some pamphelts and a bag to carry those pamphelts, he then guided me to his partner, another lady sittng over there, she gave me some more info.They asked me to take care of my landing paper as the original will be required later when the citizenship process will take place. I asked them, should I staple it with my passport? And they said yes please and they took my passport and stapled that paper for me and folded it properly in the passport.
6. Proceeded to the baggage area, inserted two dollars into trolley's station and got a trolley, went to aisle and found my heavy luggage was already placed on the floor close to the belt. There was continous annoucment about the luggage that people who can't find their luggage on belt, they should check the area where it has been placed already (Similar to Dubai). Waited for the other bag and it arrived shortly on the belt.
7. Once all luggage was on trolley, I went to customs area and a lady officer called me to her counter. I handed her my disembarkation card and Goods accompanied/Goods to follow list (Forms B4 and B4A) along with the jewelry photos. She said I can't declare those pieces of jewelry as goods to follow as they won't be used by me. I told her that I am the legal owner and I purchased them and it is our tradition that we buy jewellry ahead of marriage. She asked about the receipts and I told her they are with the jewellry and when I will bring these things I shall present the receipts. She then asked when did you buy these things, I told her what I remembered. She then raised a point You cannot declare anything which is less than one year old. I said ok what about the other two items they are more than two year old but she was totally not convinced and repeating as you can't use them yourself so you can't declare them as well. She then looked at my good accompanied list and asked question about my laptops, she took the serial numbers of the laptops and noted down the brand details, she then asked about my mobile phones as I was carrying three, (2 iPhones , 1 Samsung) all used, I showed her the phones. Then she asked about my funds and asked me to show her the drafts. She noted down some details and filled something on her computer, she filled a form and asked me to sign it. She totaled the value of my goods accompanied, she then printed a custom form and gave it to me and there was the remark about jewelry items that as it will not be used by me so they cannot be declared and the tax exemption cannot be granted on that.
It took around 30-40 min with the Customs and won't call it very welcoming.
All in all it took me around 1 hour to finish the whole process and I came out of the airport and there was my friend standing to pick me up.
GOD Bless ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
By the grace of ALMIGHTY, I have reached Canada and landed on 8th of May on Toronto's Pearson International. Overall the whole experience was pretty smooth except that CBSA officer did not accept my Goods to follow list as it only contained the jewelry items and I did have the photographs with me. Details to follow:
1: Boarded the aircraft from Lahore, Pakistan using PIA's long haul flight. 14 hours straight to Toronto. Plane was Boeing 777 and the flight was very smooth and services were good. Filled the disembarkation card during flight which was provided by cabin crew.
2. Landed around 1:30 pm on Pearson international as per schedule.
3. Took the long walk till passport control (You won't find it tiring if you are accustom to Dubai's Airport or London Heathrow.) Terminal was not crowded, within minutes I was facing the first officer, he was very welcoming, asked a couple of questions like how much money you are bringing with you? Do you have family in here? He wrote some code and the amount I told, on the disembarkation card and "Welcome to Canada", he guided me to Immigration counters.
4. Went to Immigration counters and an Immigration officer asked me to have a seat. He was processing another immigrant, I waited there for 5 to 10 min. and then he came to the waiting area and requested me to come to his cabin. He then checked my COPR and Visa , He wrote the date and something on the passport. He asked, where I am gonna stay, he noted down the address and told me that my PR card will be shipped on that address in 5 to 8 weeks. He asked me to sign at different places on COPR and gave me my landing paper, he asked some questions like Do you have any children? I said, no I am single, never been married. Have you ever been arrested? No, never. There was another question and that was a certain No too. Question were asked while he was filling some areas of COPR. After that he asked me if I have any questions for him, he then told me to go to services canada counter and let them show my landing paper and after services canada I can collect my luggage and can proceed to customs. The whole process took 5 min. The gentleman was very friendly.
5. Proceeded to services canada area and the gentleman there welcomed me, he asked me where I am going to stay and I told, Mississagua, he then handed over me some pamphelts and a bag to carry those pamphelts, he then guided me to his partner, another lady sittng over there, she gave me some more info.They asked me to take care of my landing paper as the original will be required later when the citizenship process will take place. I asked them, should I staple it with my passport? And they said yes please and they took my passport and stapled that paper for me and folded it properly in the passport.
6. Proceeded to the baggage area, inserted two dollars into trolley's station and got a trolley, went to aisle and found my heavy luggage was already placed on the floor close to the belt. There was continous annoucment about the luggage that people who can't find their luggage on belt, they should check the area where it has been placed already (Similar to Dubai). Waited for the other bag and it arrived shortly on the belt.
7. Once all luggage was on trolley, I went to customs area and a lady officer called me to her counter. I handed her my disembarkation card and Goods accompanied/Goods to follow list (Forms B4 and B4A) along with the jewelry photos. She said I can't declare those pieces of jewelry as goods to follow as they won't be used by me. I told her that I am the legal owner and I purchased them and it is our tradition that we buy jewellry ahead of marriage. She asked about the receipts and I told her they are with the jewellry and when I will bring these things I shall present the receipts. She then asked when did you buy these things, I told her what I remembered. She then raised a point You cannot declare anything which is less than one year old. I said ok what about the other two items they are more than two year old but she was totally not convinced and repeating as you can't use them yourself so you can't declare them as well. She then looked at my good accompanied list and asked question about my laptops, she took the serial numbers of the laptops and noted down the brand details, she then asked about my mobile phones as I was carrying three, (2 iPhones , 1 Samsung) all used, I showed her the phones. Then she asked about my funds and asked me to show her the drafts. She noted down some details and filled something on her computer, she filled a form and asked me to sign it. She totaled the value of my goods accompanied, she then printed a custom form and gave it to me and there was the remark about jewelry items that as it will not be used by me so they cannot be declared and the tax exemption cannot be granted on that.
It took around 30-40 min with the Customs and won't call it very welcoming.
All in all it took me around 1 hour to finish the whole process and I came out of the airport and there was my friend standing to pick me up.
GOD Bless ALL!!!!!!!!!!!
