- Aug 23, 2017
- 71
- Category........
- CEC
- Visa Office......
- Ottawa
- NOC Code......
- 2242
- App. Filed.......
- 15-08-2017
- AOR Received.
- 15-08-2017
- Med's Done....
- 14-09-2016
- Passport Req..
- 06-11-2017
- VISA ISSUED...
- 23-11-2017
- LANDED..........
- 02-12-2017
Today I completed my CoPR landing in Osoyoos, BC. I live in the Okanagan so the drive down to the border crossing didn’t take me very long. I had a few nerves as I approached the border, as I wasn't entirely sure where to go, or how the process would unfold. I looked for information on flag-poling at Osoyoos in the lead up, but didn’t find much. So I thought I’d leave my experience here for anyone looking for information about the process of flag-polling at the Oroville/Osoyoos crossing.
As I drove up on the crossing I was concerned about being forced to drive into the US, as I really wanted to walk in and leave my truck on the Canadian side. In hindsight I probably could have just driven through and come back as it was extremely quiet. Anyway, I found a parking spot just before the facility outside a fright-forwarding company. It was only meters from the Duty-Free shop. The parking spots did say 'reserved', but the place was empty and there wasn’t much traffic moving anywhere.. it was very quiet.. a good sign!
After parking there I walked in, following the signs saying “To USA”. I followed a back-and-forth path with multiple pedestrian crossings until I came around to the US vehicle intake lanes. I then tentatively approached a long crossing that went straight across all the vehicle lanes… As I approached I looked at the US border agents in case I was doing something wrong.. I really felt out of place at this time.. There was only one car in the lanes so I had all 4 agents looking at me.. at this point I decided to take my hands out of my pockets just in case haha (it was 2 degrees C). Finally one of the agents stepped out of his booth and motioned me to come over. He then asked me to walk in and out of posts that scan the vehicles as they come through and asked me what I was here for. I explained I was Flagpolling for Canadian PR. He was quite friendly and asked a couple more questions as he checked through my passport. After a few minutes he sent me inside with a small slip of paper. I then told all the same information to the US border guard inside. He took my passport as well and went back to his desk for about 10 minutes. When he came back he asked a few more basic questions and then gave back my passport and another piece of paper to show CBSA agents that I had flag-polled. After walking me behind the traffic lanes on the US side he said I could walk around the back of the Canadian building and to their traffic lanes. I must have given him a look as he said “its ok, people do this all the time” Haha. I thanked him and walked around to enter Canada.
Once again I found myself standing in a vehicle lane as if I was trying to walk a McDonalds drive-thu!! This time I even had a car waiting behind me haha. The CBSA agent checked my passport and asked a few questions. At this point I had been asked where I live probably 5 times by both US and CBSA agents.. I guess thats important to the process! He was also quite friendly and gave me a slip to go inside with.. I saw that it had the letters CoPR written on it. So I went inside the building and it was nearly empty!! I had clearly chosen a good time to do this. There was only one other person inside and as I approached the counter I had 2 CBSA agents go to get up to serve me right away.. I think they were getting bored in there haha!!
One of the agents then took my CoPR papers, a letter with my home address on it, and my passport. I forgot to hand over my current work visa, but he didn’t seem to need it. I sat for probably 30 minutes then he came over and asked me a few required questions about if I’d committed any crimes, or been denied entry before etc.. He reeled them off quick-shot style, so it was obviously a legal requirement of the landing process. I then asked him if he needed my current work visa and he said no.. I was surprised. I could have been in Canada illegally and no-one would have known.. I wasn’t asked at the gate or during this landing process to prove my legal status in Canada. I thought that was a little odd. Anyway, it was no real concern to me, my visa was valid for another 11 months anyway.
The CBSA agent then told me the PR card could take up to 6 months to arrive at the address listed on my CoPR paperwork. He then had me initial, sign and date the CoPR paperwork and gave me back my passport with the second copy of the CoPR paperwork folded and stapled into it. Then I was done.. I walked out.. back to my truck feeling kind of… nothing.. I think it hadn’t really sunk in at that point.. It has been a solid 18 months of trials and tribulations for me to get to this point.. to finally be walking back into Canada as a Permanent Resident.. It was a lot to suddenly take in.. I think I was just a little shocked.. I had finally done it.. I had run the race and just watched the finish line go past me!
On the drive home it started to sink in. It was a good feeling.. I went straight to Tim Hortons, got a coffee and a Canadian Maple donut.. It just seemed like the right thing to do as newly minted Permanent Resident!! It was a surreal but happy drive home, I watched the rain turn to snow as the flakes bounced across the windshield and it made me smile.. This is what I love about Canada.. the lakes and mountains.. and how the snow transforms this beautiful place into a winter wonderland.. I love it and I’m so happy to now be a Permanent Resident of Canada!
To those still in the process, hang in there. Take on each challenge as it comes, and persevere. It can be a heart wrenching journey at times, but when you get to the end its all worth it! Best of luck to you all!!
Jonathan.
My Timeline (Start to finish) - This was my 3rd PR Attempt!
CEC Inland (2017)
EE Submitted: Mar. 21 (455 Points)
ITA: May. 17
AOR: Aug. 14
PPR Request: Nov. 6
PPR Sent: Nov. 8
PPR Received: Nov. 10
CoPR Approved: Nov. 23
CoPR Return Tracking Activated: Nov. 27
CoPR Delivery: Nov. 30
Landed: Dec. 2 (Oroville, WA / Osoyoos, BC Border Crossing)
As I drove up on the crossing I was concerned about being forced to drive into the US, as I really wanted to walk in and leave my truck on the Canadian side. In hindsight I probably could have just driven through and come back as it was extremely quiet. Anyway, I found a parking spot just before the facility outside a fright-forwarding company. It was only meters from the Duty-Free shop. The parking spots did say 'reserved', but the place was empty and there wasn’t much traffic moving anywhere.. it was very quiet.. a good sign!
After parking there I walked in, following the signs saying “To USA”. I followed a back-and-forth path with multiple pedestrian crossings until I came around to the US vehicle intake lanes. I then tentatively approached a long crossing that went straight across all the vehicle lanes… As I approached I looked at the US border agents in case I was doing something wrong.. I really felt out of place at this time.. There was only one car in the lanes so I had all 4 agents looking at me.. at this point I decided to take my hands out of my pockets just in case haha (it was 2 degrees C). Finally one of the agents stepped out of his booth and motioned me to come over. He then asked me to walk in and out of posts that scan the vehicles as they come through and asked me what I was here for. I explained I was Flagpolling for Canadian PR. He was quite friendly and asked a couple more questions as he checked through my passport. After a few minutes he sent me inside with a small slip of paper. I then told all the same information to the US border guard inside. He took my passport as well and went back to his desk for about 10 minutes. When he came back he asked a few more basic questions and then gave back my passport and another piece of paper to show CBSA agents that I had flag-polled. After walking me behind the traffic lanes on the US side he said I could walk around the back of the Canadian building and to their traffic lanes. I must have given him a look as he said “its ok, people do this all the time” Haha. I thanked him and walked around to enter Canada.
Once again I found myself standing in a vehicle lane as if I was trying to walk a McDonalds drive-thu!! This time I even had a car waiting behind me haha. The CBSA agent checked my passport and asked a few questions. At this point I had been asked where I live probably 5 times by both US and CBSA agents.. I guess thats important to the process! He was also quite friendly and gave me a slip to go inside with.. I saw that it had the letters CoPR written on it. So I went inside the building and it was nearly empty!! I had clearly chosen a good time to do this. There was only one other person inside and as I approached the counter I had 2 CBSA agents go to get up to serve me right away.. I think they were getting bored in there haha!!
One of the agents then took my CoPR papers, a letter with my home address on it, and my passport. I forgot to hand over my current work visa, but he didn’t seem to need it. I sat for probably 30 minutes then he came over and asked me a few required questions about if I’d committed any crimes, or been denied entry before etc.. He reeled them off quick-shot style, so it was obviously a legal requirement of the landing process. I then asked him if he needed my current work visa and he said no.. I was surprised. I could have been in Canada illegally and no-one would have known.. I wasn’t asked at the gate or during this landing process to prove my legal status in Canada. I thought that was a little odd. Anyway, it was no real concern to me, my visa was valid for another 11 months anyway.
The CBSA agent then told me the PR card could take up to 6 months to arrive at the address listed on my CoPR paperwork. He then had me initial, sign and date the CoPR paperwork and gave me back my passport with the second copy of the CoPR paperwork folded and stapled into it. Then I was done.. I walked out.. back to my truck feeling kind of… nothing.. I think it hadn’t really sunk in at that point.. It has been a solid 18 months of trials and tribulations for me to get to this point.. to finally be walking back into Canada as a Permanent Resident.. It was a lot to suddenly take in.. I think I was just a little shocked.. I had finally done it.. I had run the race and just watched the finish line go past me!
On the drive home it started to sink in. It was a good feeling.. I went straight to Tim Hortons, got a coffee and a Canadian Maple donut.. It just seemed like the right thing to do as newly minted Permanent Resident!! It was a surreal but happy drive home, I watched the rain turn to snow as the flakes bounced across the windshield and it made me smile.. This is what I love about Canada.. the lakes and mountains.. and how the snow transforms this beautiful place into a winter wonderland.. I love it and I’m so happy to now be a Permanent Resident of Canada!
To those still in the process, hang in there. Take on each challenge as it comes, and persevere. It can be a heart wrenching journey at times, but when you get to the end its all worth it! Best of luck to you all!!
Jonathan.
My Timeline (Start to finish) - This was my 3rd PR Attempt!
CEC Inland (2017)
EE Submitted: Mar. 21 (455 Points)
ITA: May. 17
AOR: Aug. 14
PPR Request: Nov. 6
PPR Sent: Nov. 8
PPR Received: Nov. 10
CoPR Approved: Nov. 23
CoPR Return Tracking Activated: Nov. 27
CoPR Delivery: Nov. 30
Landed: Dec. 2 (Oroville, WA / Osoyoos, BC Border Crossing)
