Need Help, Out of Status in Canada, What are my landing options

[suchnaju]

Hi Seniors,

I will get my PR visa and COPR soon. However I am currently out of status in Canada. What's my landing options? I'm currently in Toronto.

1. U-turn landing at peace bridge(Fort Erie).
2. Flagpole landing at peace bridge(Fort Erie). Will US customes ask me my status in Canada? Or if they find out I'm out of status in Canada, what will they do?
3. Fly back to home home and land @ pearson airport.

I would prefer 1>2>3.

Also if I do 1 or 2, can my cousin(canadian citizen) drives me to Fort Erie ?

 

[lpc19800]

Please clarify what you mean by out of status - work permit finished? Or still valid but you aren't working? Please add more information

 

[suchnaju]

Please clarify what you mean by out of status - work permit finished? Or still valid but you aren't working? Please add more information

Hi,

Work permit finished and renew Work permit rejected due to some stupid errors my immigrant consultant made. I did not work and no status in Canada waiting for my PR visa.

I'm FSW2 with Arranged Employment Opinion.

CPC sent back my passport yesterday so I will get my PR visa today.

Please advice my landing options.

Thanks,

 

[Leon]

You have one more option and that is making an interview to land inland in Toronto at your local CIC office.

If you want to do this, wait until you have your PR visa and then call the call centre and make an appointment. It may however take a few weeks to get one.

 

[suchnaju]

You have one more option and that is making an interview to land inland in Toronto at your local CIC office.

If you want to do this, wait until you have your PR visa and then call the call centre and make an appointment. It may however take a few weeks to get one.

Thanks Leon however they need you have valid status in Canada to land inland. I think I need to clear my status first by either go US or fly back to my home country.

 

[Leon]

I don't know if you can do a U-turn on that particular point. If not, you would have to flagpole. If the US learns that you have overstayed in Canada, they may refuse you entry and send you back to Canada.

 

[meyakanor]

It's possible to make a U-turn at Fort Erie port of entry. That's how I landed last year, and I did not deal with the US immigration at all. My only concern is just the fact that he is currently out of status in Canada. Would being out of status in Canada make one inadmissible?

When flagpoling (or landing in-land), the border agent would usually ask for current status in Canada. I don't know if this would be an issue if they know he's out of status. Wouldn't this mean that the safest way would be to leave Canada, then land when coming back?

 

[suchnaju]

It's possible to make a U-turn at Fort Erie port of entry. That's how I landed last year, and I did not deal with the US immigration at all. My only concern is just the fact that he is currently out of status in Canada. Would being out of status in Canada make one inadmissible?

When flagpoling (or landing in-land), the border agent would usually ask for current status in Canada. I don't know if this would be an issue if they know he's out of status. Wouldn't this mean that the safest way would be to leave Canada, then land when coming back?

Thanks meyakanor, yes I think leave Canada and land when coming back is the safest way.

 

[yafayu]

When my work permit expired, I applied visitor visa twice before I got my PR landing visa. You can apply online now, and for "reason" I just put I'm waiting for my PR visa to come. renew twice no problem

 

[zardoz]

It seems from other posters on this forum that "U-Turns" are no longer permitted. You *have* to go to the USA border and get an administrative refusal. The rules changed about a week ago from what was posted.

 

[scylla]

When my work permit expired, I applied visitor visa twice before I got my PR landing visa. You can apply online now, and for "reason" I just put I'm waiting for my PR visa to come. renew twice no problem

It's too late for the OP to do this. This only works if you still have status in Canada. The OP no longer has status in Canada and can't change his status to visitor.

 

[scylla]

It seems from other posters on this forum that "U-Turns" are no longer permitted. You *have* to go to the USA border and get an administrative refusal. The rules changed about a week ago from what was posted.

Agreed. It seems that something has changed. We've now seen a couple of people be refused landing because they u-turned rather than actually going to the US border.

 

[Matthew Iwama]

Here's what I suggest if you want ZERO problems.

Spend a few hundred dollars, book a short flight to New York or nearby city (Boston), spend the weekend there, do some sightseeing and then fly back and land at Pearson with your PR visa and COPR.

You will have no problems.

Similarly, you can land at Toronto inland without status, but it will take at least 2 months in my experience

 

[scylla]

Here's what I suggest if you want ZERO problems.

Spend a few hundred dollars, book a short flight to New York or nearby city (Boston), spend the weekend there, do some sightseeing and then fly back and land at Pearson with your PR visa and COPR.

You will have no problems.

You're assuming the OP is either visa exempt or already has a US visitors visa approved. Otherwise this won't work.

 

[Rob_TO]

2. Flagpole landing at peace bridge(Fort Erie). Will US customes ask me my status in Canada? Or if they find out I'm out of status in Canada, what will they do?

This is your easiest way. If you do a real flagpole landing, then your out-of-status in Canada will not even be an issue.

First you need to actually go to the US side and talk to a US border officer, and tell them you are just there to flagpole so want to immediately turn around and go back to Canada side to land as a PR. At the US side you will either get a visa into the USA (if you are eligible to enter), or you will get an administrative refusal (if you aren't eligible). Either one is fine, as in both situations you will have technically left Canada so would reset your status.

Now when you go back to the Canada side and show them the paper the US side gave you, your status will not even be an issue and they will simply go ahead with your PR landing.

So just make sure NOT to do the u-turn way... make sure you actually go to the US side.