magiqhand said:
Hi Tapak
Can you please share your landing experience and your journey to edmonton? Also any information you could share on AVR will be usefull.
Thanks and good luck
My first visit to Canada was from 1st Nov - 12th Nov. It was Business visit. I landed around 3:00 pm (Flying from EST to MST messed up my timezone sense)
Edmonton Int'l airport is pretty small. I filled in my custom form on flight.
Nicely greeted with a smile by Canadian Immigration officer and was asked few basic questions
- What is your purpose of visit?
- How long will you stay in Edmonton
- Show me your papers, hotel and flight reservation
It was pretty straight forward few minutes Q and A. I moved to get my luggage (Guess what! There is no charge for luggage trolley)
I moved on to customs and was asked if there is anything to be declared plants, liquor, money above $10000. I said no to all and just walked out of airport.
Walking into Canada was a breeze and with smiling faces.
Returning from Canada was bit painful. Reached edmonton airport at around 3:45 am but had to wait until 4:30 since US immigration and customs don't open until 4:30 am.
I was second person in queue and was delighted to go back home; especially since I had come to know that my family received PPR, while I was in Canada.
I had expired visa on my old passport and have had changed few employers in USA. The officer wasn't friendly and despite all papers she suspected I was out of status for a year. Not sure where she got that impression from.
I was asked to sit in some green room, while she advised and handed over my case to couple of other officers.
It was 30 minutes of high BP and tension in my life. I had my wife, two kids and short term visitors, parents in USA waiting for my return.
I think the turn offs from my end were
- My reply to Immigration officer that I changed employers for better opportunities. I cannot post in detail what I heard her say but it was shocking to me.
and secondly, I showed her AVR print out from my Attorney since she said that I cannot enter with expired visa.
BTW, I was carrying all my H1B papers from my first to present employer.
No offences to Illegal immigrants, but I still feel the pain and humiliation, as if I was an illegal.
This rude behaviour has made my determination stronger than ever to make Canada my home.