My Landing Experience:
I took a rental car at NY city and headed on I-81N to Canadian Boarder Lansdowne (en-route to Kingston/Toronto). I reached there at 11:30 am (Saturday)
At the booth the immigration officer took my passport and I told her that I have come for landing. She asked me do I have more than 10k, what goods I have and gave an yellow slip and asked to go inside the Immigration Office.
At the office as I entered a lady asked me do I need any help and I said I have come for landing. She showed a booth and asked me to wait. A pleasant looking jovial officer turned up in 2 minutes and he said he is sorry for keeping me waiting (I was surprised, sorry for 2 minutes!! whereas I waited 13.5 months for this moment, anyway he was nice).
Initially he was not sure if I can do landing as I have less than two months for single entry visa expiry. He said he will not do landing and he will keep my visa valid. I too was confused about what he was saying. I explained him that I stay in London, my wife is in India and I have to do it today. He was very patient all the time. Then he went inside discussed with his colleague and came back and said he will do the landing.
Then our conversation:
He: let me make sure all that is in CPR is correct. Did you check?
Me: Yes I did, everything is correct. But you check once to make sure.
He: .. .. yes everything looks fine. Give me few minutes, I will run it through our computer. You relax till then.
Me: Sure
He came back in five minutes.
He: So, I have some work for you sir!
Me: Tell me.
He: I need some signatures from you (showed 3 places)
I signed.
He: Address to send PR card.
Me: I gave him an address in Ontario and said its my friends.
He: No we cannot send PR unless you have your own house in Canada.
Me: Unless I land how can have a house or I find a house?
He: Oh ya, but then you have six months time to provide an address in Alberta (as AB nominated you) and gave a form.
Me: Sure I will send an address to this (a fax number) soon.
He: You can do online or by telephone also.
He stapled a PR landing record on my passport.
Then he said "Congratulations" you are a PR and we shook hands. Then he asked what my plans for the day. I said I will visit Kingston, meet my classmates at Queen's (I know it was a Saturday), then have Champagne. He wished me good luck and asked me to meet customs officer.
The customs officer asked me what I am bringing. I said nothing now but later, computers, books, clothes and no furniture. He asked why no furniture. I said I cannot ship them from London/India. Then he said "yes its a better idea to buy new at Calgary". Then he said for books I can declare garage sale value and for two laptops may be couple of 1000$'s. Then he said just do not declare anything and when you bring things later just declare at Calgary. I said "I am fine".
Then I went to Kingston, had a good lunch (couple of beers) and then realized that at immigration they did not take my photographs(I had read in this forum, someone saying they take photographs). Then started back and went to Canadian immigration office again. I met another officer (he was looking exactly like Tom Cruise) and told him about my not being photographed. He smiled and brought the officer who had done my landing.
The IO asked me who told me that I need to be photographed. I said I read on a forum. Then he asked me to wait for minute and double checked with his colleague and said my photo on CPR is good enough unless I don't like it. I said I happy with that and also 3 months younger in that.
We all laughed and they wished me good Luck.
Drove to US customs booth and gave my passport to the officer. He said where I live, where I went etc. Then gave back the passport. I asked him do I need to get out of car and goto immigration counter (last year I had done that). He said "why do you want to go? just goto NY". I said fine and moved on.
Only thing is my wife could not land and I don't think she can do it before 25th March. I will worry about it when I start living in AB. Now I need to find an address in AB and fax it and also fax my landed status to Alberta PN office. And on 3rd Back to London
BTW my ECAS updated now (not even on Monday, but the moment I landed I guess). All these days when I was eagerly looking at it did not. Now all the 4 lines appear. 1. started processing.. 2. Decision made .... 3. Med received and 4. You landed and became PR
Good luck to you all guys.
DNA