Our Dual Intent entry (moving before PR issued)

[bally21]

Hey Everyone!

Just thought I would come back and update on our dual intent entry into canada, as I know a lot of people have questions about it and are worried about being turned away.

Bear in mind, I am Canadian and my husband is British, so obviously being visa exempt, it helps a lot. We have sponsorship approval for him but no PR visa yet.

We bought a one way ticket from Dublin-Toronto on Air Transat. I worried than my husband would be refused boarding if he only had a one way so we bought a fully refundable ticket on Air Canada, then printed out the ticket info and then cancelled the ticket the next day, so if he was asked for proof of his return ticket, we had it.

Turns out the guy checking us in at Dublin didn't even ask for a return ticket, nor asked if my husband had a visa or anything. I think it is a bit hit and miss so you probably are running a risk if you are going before your PR and on a one way ticket. However, this particular guy never asked.

Flight was uneventful and arrived 30 mins early despite leaving 30 mins late! When we arrived in Toronto it was 11am and the airport was very quiet. We went to immigration and I had prepared all sorts of documents such as marriage certificate, bank statement, sponsorship letter, return ticket etc .
Conversation at immigration went like this:

Imm Guy: What is the purpose of your visit?
Me: I am moving home to canada and my husband is coming to visit for a few months.
Imm guy: Do you have a return ticket for your husband?
Me: Yes, sept 3rd. Do you want to see it?
Imm guy: No thanks. Are you importing anything?
Me: 3 dogs and a cat and I've shipped goods on ahead. Do you want to see my goods to follow list?
Imm Guy: No thanks.
Me: I have sponsored my husband for PR and we've been approved but are just waiting for his visa, do you want to see the letter?
Imm guy: No thanks (smiles at me and stamps husband's passport) ok enjoy your day and welcome to canada.

Yeah that was it, didn't want to see anything and didn't care we didn't have a visa and that my husband had basically packed his whole life up including pets, and had come over!

So we picked up our bags and pets, went to customs and got the pets checked and then we left. The whole process took less than an hour, we were on the road home by 12 noon!

Now like I said, bare in mind we are British and visa exempt, so it is easier. Be prepared for your piece of mind, and bring all the documents to show you are visiting temporarily, even if you intent to flagpole once you get your visa. They may ask you for documents, and they may not. I think we were just lucky and the guy was in a good mood! Also we smiled and were polite and picked a young, happy looking immigration guy, so you never know, might help a bit!

Here's our blog if you are interested in the process
http://canadianbeaverlover.blogspot.ca/

Good luck!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Congratulations! Super that it went so well for you

If they didn't stamp your goods to follow list and give you a stamped copy back, you may have issues when your goods arrive since you can't show your stamped B4/B4A. Your husband could turn it in under his name when he lands if your goods aren't coming soon. Otherwise, consider going back to the airport and explaining to a customs officer so they can stamp your documents. If you aren't close (for some reason I seem to remember you were settling closer to the border than to Toronto) and prefer driving to the border, call one of the bridges to make sure they can do it there.

Hey Everyone!

Just thought I would come back and update on our dual intent entry into canada, as I know a lot of people have questions about it and are worried about being turned away.

Bear in mind, I am Canadian and my husband is British, so obviously being visa exempt, it helps a lot. We have sponsorship approval for him but no PR visa yet.

We bought a one way ticket from Dublin-Toronto on Air Transat. I worried than my husband would be refused boarding if he only had a one way so we bought a fully refundable ticket on Air Canada, then printed out the ticket info and then cancelled the ticket the next day, so if he was asked for proof of his return ticket, we had it.

Turns out the guy checking us in at Dublin didn't even ask for a return ticket, nor asked if my husband had a visa or anything. I think it is a bit hit and miss so you probably are running a risk if you are going before your PR and on a one way ticket. However, this particular guy never asked.

Flight was uneventful and arrived 30 mins early despite leaving 30 mins late! When we arrived in Toronto it was 11am and the airport was very quiet. We went to immigration and I had prepared all sorts of documents such as marriage certificate, bank statement, sponsorship letter, return ticket etc .
Conversation at immigration went like this:

Imm Guy: What is the purpose of your visit?
Me: I am moving home to canada and my husband is coming to visit for a few months.
Imm guy: Do you have a return ticket for your husband?
Me: Yes, sept 3rd. Do you want to see it?
Imm guy: No thanks. Are you importing anything?
Me: 3 dogs and a cat and I've shipped goods on ahead. Do you want to see my goods to follow list?
Imm Guy: No thanks.
Me: I have sponsored my husband for PR and we've been approved but are just waiting for his visa, do you want to see the letter?
Imm guy: No thanks (smiles at me and stamps husband's passport) ok enjoy your day and welcome to canada.

Yeah that was it, didn't want to see anything and didn't care we didn't have a visa and that my husband had basically packed his whole life up including pets, and had come over!

So we picked up our bags and pets, went to customs and got the pets checked and then we left. The whole process took less than an hour, we were on the road home by 12 noon!

Now like I said, bare in mind we are British and visa exempt, so it is easier. Be prepared for your piece of mind, and bring all the documents to show you are visiting temporarily, even if you intent to flagpole once you get your visa. They may ask you for documents, and they may not. I think we were just lucky and the guy was in a good mood! Also we smiled and were polite and picked a young, happy looking immigration guy, so you never know, might help a bit!

Here's our blog if you are interested in the process
http://canadianbeaverlover.blogspot.ca/

Good luck!

 

[bally21]

Congratulations! Super that it went so well for you

If they didn't stamp your goods to follow list and give you a stamped copy back, you may have issues when your goods arrive since you can't show your stamped B4/B4A. Your husband could turn it in under his name when he lands if your goods aren't coming soon. Otherwise, consider going back to the airport and explaining to a customs officer so they can stamp your documents. If you aren't close (for some reason I seem to remember you were settling closer to the border than to Toronto) and prefer driving to the border, call one of the bridges to make sure they can do it there.

We picked up our goods 2 days after our flight landed, with no problems. The customs lady wondered why the customs person in the airport did nothing with our form, but there was no issue and we got our stuff and didn't have to pay tax since I've been out of Canada so long. It was all in my name so when DH 'lands' he can bring stuff but we don't have anything else to bring!

 

[OhCanadiana]

We picked up our goods 2 days after our flight landed, with no problems. The customs lady wondered why the customs person in the airport did nothing with our form, but there was no issue and we got our stuff and didn't have to pay tax since I've been out of Canada so long. It was all in my name so when DH 'lands' he can bring stuff but we don't have anything else to bring!

Great!

IIRC, officers will often give folks 2-3 days after you land to go back with the forms if you don't have the right info to get the forms stamped for goods to follow. Thus, it helped that you got the goods so quickly after returning/landing - that's some good planning right there! Also help that you have nothing else to import . Congrats again!

 

[waikiki]

Hi bally, we were lucky as well, everything went smooth at immigration. I would like to know, for how long did your souse get visa? The immigration officer put a stamp in my husband's passport and wrote by hand january 13. What about you?

 

[bally21]

Hi bally, we were lucky as well, everything went smooth at immigration. I would like to know, for how long did your souse get visa? The immigration officer put a stamp in my husband's passport and wrote by hand january 13. What about you?

He didn't put a date on it or write on it either, so I will just assume 6 months? But the visa should be here in Aug sometime, if nothing else needs done. I think our case is fairly straightforward!

 

[bally21]

Great!

IIRC, officers will often give folks 2-3 days after you land to go back with the forms if you don't have the right info to get the forms stamped for goods to follow. Thus, it helped that you got the goods so quickly after returning/landing - that's some good planning right there! Also help that you have nothing else to import . Congrats again!

Yeah our goods were shipped on Friday and arrived on Saturday. We arrived on Sun, they were inspected on Monday and we picked them up on Tuesday and moved into our new place! It all went so smoothly so yes I think good planning on my part I did obsess over it all so SOMETHING had to go right!! Haha.

Thanks, just a waiting game for hubby's visa! I start my new job tomorrow morning. Just a call centre job but it's only for 5 weeks, until I start college!!

 

[OhCanadiana]

Yeah our goods were shipped on Friday and arrived on Saturday. We arrived on Sun, they were inspected on Monday and we picked them up on Tuesday and moved into our new place! It all went so smoothly so yes I think good planning on my part I did obsess over it all so SOMETHING had to go right!! Haha.

Thanks, just a waiting game for hubby's visa! I start my new job tomorrow morning. Just a call centre job but it's only for 5 weeks, until I start college!!

Congrats on having it work so smoothly And happy settling in.

 

[AnaMaria]

Congrats!

I hope everything for all of us here goes as easy and smooth as you had experienced!

 

[Arthur123]

congratulations its a big hit for you. but everyone i not as much lucky...

 

[matthew_fitzy]

OP,

I am in the exact same boat, Canadian wife, except I will be heading to Canada on a working holiday 2 year visa and coming from Australia (also visa exempt) and shipping our belongings.

I have not yet submitted my PR application but will once I receive the working holiday. I have completed the medical and paid all fees.

Your PR visa seemed a lot closer to being issued, so this may have been the reason why customs weren't that interested, as you already had sponsorship approval?

I am worried that at the airport, customs will see that I am on the working holiday and start asking why we have shipped everything over. I am hoping that a pending PR application will suffice...