Hi friends,
I landed on July 29th at Toronto Pearson Airport. My landing experience was no different from what has been described by others on the forum.
I was given a declaration card by the aircrew a few hours before the aircraft was to land in Toronto. There is one declaration card for each family and it requires you to declare cash over CAD10,000, goods to follow as well as other things.
When you land, you go the passport control area where there are queues for visitors as well as Canadian citizens/permanent residents. People coming for landing have to stand in the visitors queue.
The CBSA officer checked our passport, stamped the declaration card and sent us to another hall which was for new immigrants. This hall has two three types of counters.
First type is for processing of landing documents where a CBSA officer will sign/stamp the COPR, keep one form and give back the other form. This COPR is a very important document which also serves as an identity document until a PR card or Canadian driving license is issued. They also ask for a Canadian address where they should mail your PR cards. If you don't have an address, you can give a friend's address.
After finishing with the first counter, we went to the second counter which is for Service Canada who will process your Social Insurance Number (SIN). They give the SIN number right away while the SIN card comes in mail at your address later. You will need the SIN number for several things in Canada. This counter is open only on working days during daytime. If you are landing on a weekend/holiday or during night-time then you will have to visit a Service Canada office later on to get your SIN.
The third counter gives you some informational material about life in Canada, health insurance application pack, child tax benefit application pack etc.
After this you go to baggage claim, get your luggage and stand in queue to exit the airport building. If you have cash over CAD10000, bank draft, jewellery, goods to follow you should tell the CBSA officer near the exit and he will send you to another room where they will sign/stamp the cash/financial instruments declaration form, jewellery pictures and goods to follow list etc.
I hope everyone of you lands smoothly and wish you lot of success in Canada.
