Custom and immigration checks at leaving your home country:
1. The process was easy. I was asked for passport and the officer checked my visa, LOI and LOA. He got confused as I had the visa of Canada and the flight was going to Dubai so he confirmed it from his senior and allowed me to board the flight.
Connecting flight's and Air side Transit visa detail:
2. No visa was required for stay at Dubai Airport. As I landed at Dubai, I entered the arrival lounge. There, from the information desk, upon showing my travel itinerary, I got the information about the departure lounge and moved there. You can do a lot of shopping at Dubai airport but I found it expensive.
3. After flying from Dubai, I landed at Frankfurt airport in Germany.I transited Frankfurt airport and I was very impressed with the system and information system at Frankfurt. At the exit of the airplane's connector, some police personnel were standing, I asked one of them about my next connecting flight, she pointed me towards another lady. Before this the police officer checked my passport for visa and as soon as she found the Canadian visa inside she said go ahead. And immediately asked other officers not to ask for anything from me. I wasn't asked for ANY air side transit visa for Germany. I was informed about my flight details, gate number and I was also guided to board a train (skyline) which took me to terminal 1 from where I had to fly to Canada via Air Canada flight.
4. Boarded Air Canada flight and 1 hour prior to the landing everyone on the plan was provided with a single page form which had questions about name, nationality, address, money you are bringing, any food/seed/pet etc you are brining and thats it.
POE Experience:
1. As you land and enter the airport, through a queue you enter a hall having counters on your turn you go to an officer at one of the free counters. He/She asks for your passport, and checks visa and LOI. After this, he/she asks about your intention of entering Canada, what are you brining, how long do you plan to stay, your university name and that's it (atleast in my case). The detail's form, the one you have received in the plane is marked with some number and is returned to you.
2. He/She asks you to enter and collect your luggage and go to immigration before exiting, after receiving your checked in luggage you go towards exit and CBSA official see the form provided to you in the aeroplane, they direct you to immigration officer by seeing the code marked on it by the previous official.
3. In the immigration office, the officer calls you and checks your LOA, LOI, Passport and Visa and ask the same question about the duration of course, degree, and university. Within 5 mins you will be walking out with your SP.
Suggestions:
1. Always go to airport on time especially when you are flying from Pakistan where the security checks are strict. Custom official opened all my bags, checked every single piece of luggage and then passed it through scanner.
2. Most airline have the policy of 2 baggage of not more than 23kg each. You in any case can't have more than 23 or 24 kg in one bag. I had 25kg in one and 20kg in other so the airline official asked to redistribute the luggage so that individual bag weight is not more than 23kg or I have to pay 225 USD.
3. If you pay for additional baggage then you can request them to upgrade you to buisness class, I was upgraded to business class from my first flight from Peshawar to Dubai because a seat was available. Ask for it and if they have the seat they may give it to you. I asked them to give me this favour and Emirates airline did it.
Other points:
1. You have access to free internet via wifi at Dubai airport but on Frankfurt you have to pay for using this service.
2. Your SP can NEVER be longer than the expiry of your Passport. I was initially issued an SP that was valid for 2 years, the duration of my course, but before handing it to me the officer checked the expiry of my PP and he had to cancel the already issued SP. For which he had to report his mistake to higher official and he did. After that he issued me a new SP that was valid till the validity of my PP.
That's it for now.
BR,
Inam
1. The process was easy. I was asked for passport and the officer checked my visa, LOI and LOA. He got confused as I had the visa of Canada and the flight was going to Dubai so he confirmed it from his senior and allowed me to board the flight.
Connecting flight's and Air side Transit visa detail:
2. No visa was required for stay at Dubai Airport. As I landed at Dubai, I entered the arrival lounge. There, from the information desk, upon showing my travel itinerary, I got the information about the departure lounge and moved there. You can do a lot of shopping at Dubai airport but I found it expensive.
3. After flying from Dubai, I landed at Frankfurt airport in Germany.I transited Frankfurt airport and I was very impressed with the system and information system at Frankfurt. At the exit of the airplane's connector, some police personnel were standing, I asked one of them about my next connecting flight, she pointed me towards another lady. Before this the police officer checked my passport for visa and as soon as she found the Canadian visa inside she said go ahead. And immediately asked other officers not to ask for anything from me. I wasn't asked for ANY air side transit visa for Germany. I was informed about my flight details, gate number and I was also guided to board a train (skyline) which took me to terminal 1 from where I had to fly to Canada via Air Canada flight.
4. Boarded Air Canada flight and 1 hour prior to the landing everyone on the plan was provided with a single page form which had questions about name, nationality, address, money you are bringing, any food/seed/pet etc you are brining and thats it.
POE Experience:
1. As you land and enter the airport, through a queue you enter a hall having counters on your turn you go to an officer at one of the free counters. He/She asks for your passport, and checks visa and LOI. After this, he/she asks about your intention of entering Canada, what are you brining, how long do you plan to stay, your university name and that's it (atleast in my case). The detail's form, the one you have received in the plane is marked with some number and is returned to you.
2. He/She asks you to enter and collect your luggage and go to immigration before exiting, after receiving your checked in luggage you go towards exit and CBSA official see the form provided to you in the aeroplane, they direct you to immigration officer by seeing the code marked on it by the previous official.
3. In the immigration office, the officer calls you and checks your LOA, LOI, Passport and Visa and ask the same question about the duration of course, degree, and university. Within 5 mins you will be walking out with your SP.
Suggestions:
1. Always go to airport on time especially when you are flying from Pakistan where the security checks are strict. Custom official opened all my bags, checked every single piece of luggage and then passed it through scanner.
2. Most airline have the policy of 2 baggage of not more than 23kg each. You in any case can't have more than 23 or 24 kg in one bag. I had 25kg in one and 20kg in other so the airline official asked to redistribute the luggage so that individual bag weight is not more than 23kg or I have to pay 225 USD.
3. If you pay for additional baggage then you can request them to upgrade you to buisness class, I was upgraded to business class from my first flight from Peshawar to Dubai because a seat was available. Ask for it and if they have the seat they may give it to you. I asked them to give me this favour and Emirates airline did it.
Other points:
1. You have access to free internet via wifi at Dubai airport but on Frankfurt you have to pay for using this service.
2. Your SP can NEVER be longer than the expiry of your Passport. I was initially issued an SP that was valid for 2 years, the duration of my course, but before handing it to me the officer checked the expiry of my PP and he had to cancel the already issued SP. For which he had to report his mistake to higher official and he did. After that he issued me a new SP that was valid till the validity of my PP.
That's it for now.
BR,
Inam
