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PR Soft landing from US - After EO

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praveen07cse

Star Member
Feb 18, 2019
82
47
umyla2 said:
Sorry for the delayed post.. but here is my experience.

First of all, I wanted to thank everyone from this forum for your valuable inputs. it helped me a lot to plan my landing procedure
below was my experience.

Cananda POE -

I traveled from Buffalo, NY Peace bridge border on 07/30/2020 (Thursday). At entry point the officer asked me the reason for entering Canada for which I told him that I want to complete my landing procedure and hoping return back immediately but planning to permanently return back soon. ( I also did have quarentine plan just in case ). He gave yellow slip and directed me to the CBSA office. I have not recieved any pushback for going back on the same day. They processed my PR application and sent me to customs. Having fully completed BSF forms will save you a lot of time and confusion so i recommend everyone to have this prefilled. After completing customs, one of the nice officer escorted me to my car and showed me how i can make a U-turn.

It was a very straight forward and peaceful experience on the canadian side.

US POE -

While returning back to US, officer at the booth found my visa was expired, and said he cannot allow me to enter US since my visa was expired and asked me to return back to canada and have my visa stamped. After some convincing and explaining about AVR process, he finally asked me to park my car and some other officers came and checked my car and asked me to wait at a designated parking spot but not to get out of the car. After about 2 hours another immigration officer came to me and asked me for some more general questions about why i was there and what i do in america and went back in, after about 15 mins she came back and told me i was good to go and allowed me to enter US.

I would recommend everyone to have a copy of AVR proclamation document printed out from the CBP/Travel State dept website so that you have something to show them incase they ask you to return back to canada. My $0.02! That said, please DO NOT SHOW the document unless they ask you to return back as most officers would already know about AVR process and will get annoyed if you tell them what to do.

I am not sure whether you can follow the same path as it depends on the border officers on both sides, but I hope my experience will help you plan a little better when you land.

Wishing you all goodluck.
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Congrats buddy. Your experience helped me on my day of travel !
 
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Maverick99

Full Member
Jul 21, 2020
27
6
Can someone please confirm if NY Peace Bridge border only allows PR processing on Tuesday, Wed & Thursday and closed on weekends?
 
umyla2

umyla2

Member
Apr 18, 2017
13
6
decdeccan said:
Wondering why would it take 2 hrs for them to get back to you? Is it an intimidation tactic or were there many people crossing? Which time of the day did you travel?
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I dont think its for intimidation really, I think i was there in the lunch time and may be they took their sweet time? but that said, it definitely adds to your anxiety and stress! not going to lie, Atleast now we know that AVR definitely works.
 
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pp90032

Full Member
Jul 16, 2020
24
7
praveen07cse / umyla2 or someone else who completed landing procedures and returned on the same day back to USA. Can you please answer the following for me, please?
1) if you return on the same day, how do you apply for the PR card? Do you complete ALL the procedures including PR card, applying for SIN etc? Is it a completely safe option to go back to Canada at a later day?
2) Do you have to go with wife/kids if they are included in the application? We all have same expiration CoPR date in Sept 20.
3) How did you deal with AirBnb booking and cancel if come back the same day? Do you find cancel easy or any trouble in that?

I am from SanFransico so I am debating driving for 40 hrs vs flying and quarantine for 14 days. Any suggestions in this difficult time?

Thank you so much for all the experiences and replies, everyone!!
 
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praveen07cse

Star Member
Feb 18, 2019
82
47
pp90032 said:
praveen07cse / umyla2 or someone else who completed landing procedures and returned on the same day back to USA. Can you please answer the following for me, please?
1) if you return on the same day, how do you apply for the PR card? Do you complete ALL the procedures including PR card, applying for SIN etc? Is it a completely safe option to go back to Canada at a later day?
2) Do you have to go with wife/kids if they are included in the application? We all have same expiration CoPR date in Sept 20.
3) How did you deal with AirBnb booking and cancel if come back the same day? Do you find cancel easy or any trouble in that?

I am from SanFransico so I am debating driving for 40 hrs vs flying and quarantine for 14 days. Any suggestions in this difficult time?

Thank you so much for all the experiences and replies, everyone!!
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1) if you return on the same day, how do you apply for the PR card?
PR card application is based on officers discretion. As long as they accept your landing you are good. PR card be later requested with IRCC through call or web form as well.
Do you complete ALL the procedures including PR card, applying for SIN etc? Is it a completely safe option to go back to Canada at a later day?
SIN can be done online and delivered to your US address as well. Check the forum for details on SIN.
If your landing formalities are completed , you are good to enter Canada later via land and via air with PRTD

2) Do you have to go with wife/kids if they are included in the application? We all have same expiration CoPR date in Sept 20.
I went with my family. Everyone must land before their COPR expiry. Extension in COPR is still possible but there are lot of new rules are request are coming from IRCC when you are ready to travel. It depends on your situation to make a call if you want to land now or later when everything has settled down.

3) How did you deal with AirBnb booking and cancel if come back the same day? Do you find cancel easy or any trouble in that?
Since you will mostly be traveling with family, Airbnb is better option than a hotel. Cancelling Airbnb costs you service fee and one night fee cost in most cases or 50% fee. So choose wisely when booking.

You can safely land in Seattle border. Its good as well. Lot of successful landing happened in Seattle border. Check this thread with previous successful landing experience.

Let me know if you still have any questions.
 
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pp90032

Full Member
Jul 16, 2020
24
7
Thank you for your reply. Let me go do some additional search based on your reply. But I have got PNP from Ontario so I am thinking I don't qualify for other ports, gng to have to go to Toronto only?
 
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dsr236

Full Member
Jul 24, 2020
28
2
decdeccan said:
Adding my experience

Landed at Peace Bridge, the officer at the booth and inside the building were both okay with same day return. I explain that I had a complicated move so needed to go back. They didn't ask further although they were obviously not happy about it. Gave friend's address for PR card. GTF stamped. Was asked for POF.

Return, F1 to H1 AVR, officer at the booth checked all my i797s and i20s and let me in. No new i-94. Travel History updated.
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Hey, congrats on the landing. Looks like it was a fairly smooth experience. I'm trying to decide on when to go, I have a couple of months before COPR expiry. What was your timeline like?
 
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Seecolinslash

Full Member
Mar 26, 2020
25
2
praveen07cse said:
My own successful landing :

Successful Landing and Return to USA Same day using AVR - 8/01/2020 - Peace Bridge Buffalo, NY

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/successful-landing-and-return-to-usa-same-day-using-avr-8-01-2020-peace-bridge-buffalo-ny.696542/

Congrats to myself ;-)

Happy to help if anyone has any questions!
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one quick question - about this AVR. Do we have to apply this AVR before leaving US or is it by default if anyone returns on the same day?
 
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praveen07cse

Star Member
Feb 18, 2019
82
47
Seecolinslash said:
one quick question - about this AVR. Do we have to apply this AVR before leaving US or is it by default if anyone returns on the same day?
Click to expand...
There is nothing to apply for AVR. Its a clause that allows you in USA if you have travelled to Canada/Mexico and stayed there for less than 30 days.
You need to have valid i797 and i94 to be accepted.

This will automatically apply during your reentry.
 
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randyaung

Newbie
May 14, 2020
8
8
I successfully completed my PR landing at Peace Bridge, Buffalo on Aug 11th. I have an expired H1b visa, valid i797A and i94.
The Canadian immigration officers were very pleasant. I told them I was here to finalize my PR landing and hoping to go back to the US right after. They were okay with that and didnt give any problems. I re-entered US with AVR and the officer knew the process and let me in after a few questions. The whole process barely took 30 minutes.
 
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Seecolinslash

Full Member
Mar 26, 2020
25
2
We did soft landing on Aug 21st with no issues. Seattle to Vancouver.

We told him that we are planning to return back to US after submitting the documents. Then he asked,
When are we planning to move permanently?
then some chat about COVID situation and how it is effecting people. Thats pretty much it.

At US border:

Questions:
What was your purpose to visit canada?
On which visa are you on? Which company do you work for?

Took our passports, scanned, and told good to go.
Edit: We are on H1B visa with valid stamp.


Good luck everyone!
 
Last edited:
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sam 1234

Full Member
Jun 13, 2020
33
7
Seecolinslash said:
We did soft landing on Aug 21st with no issues. Seattle to Vancouver.

We told him that we are planning to return back to US after submitting the documents. Then he asked,
When are we planning to move permanently?
then some chat about COVID situation and how it is effecting people. Thats pretty much it.

At US border:
Took our passports, scanned, and told good to go.

Good luck everyone!
Click to expand...
Congrats Bud!
 
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