PR Soft landing from US - After EO
- Thread starter praveen07cse
- Start date
Here you go with our experience-
Location: Peace Bridge port of entry(Buffalo)
Date : September 08, 2020
Time : 8.30 AM
Status: expired F1 visa and approved H1B copy and spouse on expired F1 visa
At CANADA
First officer:
Second officer : ( for some reason they are not so friendly as mentioned by few folks in the forum- assuming it is because they are just starting the day~ be positive
Third officer: For goods to follow
USA Border:
At this point of time they were discussion something and wrote something on orange slip and asked to pull forward and stay in the car.
~60 minutes later one lady came and gave paper i94 and told we are good. I believe they were verifying i94 status and other details and assisting other immigrants took some time.
Finally, it depends on the officer who is assiting you in CANADA or USA border and be confident in your answers.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank this forum and all folks who shared their valuable experiences to help aspirant immigrants who are planning now and in future.
I wish all the best guys and reach out to me if you have questions,
Thanks,
Location: Peace Bridge port of entry(Buffalo)
Date : September 08, 2020
Time : 8.30 AM
Status: expired F1 visa and approved H1B copy and spouse on expired F1 visa
At CANADA
First officer:
- purpose of visit- complete the soft landing procedures and return to Usa on the same day.
- Handed yellow slip stating ”Landing and Return” and guided to pull forward and park the car at number-11 and asked to go inside where we have double door (simple- get into stone building adjacent the parking lot)
Second officer : ( for some reason they are not so friendly as mentioned by few folks in the forum- assuming it is because they are just starting the day~ be positive
- confirmed if we would like to return after completing the landing - confirmed yes
- Statutory questions- firearms, bla bla..
- When are we planning to return permanently?- replied that our transfer is in progress and plan to move in couple of months
- Asked proof of funds
- Initially refused to apply for the PR since officer assumed we don't have any address but told clearly that ABC is the address we are moving soon and she considered that processed the PR Delivery for the Canadian address within 10 weeks or more
- Signed the documents and given back the passports with the COPR copy
- If you have the goods to follow, another officer will assist you
Third officer: For goods to follow
- Took the passports and reviewed it
- Asked GTF?-Handed the goods to follow sheet and bsf186. This was reviewed by officer and marked stamp on a all pages for the GTF
- Routed to another officer to take the stamped GTF LIST and confirmations
- Find the U TURN TO USA where you parked the car incase the officer doesn't show it to you.
USA Border:
- Entered USA border
- Appears only 1 counter was opened By the time we reach there - 9:03 am
- There were 2 officers in the counter and seems 1 agent is giving training to the other- both are tough guys...
- Asked to open the windows
- Asked passports,h1b approval copy ( Myself) and i20 for my wife
- Purpose of your visit to USA
- Where are you heading to
- Where do you work
- When was the last entry to states
- How many days you stayed in Canada? - replied soft landing
At this point of time they were discussion something and wrote something on orange slip and asked to pull forward and stay in the car.
~60 minutes later one lady came and gave paper i94 and told we are good. I believe they were verifying i94 status and other details and assisting other immigrants took some time.
Finally, it depends on the officer who is assiting you in CANADA or USA border and be confident in your answers.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank this forum and all folks who shared their valuable experiences to help aspirant immigrants who are planning now and in future.
I wish all the best guys and reach out to me if you have questions,
Thanks,
Last edited:
Hello Guys!!
Thanks a lot to this group. You made the process less stressful.
We completed our soft landing today.
My CoPR was stamped on June 2020.
Was expiring today - 8th Sept. 2020.
We decided to not let it expire since the post expiry process is unclear and very lengthy.
We live in the US currently, L1B and wife on L2 with EAD.
Our Stamp expired on July 2019. Have i797/I94 valid until - April 2021
We drove to the peace arch border (Seattle-Vancouver area)
First stop was the CBSA
Lady officer - what are you here for?
Me- to complete my pr landing process and return to USA.
Officer - When do you plan to move ?
Me - if all works out Oct end or Dec start.
Makes me wait at parking gives me a yellow slip. Which reads my length of stay as zero
After few minutes of wait, Another officer asks me to go inside the immigration building stop at window B.
There an officer greets us and asks for the paper copy of COPR and passports.
Gives us a handout to read through and asks us to give the address where PR cards need to be sent.
We gave our friends address, dint have to tell them it was our friend's.
We waited patiently and read through the handouts .
Later he called us to verify the info on CoPR and asked us two questions -
1. Have you committed any crime in any country and have been denied entry to Canada ever?
2. I'll update when I remember.
These are both questions on CoPR. We answered No and signed with our Initials.
He later asked us to fill-in and submit the goods to follow document. Please read more about this. We had pre-filled it before going. But later added few more items like - gold etc.
Finally he gave us back the goods to follow document after stamp and signing. Asked us to holdon to that and use when moving. Attached the signed CoPR to our passports and congratulated us for getting the PR.
He told us we can move to Canada using CoPR when using land but not via flight. He also mentioned it doesn't matter where we come in from.
Later he showed us the way back to the US.
At US border,officer asked where we are from. We replied with our US home state. Asked where we'd been. I mentioned to get Canadian PR and back. He congratulated and asked for passports and I797s.
Later he mentioned my wife needed update to I94 and stuck a pink slip on the window and asked us to wait in parking.
Several minutes later, he came to pick up the slip and asked for few more minutes, went inside the building and came back with and printed i94.
Finally we left the CBP and handed over the slip to the lady at the port exit.
My two cents from the experience, peace arch border has the most experienced folks. And soft landing and AVR works.
Hope this helps.
Thanks once again to this forum members.
Thanks a lot to this group. You made the process less stressful.
We completed our soft landing today.
My CoPR was stamped on June 2020.
Was expiring today - 8th Sept. 2020.
We decided to not let it expire since the post expiry process is unclear and very lengthy.
We live in the US currently, L1B and wife on L2 with EAD.
Our Stamp expired on July 2019. Have i797/I94 valid until - April 2021
We drove to the peace arch border (Seattle-Vancouver area)
First stop was the CBSA
Lady officer - what are you here for?
Me- to complete my pr landing process and return to USA.
Officer - When do you plan to move ?
Me - if all works out Oct end or Dec start.
Makes me wait at parking gives me a yellow slip. Which reads my length of stay as zero
After few minutes of wait, Another officer asks me to go inside the immigration building stop at window B.
There an officer greets us and asks for the paper copy of COPR and passports.
Gives us a handout to read through and asks us to give the address where PR cards need to be sent.
We gave our friends address, dint have to tell them it was our friend's.
We waited patiently and read through the handouts .
Later he called us to verify the info on CoPR and asked us two questions -
1. Have you committed any crime in any country and have been denied entry to Canada ever?
2. I'll update when I remember.
These are both questions on CoPR. We answered No and signed with our Initials.
He later asked us to fill-in and submit the goods to follow document. Please read more about this. We had pre-filled it before going. But later added few more items like - gold etc.
Finally he gave us back the goods to follow document after stamp and signing. Asked us to holdon to that and use when moving. Attached the signed CoPR to our passports and congratulated us for getting the PR.
He told us we can move to Canada using CoPR when using land but not via flight. He also mentioned it doesn't matter where we come in from.
Later he showed us the way back to the US.
At US border,officer asked where we are from. We replied with our US home state. Asked where we'd been. I mentioned to get Canadian PR and back. He congratulated and asked for passports and I797s.
Later he mentioned my wife needed update to I94 and stuck a pink slip on the window and asked us to wait in parking.
Several minutes later, he came to pick up the slip and asked for few more minutes, went inside the building and came back with and printed i94.
Finally we left the CBP and handed over the slip to the lady at the port exit.
My two cents from the experience, peace arch border has the most experienced folks. And soft landing and AVR works.
Hope this helps.
Thanks once again to this forum members.
Hello All,
I completed my soft landing yesterday and all went smooth. I have a quick question regarding applying for SIN while staying in USA. I had read somewhere that we can provide our US address and the SIN will be shipped. Can anyone suggest or help me point to a thread related to this? Thanks
I completed my soft landing yesterday and all went smooth. I have a quick question regarding applying for SIN while staying in USA. I had read somewhere that we can provide our US address and the SIN will be shipped. Can anyone suggest or help me point to a thread related to this? Thanks
Congratulations...
I also have same question. But we have few folks who have applied SIN with the US address and got the SIN delivered.
This is the link for applying online
https://sin-nas.canada.ca/en/Sin/
please feel free to go they this:
More details - https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/applicants-guide.html#primary
I also have same question. But we have few folks who have applied SIN with the US address and got the SIN delivered.
This is the link for applying online
https://sin-nas.canada.ca/en/Sin/
please feel free to go they this:
More details - https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/sin/applicants-guide.html#primary
Soft Landing @ Peace Bridge Sep 9 and return the same day to US using AVR.
After taking “Canada only” exit, Reached Canadaian Checkpost. Canada Officer was polite and asked for the purpose of visit and checked my COPR and asked me to go into the stone building.
The first officer checked my, proof of funds, COPR And have me signed it. Asked me when am I coming back to Canada permanently. I said I’m planning very soon around end of the year.
the second officer checked my GTF and I did not fill the GTF with detailed description and so she asked me to fill it out again. It took me about 30 minutes in that counter and then proceeded to the third counter where they gave the receipt for GTF. I asked them where to take the U turn to US.
The officer was generous, he came out and pointed me the U turn to US.
US CBP:
Took my passport and i797 and asked my nationality and where do I live in US. After 10 minutes, said good to go.
After taking “Canada only” exit, Reached Canadaian Checkpost. Canada Officer was polite and asked for the purpose of visit and checked my COPR and asked me to go into the stone building.
The first officer checked my, proof of funds, COPR And have me signed it. Asked me when am I coming back to Canada permanently. I said I’m planning very soon around end of the year.
the second officer checked my GTF and I did not fill the GTF with detailed description and so she asked me to fill it out again. It took me about 30 minutes in that counter and then proceeded to the third counter where they gave the receipt for GTF. I asked them where to take the U turn to US.
The officer was generous, he came out and pointed me the U turn to US.
US CBP:
Took my passport and i797 and asked my nationality and where do I live in US. After 10 minutes, said good to go.
Hello,
I have recently received my COPR and will have to do my landing process shortly in canada. I am in US and initially was on F1 and then applied for H1B which got approved and started the H1B status from October 1 2019. I have not left the country and do not have a H1B visa stamped.I have the F1 visa in my passport which is valid till 2021. I have two questions:
1. Does change of status from F1 to H1B mean that the F1 stamp existing on my passport is expired?
2. Can I use AVR to reenter the country with approved I-797 document and current I-94 which is D/S as expiry date when I first entered United states on F1?
Please help in a lot of confusionThanks in advance!!!!
I have recently received my COPR and will have to do my landing process shortly in canada. I am in US and initially was on F1 and then applied for H1B which got approved and started the H1B status from October 1 2019. I have not left the country and do not have a H1B visa stamped.I have the F1 visa in my passport which is valid till 2021. I have two questions:
1. Does change of status from F1 to H1B mean that the F1 stamp existing on my passport is expired?
2. Can I use AVR to reenter the country with approved I-797 document and current I-94 which is D/S as expiry date when I first entered United states on F1?
Please help in a lot of confusionThanks in advance!!!!
@Rahmat
Yes you can use AVR. You just need to carry your approved i797 - h1b copy , passport. Your f1 does not matter at this point since your status changed to h1b. While returning to US they will issue you a new paper i94 since your status changed to h1b. So you can use AVR without a doubt.
Thanks a lot to those who have been posting soft-landing experiences!
This is also a request to those who have recently completed soft-landing to post their experiences until the official COVID-related guidance is removed by IRCC. This will be very useful for prospective soft-landers for figuring out the latest stance of the border agents towards soft-landing.
This is also a request to those who have recently completed soft-landing to post their experiences until the official COVID-related guidance is removed by IRCC. This will be very useful for prospective soft-landers for figuring out the latest stance of the border agents towards soft-landing.
Try using Caps for your name. It should be similar to the format in your signed COPR. If its lower case, try lower case.