PR Soft landing from US - After EO

[sowsiv]

hello @newyork2regina,
Did you get a chance to post your experience yet?

Quick question to experts, has anyone done a soft landing with a young child, who is not vaccinated yet ( less than 12 yrs old)?
What process did you follow?
What questions were asked?
Did you quarantine, as a unvaccinated minor is traveling with fully vaccinated adults?

we did travel in may with an infant at detroit-windsor border without any issues. not sure if anything changed

 

[Going2Can]

@sowsiv , thanks for the reply.

Did you have quarantine plan and pre-booked a stay?
Did the border protection officer asked any particular question about this?

 

[sowsiv]

@sowsiv , thanks for the reply.

Did you have quarantine plan and pre-booked a stay?
Did the border protection officer asked any particular question about this?

I booked airbnb as a backup, but the border officer said its not needed if you want to return back which we did

 

[FeelTheBern]

Hi All,

Could you please advise me when I should plan for Canada soft landing from the US given my situation:

• COPR: Valid till Nov 2022
• L1 visa stamp: Valid till Jun 2022
• I-94 on I-797 (approved L1 extension): Valid till Jun 2024

I have two options:

1. Soft landing before the L1 visa stamp gets expired (i.e. by Jun 2022). In that case, while re-entering the US, will CBP issue a new I-94 matching the end date of paper I-94 on I-797 (i.e. Jun 2024)? Or, they might issue an I-94 valid only till the visa stamp expiry date (i.e. Jun 2022)?
2. Use AVR (automatic visa revalidation) after the visa stamp gets expired (i.e. post Jun 2022) as I have a valid I-797 and I-94 till Jun 2024. Is there any risk with this route?

Please let me know which option seems better and if there's a clear CBP guideline for issuing I-94s in case of Option 1.

Appreciate your inputs!

 

[nitin.janagam]

Hi All,

Could you please advise me when I should plan for Canada soft landing from the US given my situation:

• COPR: Valid till Nov 2022
• L1 visa stamp: Valid till Jun 2022
• I-94 on I-797 (approved L1 extension): Valid till Jun 2024

I have two options:

1. Soft landing before the L1 visa stamp gets expired (i.e. by Jun 2022). In that case, while re-entering the US, will CBP issue a new I-94 matching the end date of paper I-94 on I-797 (i.e. Jun 2024)? Or, they might issue an I-94 valid only till the visa stamp expiry date (i.e. Jun 2022)?
2. Use AVR (automatic visa revalidation) after the visa stamp gets expired (i.e. post Jun 2022) as I have a valid I-797 and I-94 till Jun 2024. Is there any risk with this route?

Please let me know which option seems better and if there's a clear CBP guideline for issuing I-94s in case of Option 1.

Appreciate your inputs!

Were you able to complete your soft landing?

 

[FeelTheBern]

Were you able to complete your soft landing?

Yes, I did it in July and returned using AVR as my US visa stamp had got expired.

 

[abhishekksk]

I am primary in my PR application. And need to complete soft landing before 22 Nov 2022. Was waiting for h1b extension which has now arrived. my wife can not come with me.
is it ok if just i go, complete soft landing and comeback using AVR.
Also i am think Of going by flight instead of land border newr vancouver. Will this be ok? Welcome any other advice as well to complete soft landing smoothly.

 

[nitin.janagam]

Yes, I did it in July and returned using AVR as my US visa stamp had got expired.

Thanks for the reply. How does AVR work?

I am in a similar boat and I have a valid i797A with me. What documents should I carry?

 

[abhishekksk]

Just completed my soft landing on Friday and came back on Sunday. Expired visa and had valid i797 extension. I went and came back via air canada flight to vancouver. AMA.

 

[nitin.janagam]

Just completed my soft landing on Friday and came back on Sunday. Expired visa and had valid i797 extension. I went and came back via air canada flight to vancouver. AMA.

I have sent you a personal conversation Abhishek. Appreciate it.

 

[canadavisaagg]

Hello all,

I recently received approval for COPR visa to enter Canada. I want to do soft landing and return to the US to continue employment before I do a permanent move to Canada later. My questions are the following:

1. Can I still do a soft landing?
2. I currently have an approved I-797A for the H1b, but not the actual H1-b visa stamp. I heard that by "AVR", I can return to the US. Is that true? My current H1b expires in Sept 2023, but will have 1 extension left. Will I have any issues here with CBP to enter or any questions?
3. I don't have any friends or know anyone in Canada, but I researched that you need to have an address to send the PR card. What option do I have here? I read about UPS mail box rental, but can anyone help me here to advise what is the best course of action?


I was told to take the following documents -
- BSF186a
- BSF186
- US drivers license
- Company ID card
- US visa (expired F1 works)
- I-797A h1-b approval

Is there anyone else I need here to make this soft landing as smooth as possible? Do I also need an employment letter or is the above sufficient? If anyone can please advise, I really appreciate it. I plan to cross the Niagara falls border sometime in December, my expiration date in the COPR visa is April 2023. I want to be able to spent 4-5 days in Canada in a hotel, and then come back. My worry is CBP and what questions they may ask here, I want to be prepared for anything. If I can take a plane to go there, I would also explore that if possible....I rather take the plane if I can, but if anyone has other ideas I appreciate to hear.

 

[abhishekksk]

1. Yes
2. Yes at the CBP check they will ask for your passport and i797A. They know about AVR. If they are not sure they will go inside and check with thr manager before saying no to you. So avoid giving directions to them that you want to use AVR option unless you really have to.
3. Yes you will need to give a local address where you would want them to send your PR card. It takes goods 3 to 4 months, so any address you give ensure that your friend or family is going to be thr for good 4-5 months. I do not know about the UPS mail box rental. One more things- Address can be updated by calling or mailing them.

For me when doing PR activation - The only two docs they asked is the COPR and Passport. They asked if i am bringing anything to Canada or want to bring anything in future. I said no to both. If you want to then i guess you will need to have the list of goods doc for both. I tried to avoid any complexity as i was looking to just complete soft landing.
If you read the addendum they have sent along with COPR, they advise to keep all your documents with you just in case - previous all i797s, US DL, US SSN, India PAN, India Voter ID, India Aadhar, birth certificate, marriage certificate, Educational documents. Most probably no one will ask for it, but just in case. Previous i797s I guess may be asked for when you are returning to US at the CBP check post as well, so good to keep that handy.

At CPB checkpost while returning to US- They asked for only two docs- Passport and current approved i797A. They didn't even asked anything. My i94 was updated with i797 expiry date as well.

 

[canadavisaagg]

1. Yes
2. Yes at the CBP check they will ask for your passport and i797A. They know about AVR. If they are not sure they will go inside and check with thr manager before saying no to you. So avoid giving directions to them that you want to use AVR option unless you really have to.
3. Yes you will need to give a local address where you would want them to send your PR card. It takes goods 3 to 4 months, so any address you give ensure that your friend or family is going to be thr for good 4-5 months. I do not know about the UPS mail box rental. One more things- Address can be updated by calling or mailing them.

For me when doing PR activation - The only two docs they asked is the COPR and Passport. They asked if i am bringing anything to Canada or want to bring anything in future. I said no to both. If you want to then i guess you will need to have the list of goods doc for both. I tried to avoid any complexity as i was looking to just complete soft landing.
If you read the addendum they have sent along with COPR, they advise to keep all your documents with you just in case - previous all i797s, US DL, US SSN, India PAN, India Voter ID, India Aadhar, birth certificate, marriage certificate, Educational documents. Most probably no one will ask for it, but just in case. Previous i797s I guess may be asked for when you are returning to US at the CBP check post as well, so good to keep that handy.

At CPB checkpost while returning to US- They asked for only two docs- Passport and current approved i797A. They didn't even asked anything. My i94 was updated with i797 expiry date as well.

Hello Abishek, thank you for this info! I am in the same way like you - I want to avoid the complexity personally. If I can avoid filling out the goods info, I want to do that. In that case, did you fly? If yes, what city/airport did you land? I want to take the same route in that case just to be safe, and then return by plane again.

I rather do what you did here because I dont want to declare anything on Canada on what I plan to bring - if I can fly by plane then I would rather do that and avoid the goods forms.

 

[abhishekksk]

Yes I took flight to Air Canada flight to Vancouver BC. Very friendly Canadian PR office staff and I was the only one in PR activation queue. I literally got done in like 10 mins. I did not need to stay in CA and I could have very easily taken a flight back to US same day, with CPB check procedure same as I mentioned above. But I decided to stay for a day and see beautiful Vancouver downtown.
Yes I did not had any checked in bag. Just one small bag with clothing and toiletries for 1 day and my laptop bag. So i did not need to prepare any list of goods doc etc. COPR and Passport were the only two docs asked for.

 

[canadavisaagg]

Yes I took flight to Air Canada flight to Vancouver BC. Very friendly Canadian PR office staff and I was the only one in PR activation queue. I literally got done in like 10 mins. I did not need to stay in CA and I could have very easily taken a flight back to US same day, with CPB check procedure same as I mentioned above. But I decided to stay for a day and see beautiful Vancouver downtown.
Yes I did not had any checked in bag. Just one small bag with clothing and toiletries for 1 day and my laptop bag. So i did not need to prepare any list of goods doc etc. COPR and Passport were the only two docs asked for.

Thank you Abhishek! For the previous I-797, I only have 1 I-797A for the h1b. I don't any other I-797A in relation to H1b, but I have the I-797 when I was in OPT/STEM and the I-797 when I changed to H-1b. Should I make copies for those I-797 forms? I can maybe make a print out copy and bring it with me.

In that case, I will fly there too! I will take all the necessary documents like you advised (passport, birth certificate, everything except the BSF186/186A forms), and I don't think I need to tell my current company or get a letter for this...seems very straightforward. I can share my experience here for everyone once I fly and come back.

My only other request is the UPS mailbox address, or what address to use in Canada to get the PR card - I hope if there is anyone here to share your experience on that, that would help a lot! I don't have anyone that I know there in Canada/Vancouver, would love to hear what options people used to get the address.