I wanted to write and update on my trip to Buffalo last week to get the visa because I know I read about others' experiences before I went to get mine, so I would have a better idea what to expect. Maybe this will help somebody else as they prepare to go to Buffalo...?
Because of train and bus schedules that didn't work well with getting to Buffalo during their Tues/Thurs office hours from where I am at the moment, I ended up buying a plane ticket. I flew in on Monday and spent the night at a hotel by the airport (they have shuttles between the airport and the airport hotels). That evening, I booked a taxi to pick me up on the following morning, Tuesday, at 7 am. The guy who checked me in at the hotel recommended the taxi company. The taxi arrived on time, and it took less than 20 minutes to get to the HSBC building downtown. The fare was about $35. (I flew with only a large purse-sized bag, since Buffalo CIC says that only purses and briefcases are allowed into their offices; no luggage.)
I walked in, took the escalator up to the main lobby, then was told to go back down and wait behind the escalator near the Tim Horton's. The guard came down around 7:30 or so and led us all back up to the lobby. There were maybe 15 of us at this point. We each showed our passports and received a numbered sticker that we were told to place on our right or left side. We then were told to take the elevator to the 30th floor (which has a Canadian flag on the floor button.) I was maybe 10th in line.
Once there on the 30th floor, we were told to turn off and check in our cell phones and they gave us a number that corresponded to the lock box/mini locker thing where they were stored in at the guard's desk. We then had to wait in another line to check in. This is the line leading to a window where one turns in the documents (for PR it would be the passport, the email requesting the passport, the page with the height and eye color, and the 2 photos). I was given a number and told to wait in the lobby until my number was called. This took a while and I was thankful for the book I had brought with me to pass the time. The lobby kept getting fuller as time passed until it was pretty much completely full, with people still waiting in the long check-in line. Just after 9:30 am, they called my number and some other numbers and told us to line up at a particular interview cabin (which was right there in the lobby area). We took turns going in, and were each given our COPR and passport with the visa. We were told to check our details (spelling of our name, country of citizenship, etc) before leaving their office, and instructed not to sign the COPR until we are at the border and are in the process of actually landing. (My eye color was wrong on my COPR, but when I told the person at the window, she said it was fine and that it didn't matter, so I left without getting it corrected. But it still makes me a little nervous even though she seemed quite certain it was not a problem.)
After leaving the building, I walked around a little, but it was cold and after getting some pizza at the nearby mall (Gino & Joe's Pizza) which was thankfully open and serving pizza when I went around 10-something in the morning, I ended up deciding to go back to the airport about 6 hours early for my flight. (And I had to buy another book to pass all that time!)
I will be landing next week...
