Thread for outland Buffalo applicants!

[GOGOGO]

Looks like we have quite a few transfer cases recently. Hopefully it can help our processing time (in both Buffalo and Satellite offices).

Oh yes - I read it wrong the first time. It's not from buffalo, its from the NYC office. I guess I have been transferred! Thanks for the help.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Mark5, if you don't mind me asking, what was your POE?

Does anyone know if one has to take a specific point of entry for importing/driving a car to Canada? I am planning to drive my car across the border once i get the PR, but not sure which POE to take or rather which city to pass through. I will be driving from West and will be going to Toronto, so I am thinking to take Detroit,MI as my POE. Any suggestions guys?

Don't know about POEs over there, but once you choose one make sure to call the American side of the POE and confirm their export procedures for your car. You have to export it before you can import it with you into Canada. Usually you have to either fax/send a copy of your title or bring your title with you to the American side of the POE 3 days before you plan on exporting. When I did it I was told that you're also supposed to keep your car in the U.S. for those 3 days, but I had driven myself down (I was already in Canada with my car) that day and they took pity on me I think so they waived my 3 day requirement and stamped my title for export the same day.

Other note, don't forget to call your insurance and double check that your car will still be covered after it is imported. Mine claimed that coverage would no longer be valid, so I actually had to wait to import while I put a Canadian insurance in place.

 

[nsr]

Hello everybody,

I have a question. Is FBI is mandatory?

Because I send my application with police Clarence certificate only.....

I am in Canada on student visa and my wife sponsored me....

I also holds America visitor visa valid for 10 years?

In what conditions they ask for FBI check?

Any ideas?

Thanks

 

[bloodyguitars]

Don't know about POEs over there, but once you choose one make sure to call the American side of the POE and confirm their export procedures for your car. You have to export it before you can import it with you into Canada. Usually you have to either fax/send a copy of your title or bring your title with you to the American side of the POE 3 days before you plan on exporting. When I did it I was told that you're also supposed to keep your car in the U.S. for those 3 days, but I had driven myself down (I was already in Canada with my car) that day and they took pity on me I think so they waived my 3 day requirement and stamped my title for export the same day.

Other note, don't forget to call your insurance and double check that your car will still be covered after it is imported. Mine claimed that coverage would no longer be valid, so I actually had to wait to import while I put a Canadian insurance in place.

From sounds of it, it looks like there are two steps. 1. Export from USA and 2. Import in Canada.


For step 1: Exporting

Do I need to leave my car with US side of POE for 3 days even if I fax them all the docs 3 days in advance? If that's the case, what will happen to my luggage which is inside the car? Do I need to come back after 3 days to pick up my car? I am planning on loading my car with all the luggage so I am not sure how that will work out.

For step 2: Importing
Does the importing process starts at the canadian side of the border and how long does it take?

After step 1 is completed, can I legally drive down my car to Canada? When would I deal with http://www.riv.ca ?

Can I drive with US license in Canada and can I get auto insurance with US license or do I have to wait for PR card to get the Canadian license first.

I apologise for so many questions. I tried to research the info, but couldnt get conclusive answers.

Any help would be greatly appreciated! Thanks a ton .

 

[computergeek]

Hello everybody,

I have a question. Is FBI is mandatory?

Because I send my application with police Clarence certificate only.....

I am in Canada on student visa and my wife sponsored me....

I also holds America visitor visa valid for 10 years?

In what conditions they ask for FBI check?

Any ideas?

Thanks

You must have a police clearance certificate for any country (other than Canada) in which you have lived for 6 months or longer. If you lives in the United States for 6 months or longer, then you would need to obtain an FBI clearance letter.

 

[Calgary-Bound]

Well the way this whole process has been going for me I could see them lieing about it and then doing the Interpol check.Ive gotten the run around eversince I applied so why change now.The officer even requested all my info from when I was a minor because I got introuble but everything was dropped with no charges.I had to get court records from 20yrs ago luckily they still had them in the vault and was nice enough to send them to me.Any idea how long the Interpol check takes?GCMS notes are getting ordered today also.

Oh cr*p nuggets. That's the same line of bull that they gave my MP all of last summer and fall. Have you gotten a copy of your GCMS notes recently? Unless they've decided to do one of those in-depth checks with INTERPOL on you, the RCMP check should be quick since all they do is check your name in their database. They gave me that line from July to October, but when I got my notes back I saw they'd requested the RCMP name check on July 13th, and had a response back on July 14th.

Definitely get your GCMS notes, if you haven't recently, so you can see if they've already done the RCMP check. Then if they have you can go back to your MP. One of the last things I ended up doing before I got my PPR was shooting off an email to Buffalo asking why the info they were giving me was not the same as what had been given to my MP or what was on my notes. I basically asked them who was telling the truth and who was lying (but I stated it much more politely than that). I also mentioned I'd be taking up the matter with my MP (which I didn't end up doing, because my PPR came a few days later). Knowledge is power, definitely get your GCMS notes and see if they're yanking your and your MP's chains. I doubt your MP would take kindly to it if they found out that Buffalo was lying to them.

 

[ben_449]

Congrats!

WOOOHOOOO......just checked e-CAS and our application is now in PROCESS as of Feb. 17th 2012 I know...it doesn't mean much but I like the fact that i know that someone in Buffalo is touching our application! So so so happy! ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D ;D

 

[OhCanadiana]

From sounds of it, it looks like there are two steps. 1. Export from USA and 2. Import in Canada.

There's actually a third step, registering the car in Canada

For step 1: Exporting

Do I need to leave my car with US side of POE for 3 days even if I fax them all the docs 3 days in advance? If that's the case, what will happen to my luggage which is inside the car? Do I need to come back after 3 days to pick up my car? I am planning on loading my car with all the luggage so I am not sure how that will work out.

The requirements vary by POE - and not all POE allow you to export a car in the US - so it really is important to look up what the requirements are for the specific port you will be exporting the vehicle at. You can find details at http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/toolbox/contacts/ports/ . I would call to double check.

You don't have to leave the car with the POE (in fact, usually you can't) - you just have to make sure they have the info they need available before you show up at the border, usually 72 hours business hours before you arrive at the POE to run the export process.

The three days the POEs ask for (either after receiving the original title or after receiving e-mailed/faxed info) is to run checks on the car including VIN checks and check the title to ensure the car's ownership is ok. AmericanInQuebec was lucky enough that they were willing to run the checks while she was there and they probably figured that it wasn't recently stolen in the US since she had just arrived from Canada, but you can't bank on them being so understanding, so if you make sure they have the info they need ahead of time you'll make the process smooth for yourself!

For step 2: Importing
Does the importing process starts at the canadian side of the border and how long does it take?

Not long at all. You just need to fill out a form and pay taxes (none if the car is on your B4). You also need to pay the RIV import fee - either at the border or you can do it after by phone or on their website.

When would I deal with http://www.riv.ca ?

The RIV manages the import process on the Canadian side:
- After you import the car with Canadian Customs at the border, you pay RIV the import fee which covers the process, import inspection at Canadian tire, registration as a legally imported vehicle, and sticker you place on the car. If you don't pay the fee at the border, you pay this fee by phone to the RIV or at their website. The fee is 195+taxes.
- The RIV will send you Form 2, which you take to Canadian Tire for the import inspection. If you include an e-mail on the form you fill out at Canadian customs, they will e-mail this form to you.
- You take Form 1 (from the border) and Form 2 to Canadian Tire and once you pass the import inspection, Candian Tire will stamp your forms and advise the RIV that you passed the inspection. You will need this to register your car with your province.
Tip - depending on your province and the year of your vehicle, it may make sense to get additional inspections you'll need to register the car at the same time at Canadian Tire (eg., emissions and safety tests for Ontario, which will be ~$100.)

Can I drive with US license in Canada

In most provinces, yes, but only for a certain number of days.

and can I get auto insurance with US license or do I have to wait for PR card to get the Canadian license first.

Once you land you can use your COPR as confirmation of residency, if needed, to get your driver's licence. You may not even need to provide this to get your Canadian licence, though. (and it drove me nuts initially to see licence in the British spelling vs license in US spelling!)
Usually, Canadian insurers insure you based on your Canadian drivers' license.

For step 3, registering the car in your province, reach out to the Ministry of Transportation of the Province you are heading to to get the details depending on the year of your vehicle, etc.

Good luck!

 

[astegenga]

One more question: I applied with my maiden name because my US passport still had my maiden name on it. However I sent all the marriage documents with my application. Is there a way to indicate to the visa office that I would like to use my married name for the pr card? (was this on the application and I just forgot?) I already got an Ontario Drivers License with my married name and I would like to keep it consistent.

 

[AmericaninQuebec]

Well the way this whole process has been going for me I could see them lieing about it and then doing the Interpol check.Ive gotten the run around eversince I applied so why change now.The officer even requested all my info from when I was a minor because I got introuble but everything was dropped with no charges.I had to get court records from 20yrs ago luckily they still had them in the vault and was nice enough to send them to me.Any idea how long the Interpol check takes?GCMS notes are getting ordered today also.

Couldn't tell you, but since it requires more in depth research I can only assume it takes longer than the name check. Hopefully you'll get your PPR before you GCMS notes even come in, but if not I hope they give you a clearer picture of what's going on.

 

[computergeek]

One other note on obtaining a driver's licence in Canada: get your driving record from your US state BEFORE you try.

In British Columbia, they required evidence that I'd had my US license for at least two years - but I'd renewed it within the past two years, so it wasn't obvious from the license itself. My license was issued by New Hampshire and THEY wouldn't issue a letter to ICBC (the licencing agency in BC) when it was requested. To get a letter stating that I'd had a NH license since 1995 I had to go IN PERSON to the state capitol and apply for it (I recall it was $15 to obtain.)

With that letter and my existing US license, getting my BC licence was a breeze. In fact, I just renewed my BC licence - good for five years this time around (two years the first time). And they required evidence of status (in my case a work permit still) to renew it.

 

[astegenga]

One other note on obtaining a driver's licence in Canada: get your driving record from your US state BEFORE you try.

In British Columbia, they required evidence that I'd had my US license for at least two years - but I'd renewed it within the past two years, so it wasn't obvious from the license itself. My license was issued by New Hampshire and THEY wouldn't issue a letter to ICBC (the licencing agency in BC) when it was requested. To get a letter stating that I'd had a NH license since 1995 I had to go IN PERSON to the state capitol and apply for it (I recall it was $15 to obtain.)

With that letter and my existing US license, getting my BC licence was a breeze. In fact, I just renewed my BC licence - good for five years this time around (two years the first time). And they required evidence of status (in my case a work permit still) to renew it.

Yes, I had a pretty easy time of it in Ontario. They didn't require any additional documents other than my California DL but it had been (and was still) valid for more than 2 years. I did have to surrender the California license though. And they did allow me to put my married name on the Ontario DL because I had my marriage cert with me even though my CA DL still had my maiden name.

 

[astegenga]

Just to add to the insuring a driver/car dialogue:
My husband (canadian) was actually able to get drivers insurance for both of us and the insurance company insured me based on my US driving record which I had to get from the DMV and my previous insurer. I did not have an Ontario DL at the time but got one shortly after.

and on the car export process:
If you have the documents ahead of time, you do not leave your car in the US for 3 days but do double, triple, quadruple check this with the US border patrol!

We had (apparently) failed to export our canadian car (it had been the states for some time but never imported due to a student visa loophole) even though he had brought it back into Canada without issue and when we crossed the border from Canada to the US, they threatened to impound the car or charge us $500 fine unless we kept the car in the states for 72 hours to go through the export process. They would hear nothing of the student visa rule that allows a canadian student in California to bring in their vehicle without importing it (per CA DMV). It was not possible for us to stay in the US for 72 hours at that time so we ignored them and went back into Canada (again, no problem). Now we just rent a car if we need to cross the border.

 

[awor]

One more question: I applied with my maiden name because my US passport still had my maiden name on it. However I sent all the marriage documents with my application. Is there a way to indicate to the visa office that I would like to use my married name for the pr card? (was this on the application and I just forgot?) I already got an Ontario Drivers License with my married name and I would like to keep it consistent.

Your PR card will come under the name that is on your passport, so no. You'll need to get a new passport and send CIC a copy.

 

[mumbles]

Congrats!

Thanks BEN!!! ;D