Hey guys,
Just a little update to let you know my husband landed on July 15th in Montreal airport. Everything was pretty straightforward. After the first immigration officer, we were sent to the processing room. We gave all our supporting documents, waited for about 20-25 minutes and then were called by an officer.
The guy was quite pleased that we had already prepared form B4E (even if you don't HAVE to) and I'm almost certain it saved us a bit of time. He also had to do one for me as I had goods to process as a returning resident. Once he was done, he was given a little guide about Canada and sent to the Quebec office, right next to the federal one. There, the lady was super helpful - she explained how to get free French lesson, where to apply for a SIN number, medical insurance... even gave us a map of the Montreal metro!
One piece of info that may be useful for others: when we were done with the Federal agent, he wrote on our Landing cards that our B4 forms had been completed. When we went through customs to exit the airport, the agent took one look at our card, saw that the B4 had been filled and didn't ask any questions or look in our bags. However, the agent processing the family next to us (also landing) hadn't written anything on their landing cards. As soon as the customs agent saw this, she sent the family to another room to get their luggage inspected/checked against the list provided.
As I understand it, the agents don't always write on the landing cards to let customs agents know that the goods accompanying have been listed and this may encourage custom agents to check your luggage. It might be a coincidence, but I'd be curious to hear what other people's experiences have been.
Now, we're just waiting for the PR card in the mail.
