Hey everyone, thought I'd share my landing experience in the hope that it helps someone else. I know other's posts helped me out for sure in what to expect.
I traveled on a non-stop flight from Dubai Airport to Pearson Airport aboard Emirates Airlines. Total flight time was around 14 hours which was probably as fast as it gets for this distance. Definitely one of the best choices I made as there were cheaper flights available but with multiple stops and anywhere from 18-28 (!!
) hours. Since I booked the flight way in advance it wasn't even that expensive. I bought an economy ticket, but economy on Emirates is pretty damned comfortable from my past experiences, lots of leg room, comfortable seat..etc.
I killed time by almost re-watching the entire Marvel comics movies, the Han Solo movie, and even some anime.
I tried filling out the landing card they handed out to the passengers during the flight, but I gave up trying to figure out a few parts so I just put in what I know and left the rest blank for later when I met the immigration agent.
After landing, went around following the arrivals sign until reaching the queue for visitors / non-Canadians on the right side. The other line on the left was for Canadians & PRs I believe. There were also a bunch of those machines I've read about from other posters who landed but there was no one around to ask for instructions so I went to join the visitors queue instead.
The agent on the counter (CBSA if I'm not mistaken) took my partially filled landing card and passport, I informed him that I'm landing for the first time in Canada to become a PR. He helped me fill out the rest of the missing fields and then made a large mark with his highlighter on the card and told me he's sending me to immigration and to make sure I had my COPR and other documents ready.
At Immigration there were just a handful of people and I was called by the immigration officer pretty quickly.
He asked a few redundant questions like the CBSA agent, took my COPR and passport and asked a few questions as expected (have you committed or been convicted of any crimes, are you carrying over 10,000 CAD of cash...etc...etc).
At this point I handed him the two forms for declaring good and the list of goods to follow, he returned the declaration form and said he didn't need it, then asked me to wait at the seating area until he checked out a few things.
A few minutes later he called me back to give him my address in Toronto for sending the PR Card, gave him the address of the friends I'm staying with without any objections. After that I had to sign the COPR and some other documents, he explained that you can't use the COPR as a travel document again and that you have to wait for a the PR Card to be able to travel back to Canada. He also handed me some papers (receipts?) which I'd use the next time I brought over any of the goods I mentioned on the form for goods to follow.
He said normally, this is where he'd send me over to get my SIN but since it's a weekend I'd have to do it at a Service Canada office during the weekday. Oh well. One thing I overlooked while booking my ticket.
Overall it was a pretty quick process and I didn't end up having to show any of the PR application documents I brought, not even the proof of funds.
Before baggage there was a little desk with a 'welcome to Canada' sign, they looked over my COPR and gave me a bag filled with some brochures (a lot of post landing services), and a Welcome to Canada guide book (which is pretty handy, though if you've been doing your homework you should know most of this stuff by now).
Had some trouble finding my baggage since it took me a while to figure out that the sign on the conveyor belt for my flight was already blanked and the rest of the luggage was moved down. Picked up my bags and on the way out handed over my landing card to some officers, and was picked up by my friends.
...and the rest is history.
I've spared you the emotional roller-coaster I went through, the fears, the tears, and...the strong urge to walk back to the airplane to ask them to take me back. But that wouldn't make for a cool story.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all the contributors of this website/forum. I don't think I'd have made it through the application process without the help and support from the people here.
I traveled on a non-stop flight from Dubai Airport to Pearson Airport aboard Emirates Airlines. Total flight time was around 14 hours which was probably as fast as it gets for this distance. Definitely one of the best choices I made as there were cheaper flights available but with multiple stops and anywhere from 18-28 (!!
) hours. Since I booked the flight way in advance it wasn't even that expensive. I bought an economy ticket, but economy on Emirates is pretty damned comfortable from my past experiences, lots of leg room, comfortable seat..etc.I killed time by almost re-watching the entire Marvel comics movies, the Han Solo movie, and even some anime.
I tried filling out the landing card they handed out to the passengers during the flight, but I gave up trying to figure out a few parts so I just put in what I know and left the rest blank for later when I met the immigration agent.
After landing, went around following the arrivals sign until reaching the queue for visitors / non-Canadians on the right side. The other line on the left was for Canadians & PRs I believe. There were also a bunch of those machines I've read about from other posters who landed but there was no one around to ask for instructions so I went to join the visitors queue instead.
The agent on the counter (CBSA if I'm not mistaken) took my partially filled landing card and passport, I informed him that I'm landing for the first time in Canada to become a PR. He helped me fill out the rest of the missing fields and then made a large mark with his highlighter on the card and told me he's sending me to immigration and to make sure I had my COPR and other documents ready.
At Immigration there were just a handful of people and I was called by the immigration officer pretty quickly.
He asked a few redundant questions like the CBSA agent, took my COPR and passport and asked a few questions as expected (have you committed or been convicted of any crimes, are you carrying over 10,000 CAD of cash...etc...etc).
At this point I handed him the two forms for declaring good and the list of goods to follow, he returned the declaration form and said he didn't need it, then asked me to wait at the seating area until he checked out a few things.
A few minutes later he called me back to give him my address in Toronto for sending the PR Card, gave him the address of the friends I'm staying with without any objections. After that I had to sign the COPR and some other documents, he explained that you can't use the COPR as a travel document again and that you have to wait for a the PR Card to be able to travel back to Canada. He also handed me some papers (receipts?) which I'd use the next time I brought over any of the goods I mentioned on the form for goods to follow.
He said normally, this is where he'd send me over to get my SIN but since it's a weekend I'd have to do it at a Service Canada office during the weekday. Oh well. One thing I overlooked while booking my ticket.
Overall it was a pretty quick process and I didn't end up having to show any of the PR application documents I brought, not even the proof of funds.
Before baggage there was a little desk with a 'welcome to Canada' sign, they looked over my COPR and gave me a bag filled with some brochures (a lot of post landing services), and a Welcome to Canada guide book (which is pretty handy, though if you've been doing your homework you should know most of this stuff by now
).Had some trouble finding my baggage since it took me a while to figure out that the sign on the conveyor belt for my flight was already blanked and the rest of the luggage was moved down. Picked up my bags and on the way out handed over my landing card to some officers, and was picked up by my friends.
...and the rest is history.
I've spared you the emotional roller-coaster I went through, the fears, the tears, and...the strong urge to walk back to the airplane to ask them to take me back. But that wouldn't make for a cool story.
I'd also like to take this opportunity to thank all the contributors of this website/forum. I don't think I'd have made it through the application process without the help and support from the people here.
