kia99
Hero Member
- Feb 28, 2011
- 10
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- CPP-Ottawa
- NOC Code......
- 2173
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 05-11-2012
- Nomination.....
- 10-09-2012
- AOR Received.
- 04-01-2013
- File Transfer...
- 05-04-2013; In Process: 05-04-2013; RPRF Fees paid: 05-04-2013
- Med's Request
- 10-01-2013
- Med's Done....
- 14-01-2013, Meds Delivered - 24-01-2013
- Passport Req..
- 28-06-2013
- VISA ISSUED...
- 08-07-2013
- LANDED..........
- 13-07-2013
Hello Everyone,
Hope you had a good weekend. I finished Landing on Saturday at the Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls. Overall it was a decent experience, took 1 hour to finish it. We walked the bridge to the US side, waited in line to be called by the officer..told him we were here for flag poling, he said ok, n swiped our US visas and asked us to exit back to the Canadian side, totally that took 5 mins. Then we leisurely walked back to Canada, snapping away at the falls, when we got to Canadian side, the officer gave us a yellow slip and asked us if we have anything to declare, we said yes, and then she directed us to the main building. We waited for 10 mins and then were called by another officer who took our passports and the COPR and asked us to wait, in say another 5 mins she called us, asked us for our phone numbers and asked us to sign the COPRs. Then she congratulated us and told us that we will get our PR cards in 1-2 months.
Thats it we were done, we were about to leave and then it struck us that they did not ask us for any declaration of any kind, so we went back and we told them that we need to declare the value of some goods to brought in, they asked us to wait and then the ordeal began..
First an officer said he did not know anything about it, then he called another one, that one said you dont have to declare anything, you can bring in whatever you want even jewellery. We asked are you sure because few of our friends have declared stuff at the time of landing, he said yeah he's sure. So we left again feeling reassured.
Met a few friends and when we told them that they did not allow us to declare anything, they said you should insist because later on they will cause problems. Again we went back in there and asked another officer, this one said if its jewellery, clothes, electronics you have to declare it at the time of landing or you will have to pay duty on it. Great so he asked us what is it you have to declare, we said we might bring in my Wifes jewellery from India, so he said, you will have to get the exact description etc.
We told him, we could give him an approximate value and description, so he okayed that and told us to fill in all the details in a form and he would put an not against the file saying that at a later date we would give them a detailed description of the valuables.
So again we sit there and rack our brains for all the details we could think of, it takes 20 mins to this, and in the meantime the officer disappears somewhere..so we wait for him.. he does not turn up and another grouchy lady officer decides to attend to us..she looks at the form and says 'I cannot accept this, how do I know you have not bought all the stuff today after landing?, is it appraised from a jeweller here? You will have to pay duty on the valuables blah blah' We try to explain our situation to her to no avail, she refuses to accept the customs declaration form and even acknowledge that someone else okayed the form earlier.
Its really amazing that there are so many officers in the same building who give you such varied opinions on the same thing. So in the end we had a smooth landing but not so smooth experience with the customs part.
I urge you all to be prepared when you go to the border to land, take enough time to collect proof of your purchases and photographs if possible of your goods especially jewellery. We were not prepared for this, since others (our friends) who landed a couple of months before us told us that you just have to give an approximate value of the goods you will be bringing in.
I have written to CIC about this and waiting to hear back from them.
Thanks again for all the help on this forum and if you have any questions let me know.
Thanks
Kia99
Hope you had a good weekend. I finished Landing on Saturday at the Rainbow Bridge Niagara Falls. Overall it was a decent experience, took 1 hour to finish it. We walked the bridge to the US side, waited in line to be called by the officer..told him we were here for flag poling, he said ok, n swiped our US visas and asked us to exit back to the Canadian side, totally that took 5 mins. Then we leisurely walked back to Canada, snapping away at the falls, when we got to Canadian side, the officer gave us a yellow slip and asked us if we have anything to declare, we said yes, and then she directed us to the main building. We waited for 10 mins and then were called by another officer who took our passports and the COPR and asked us to wait, in say another 5 mins she called us, asked us for our phone numbers and asked us to sign the COPRs. Then she congratulated us and told us that we will get our PR cards in 1-2 months.
Thats it we were done, we were about to leave and then it struck us that they did not ask us for any declaration of any kind, so we went back and we told them that we need to declare the value of some goods to brought in, they asked us to wait and then the ordeal began..
First an officer said he did not know anything about it, then he called another one, that one said you dont have to declare anything, you can bring in whatever you want even jewellery. We asked are you sure because few of our friends have declared stuff at the time of landing, he said yeah he's sure. So we left again feeling reassured.
Met a few friends and when we told them that they did not allow us to declare anything, they said you should insist because later on they will cause problems. Again we went back in there and asked another officer, this one said if its jewellery, clothes, electronics you have to declare it at the time of landing or you will have to pay duty on it. Great so he asked us what is it you have to declare, we said we might bring in my Wifes jewellery from India, so he said, you will have to get the exact description etc.
We told him, we could give him an approximate value and description, so he okayed that and told us to fill in all the details in a form and he would put an not against the file saying that at a later date we would give them a detailed description of the valuables.
So again we sit there and rack our brains for all the details we could think of, it takes 20 mins to this, and in the meantime the officer disappears somewhere..so we wait for him.. he does not turn up and another grouchy lady officer decides to attend to us..she looks at the form and says 'I cannot accept this, how do I know you have not bought all the stuff today after landing?, is it appraised from a jeweller here? You will have to pay duty on the valuables blah blah' We try to explain our situation to her to no avail, she refuses to accept the customs declaration form and even acknowledge that someone else okayed the form earlier.
Its really amazing that there are so many officers in the same building who give you such varied opinions on the same thing. So in the end we had a smooth landing but not so smooth experience with the customs part.
I urge you all to be prepared when you go to the border to land, take enough time to collect proof of your purchases and photographs if possible of your goods especially jewellery. We were not prepared for this, since others (our friends) who landed a couple of months before us told us that you just have to give an approximate value of the goods you will be bringing in.
I have written to CIC about this and waiting to hear back from them.
Thanks again for all the help on this forum and if you have any questions let me know.
Thanks
Kia99