Finally made my landing at Toronto today!!
Had travelled on the AI flight from Delhi; my experience is below:
@ Delhi Airport - Gate No. 4 for Air India:
- Almost 1.5 hrs waiting time outside the terminal in the queue to fill the health declaration form, get the cabin-baggage sanitized and get the passport & ticket verified
- On entering, submit the health declaration form and get temperature check
- Do not join the queue for work permit holders just before the check-in counters; COPR holders can directly proceed to the check-in counters (one person was kind enough to let me know before I joined this queue)
- Check-in & immigration processes are a breeze (barring the 15-20 min waiting time); the agents just check the passport, visa, COPR letter and ticket
- While boarding, face shields are provided to everyone whereas PPE kits are provided to passengers in the middle seat
Note:
1. Trolley bay is right at the end of the terminal building; you would not find trolleys just lying around
2. Delhi weather is too humid these days; be prepared to sweat it out while outside the terminal
@ AI187: I always tried to avoid Air India and this is the last time I flew with them
- 2 boxes of food and packets of namkeen / chips etc. are kept on all seats. There's no service during the flight. (This was fine with me)
- WASHROOMS MAINTENANCE IS HORRIBLE. There was no sanitizer, no tissue paper, even no toilet paper in the washroom. People were actually carrying glasses with them to clean up after. Carry lots of tissues if you need to go frequently.
- You'll be given 2 forms to be filled which need to be submitted at Toronto airport; 1 is health declaration & quarantine plan, 2nd is customs clearance
Note:
1. Row no. 39 in economy class on the AI 187 has a 2-3-2 configuration (rather than 3-3-3); try to get a seat in this row if you want 1 less person beside you
@ Toronto Airport - Terminal 1 (pre-immigration):
- Flight landed at 7.50 am. De-boarding takes place in batches; I entered the terminal at 8.30 am
- 10 min walk to the passport control. There's no separate line for COPR holders. After 20 mins in queue, the agent just saw the passport, visa and crossed out the customs card. He then asked me to proceed to immigration. Total time at counter: < 1 min
- While going towards immigration, you need to deposit the health declaration form that was given during the flight
- 4.5 HRS WAITING TIME FOR IMMIGRATION. Yes that's right; that's how long it took me to enter the queue and get my turn at immigration
Note:
1. The forms are also available in the terminal before passport control; don't panic if you by chance don't get the forms in the flight
@ Immigration Counter:
Me - Hi
IA - Hi, how are you?
Me - I'm good. How are you?
IA - I'm very well.
Me - (handing over passport, COPR letter, phone with ArriveCAN app open) Immigrant visa application
IA - Can I get the second copy of the COPR letter too?
Me - Sure, here you go
IA - (while checking documents and verifying identity) Do you have an address where the PR card can be delivered?
Me - I'll be staying with a friend after my quarantine period. Will his address help?
IA - (handing back my phone) It'll take 2 months
Me - Is there a way to change the delivery address later if required?
IA - Yes, that can be done online
Me - Very well then, you can note my friend's address in that case
IA - (makes note of the address on both sheets of the letter) Have you been in any legal trouble?
Me - No
IA - Have you been denied immigration before?
Me - No
IA - (making note of the answers, stamping & filling-up both forms) Congratulations, you are now a permanent resident of Canada. You are recommended to spend 2 out of every 5 years in Canada. If you do travel a lot, please make sure to get your passport stamped everytime. This form (handing over the client copy of the COPR letter) is a proof of PR, please keep it safely.
Me - Thank you very much.
IA - Also, you would need a Social Insurance Number. Once your quarantine ends, visit any Service Canada centre to get the same.
Me - What about the one at the airport?
IA - That's currently closed due to the Covid situation.
Me - Sure, no problem. Thank you.
IA - You're welcome. Have a nice day.
Total time: ~5 mins
Few surprises - nothing regarding proof of funds, quarantine plan. I'm pretty sure the agent didn't look at the details on the ArriveCAN app.
Note: Please make sure both the copies of the COPR letter are stamped and signed.
@ Toronto Airport - Terminal 1 (post-immigration):
- Collected luggage from the belts and proceeded to exit.
- I didn't have any custom declarations to make; so just walked through the green channel and handed over the customs form to the agent over there.
- Right outside the gate there's a kiosk of Chatr mobile. Got a pre-paid SIM for ~50 bucks (35 plan + 10 SIM charge + tax)
- Exit from Gate D leads to the airport taxi bay (there's a separate gate for Limos, if you wish a fancy ride). Took a taxi to my quarantine place
Total Airport-to-Airport time: 24 hours
Tips:
1. Try to de-board as soon as possible.
2. Student visa processing is taking a lot of time. Pray for no students on your flight
3. Social distancing needs to be followed at all places at Toronto Airport
4. Minesweeper is an excellent time-killer
Let me know if you guys need any clarifications. All the best!!
