URGENT How do I land by crossing the border?

[lizet]

Hi!
I just received my confirmation of permanent residence! Yay! My husband and I are going to Niagara Falls to cross the border and then come back so I can finish the process. But, how does it work? I know I have to bring my passport and the Confirmation of permanent resident paper. Can I just go across the border by car and turn around and come back? Do I need a visa for the US? Anyone who crossed the border at Rainbow bridge, Niagara Falls?? How do I know if they do immigration or just toll? Does it cost anything?

Thanks for any answers!

 

[AllisonVSC]

Hi Lizet, Congrats on your PR.

Yes, you can drive to the border and land. If you are visa exempt to the US you can drive over and visit the area and return to land. If you are not exempt or not interested in visiting the US, just tell the US border agent that you are there to land as a PR of Canada. They will direct you on how to get to the Canadian side (this is commonly referred to as "flagpoling"); tell the CN border agent the same and s/he will send you to the appropriate building. You will need passport, COPR, and a list of goods to import (or goods to follow), if any. They will ask you some basic questions like your address for mailing the PR card, any change of circumstances (have you married or had children etc since getting visa), correct spelling of your name, etc. Then they will enter some info in the computer and you're done. It is quick, if there is no waiting, and easy.

I have not crossed at the Rainbow Bridge, but I did my landing at Queenston/Lewiston (take the QEW to St. Catherines and then left exit onto the 405 and go 4-5 kms). There is a toll charge there ($3.25, I think) to cross back over the bridge into Canada, but landing costs nothing.

By the way, if you go to Queenston/Lewiston there is only one exit, I think, between the 405 and the border, and it goes to the Niagara Parkway. It is a beautiful little drive in either direction, and it leads to the BEST view of Niagara Falls; the one from the Canadian side. If you have never been there, I would recommend stopping there with your husband after landing and having a little walk around to enjoy the moment and celebrate.

All the best. Allison

 

[lizet]

Thank so much for the information! It all went perfectly fine! We end up landing in Niagara Falls since we had a hotel booked there. We just walked across the bridge, came back and I was landed, just like you said!

 

[AllisonVSC]

Congrats, Lizet, and Welcome (back) to Canada.

 

[jasmin13]

Hi Lizet, Congrats on your PR.

Yes, you can drive to the border and land. If you are visa exempt to the US you can drive over and visit the area and return to land. If you are not exempt or not interested in visiting the US, just tell the US border agent that you are there to land as a PR of Canada. They will direct you on how to get to the Canadian side (this is commonly referred to as "flagpoling"); tell the CN border agent the same and s/he will send you to the appropriate building. You will need passport, COPR, and a list of goods to import (or goods to follow), if any. They will ask you some basic questions like your address for mailing the PR card, any change of circumstances (have you married or had children etc since getting visa), correct spelling of your name, etc. Then they will enter some info in the computer and you're done. It is quick, if there is no waiting, and easy.

I have not crossed at the Rainbow Bridge, but I did my landing at Queenston/Lewiston (take the QEW to St. Catherines and then left exit onto the 405 and go 4-5 kms). There is a toll charge there ($3.25, I think) to cross back over the bridge into Canada, but landing costs nothing.

By the way, if you go to Queenston/Lewiston there is only one exit, I think, between the 405 and the border, and it goes to the Niagara Parkway. It is a beautiful little drive in either direction, and it leads to the BEST view of Niagara Falls; the one from the Canadian side. If you have never been there, I would recommend stopping there with your husband after landing and having a little walk around to enjoy the moment and celebrate.

All the best. Allison

thanks so much for the info. is this still a valid way? I mean is the regulation still the same? thanks

 

[steaky]

thanks so much for the info. Do is this still a valid way? I mean is the regulation still the same? thanks

Just the same. Many others had done so.

 

[mic8400]

Awesome! Congrats!

 

[syilmaz]

Hi Lizet, Congrats on your PR.

Yes, you can drive to the border and land. If you are visa exempt to the US you can drive over and visit the area and return to land. If you are not exempt or not interested in visiting the US, just tell the US border agent that you are there to land as a PR of Canada. They will direct you on how to get to the Canadian side (this is commonly referred to as "flagpoling"); tell the CN border agent the same and s/he will send you to the appropriate building. You will need passport, COPR, and a list of goods to import (or goods to follow), if any. They will ask you some basic questions like your address for mailing the PR card, any change of circumstances (have you married or had children etc since getting visa), correct spelling of your name, etc. Then they will enter some info in the computer and you're done. It is quick, if there is no waiting, and easy.

I have not crossed at the Rainbow Bridge, but I did my landing at Queenston/Lewiston (take the QEW to St. Catherines and then left exit onto the 405 and go 4-5 kms). There is a toll charge there ($3.25, I think) to cross back over the bridge into Canada, but landing costs nothing.

By the way, if you go to Queenston/Lewiston there is only one exit, I think, between the 405 and the border, and it goes to the Niagara Parkway. It is a beautiful little drive in either direction, and it leads to the BEST view of Niagara Falls; the one from the Canadian side. If you have never been there, I would recommend stopping there with your husband after landing and having a little walk around to enjoy the moment and celebrate.

All the best. Allison

Hi guys, I just got my COPR today. Is this is still a valid way to enter? Also, I'm getting a friend to drive me so want to give him a heads up, how long does the whole process take once you're there?

 

[spyfy]

Hi guys, I just got my COPR today. Is this is still a valid way to enter? Also, I'm getting a friend to drive me so want to give him a heads up, how long does the whole process take once you're there?

Yes this is still a totally valid way. In fact, I also walked across the rainbow bridge.

Most of the details are given above, just to add some additional details:

• When you get to the rainbow bridge there is a clear sign for the pedestrian crossing over the bridge. You can't miss it.
• It is not enough to just go on the bridge and turn around on the bridge and go back to the Canadian border. You must go all the way across the bridge and enter the US. There is two ways to do this:
• First way: If you happen to have a visa-free passport for the US, you can actually enter the US. Then if you want you can spend some time on the American side of the Falls (you will immediately understand why the Americans come to the Canadian side. It's pretty dank ) or turn around and go back to Canada.
• Second way: If you don't have a visa-free passport, you tell the US border officer that you just want to "flagpole" to become a PR. They will then issue some kind of form that you wanted to enter the US but since you don't have a valid visa, you weren't allowed to (Before you ask: I don't know the details about this form, since for me, the first way was the way to go). Then you go back to Canada.
• So again: You need some documentation that you went to the US side. Either an admission stamp in your passport (first way) or some kind of form (second way). They specifically asked me and checked that when I came back to Canada.
• Go back to Canada and tell the border guy you want to land as a PR and then he will tell you to go to some waiting area.
• Everything else is described above.
• Don't forget to take some nice pictures of the falls from the bridge

About the amount of time it takes: Processing your landing itself won't take more than like 20-ish minutes. However, and that's the important part, the question is how long you have to wait until it's your turn varies immensely. I did the border crossing on a Wednesday around 1pm or something. So the border was not busy at all and I waited literally five minutes before it was my turn and I was done with everything in less than 30 minutes. Apart from me, there was three other people in the whole waiting area.

It is veeeeeery different if you come around a busy time (evenings, weekends, or - don't even think about it - holidays). There are reports of people who have waited hours before they were processed. This is very common during these peak times because they are busy processing all the Americans coming in cars and barely have staff for immigration left.

So I cannot emphasize enough how much faster it is if you go in the middle of the week in the middle of the day.

 

[marcelacota87]

Hi Guys!
I'm doing my landing too and would like to do it in Niagara Falls too but I can't drive there. Can I get there by bus? If not, what do you guys recommend to do the landing in by bus? Thanks!

 

[spyfy]

Hi Guys!
I'm doing my landing too and would like to do it in Niagara Falls too but I can't drive there. Can I get there by bus? If not, what do you guys recommend to do the landing in by bus? Thanks!

megabus.com
greyhound.ca

 

[zhangyixing0404]

Hi guys, could you please help check if my plan below works or not?

My wife and I are currently waiting for the PR confirmation and PR visa from Ottawa.

My wife is the principal applicant. Our plan is my wife applies the PR card in Niagara Falls first as described above (thanks for the detailed instruction!). Then a couple of weeks after that I travel back to my country and then I fly back to use my PR visa to land (my study visa will expire at that time). I was wondering if there is any trouble with this plan?

If this doesn't work, any suggestions for me to travel back to my country for several weeks in January 2018 (my study permit will expire in March 2018 but my study visa will expire in the end of December 2017) ?

I'd really appreciate your comments.

 

[Tanya8291]

Hello! Me and my husband were approved by PNP New Brunswick, in October 31 got our medicals and this week just received the request for our passports to be send to Buffalo NY. We both are in USA and we would like to take our car with us. My question, is there any taxes or a fee to be paid for our car to drive from USA to Canada. The car was purchased in USA . Please any advice. Thank you.

 

[IanSaymo]

hello, I'm just new here. I just wanted to ask if its advisable that I'm going to Canada on January 17, 2018 and my wife (principal applicant) will exit in Osoyoos on January 16, 2018 which is only 1 day difference. Because I'm in Philippines currently, got my immigrant visa and booked a flight by 17. And my wife will do an exit in Osoyoos on Jan.16 afternoon. Will there be any problem on our PR application? Sorry if its confusing. We just need some help or advise regarding this matter. Thank you so much for the help!

 

[mkcool28]

Hello,
We got PR of Canada. We are planning to go to canada through Niagara falls border. Can we drive through our own car? We need to get our visa also for coming back to US. So we should be back in a week. Will they allow us to take our car in canada? Do we need to do some formalities for taking our own car to canada and coming back to US?

Any guidance will help please