what to prepare when landing

[heatherusa]

Okay emailed that, and as i said in my email, i'd remove your address right away to save you having problems later!

And with regards to the AB healthcare, it's immidiate as long as you know where to go, have your COPR/PR card and some proof of address, i had an issue of having no proof of my canadian address yet!

It is retroactive though, so even if you cant provide proof of address the day you arrive you are covered from the day you land, so you can get reimbursement if you have to pay out of pocket. And there are registry offices that do AHC immediately so you dont have to mail off for it.

 

[ambar]

Ok so if I have this right.. at landing my hubby will need

1. passport with the visa stamp

2. COPR documents

3. the B4a form filled out with everything he's bringing into Canada (just his suitcases and w/e's in them) - is this the right form for that? the B4 one is soo confusing :s

 

[pelda]

Thanks Silver_spirit.
Yeah...thats was silly to put my mail here
i was too excited n didnt think far.
thanks my friend. Already erased the thread email address...hopefully no 'bad' people using it.

 

[Silver_Spirit]

Damn heather really? woulda taken some stress off if i'd thought to check that part out! lol

Ambar - Sounds right to me, im not the one to ask tho lol

Pelda - Good to see lol, hopefully it helps!

 

[britincanada]

hi britincanada, thanks for giving us some info, im about to ask this issue on this forum and glad i found this link..if i may ask whre is ur port of entry? mine is in vancouver, i knew this is a very huge airport, this is my first time to travel so its all new to me, kinda excited but at the same time worried, can i ask some favor to you can you share what you go through upon arriving at your port of entry...thanks

I didnt land at an airport..I landed at the USA/Canada boarder in Niagara Falls, I have already been living in Canada of 5 years..I went through USA Customs explained I didnt want to go into the USA, they gave me a letter stating that I left Canada but didnt go into the USA, we then took the road back to Canada, went through CBSA and into the Immigration office..the lady was very nice..only took 15-20 mins..I was very surprised at how easy and fast it was

With Landing in an Airport it would be much the same..You would land..go through Customs..tell the CBSA Officer that you are landing as PR..Keep your COPR, Passport AND list of items your bringing into Canada AND goods to follow list in your carry on Luggage NOT in your Suite Case... The CBSA Officer will direct you to Immigration..I have only ever flown into Toronto so dont know the layout of Vancouver airport..you will go and see Immigration Before you pick-up your cases..Dont worry its simple..all you have to do is sign a few places on your COPR and your done..

It will all come together when you "Land" and you will wonder what you were worried about LOL..

Good Luck to all that are landing

 

[pelda]

britincanada

hi...sorry my english is not very good but what does this mean:
AND list of items your bringing into Canada AND goods to follow list in your carry on Luggage NOT in your Suite Case
thanks 4 the help

 

[Kess]

I have only ever flown into Toronto so dont know the layout of Vancouver airport..you will go and see Immigration Before you pick-up your cases..Dont worry its simple..all you have to do is sign a few places on your COPR and your done..

I was in the Vancouver airport recently. It's not hard to figure out where to go. There's a giant escalator/staircase with a pretty waterfall/stream that leads down to Canadian customs for international and US travellers. Hard to miss. There was a sign at the bottom of the stairs with directions for different types of travellers (temporary workers/students and immigrants). There was even a lady standing at the bottom of the stairs by the sign calling out for any immigrants, etc to make sure they go where they need to. The luggage carousels are after the custom's officers but there is still a custom's officer waiting to take your forms before you exit with your luggage.

 

[heatherusa]

Damn heather really? woulda taken some stress off if i'd thought to check that part out! lol

Ambar - Sounds right to me, im not the one to ask tho lol

Pelda - Good to see lol, hopefully it helps!

I really stressed over it because I was coming with my daughter and needed to know what to do about her health insurance so I emailed AHC and they were very helpful!

Where in Alberta are you?

We are in Edmonton

 

[giggles1985]

Ok, to kind of reitterate something mentioned earlier - I can use two copies of the B4A form.. one for what's with me and one for goods to follow and I do not have to use a B4 at all? Is that acceptable to customs? I read a thread on a different forum that B4A is a continuation of B4 if you don't have enough space. What did the people here who already landed use?

Also, do I need to have any documentation in/on my packages? I am shipping them with FedEx and it is prompting me to make a commercial invoice and other crap but I don't need that because it's not goods for resale, correct?

 

[Silver_Spirit]

I really stressed over it because I was coming with my daughter and needed to know what to do about her health insurance so I emailed AHC and they were very helpful!

Where in Alberta are you?

We are in Edmonton

Lol i never even thought to email them! Luckily i didn't need to sort anything and i got processed nice and quickly too ^^;
I'm in Calgary, i'm trying to persuade my hubby he wants to make the drive to Edmonton since it sounds lovely around there

 

[heatherusa]

Lol i never even thought to email them! Luckily i didn't need to sort anything and i got processed nice and quickly too ^^;
I'm in Calgary, i'm trying to persuade my hubby he wants to make the drive to Edmonton since it sounds lovely around there

Well I am guessing that if he is a true Calgarian that he probably doesnt find too much value and beauty in Edmonton! LOL Calgary is the place to be. Make sure you get over to the mountains while the leaves are turning!

 

[tartcare]

I was in the Vancouver airport recently. It's not hard to figure out where to go. There's a giant escalator/staircase with a pretty waterfall/stream that leads down to Canadian customs for international and US travellers. Hard to miss. There was a sign at the bottom of the stairs with directions for different types of travellers (temporary workers/students and immigrants). There was even a lady standing at the bottom of the stairs by the sign calling out for any immigrants, etc to make sure they go where they need to. The luggage carousels are after the custom's officers but there is still a custom's officer waiting to take your forms before you exit with your luggage.

thanks Kess for a very detailed and easy to follow instructions. I really appreciate it..by the way you stated here "there is still a custom's officer waiting to take your forms before you exit with your luggage" what form they will need from me?

 

[tartcare]

thanks britincanada, your helping me feel at ease, hopefully it will turn out well totally different as what i imagined hehehhe....i really appreciate your concerned...

 

[pelda]

Hi friends..
so i will go and land at Vancouver airport
but i'm going to live in Alberta.
Anyone can help me with list what things i need to do in the Vancouver's airport
and is there something i should do or go in Alberta concerning the immigration / pr ? or health insurance?
thanks

 

[Kess]

thanks Kess for a very detailed and easy to follow instructions. I really appreciate it..by the way you stated here "there is still a custom's officer waiting to take your forms before you exit with your luggage" what form they will need from me?

When you arrive at the airport there is a form you have to fill out (you might get it handed to you on the flight while inbound to Canada).
http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/publications/forms-formulaires/e311-eng.pdf

You give this to the custom's officer with your passport... they ask you a bunch of questions about why you are coming to Canada. Then they give that card back to you after scribbling something on it. Then you proceed to get your luggage and hand this card to the officer waiting at the exit.

The first time I flew international I got in trouble with customs coming back to Canada. I read the instructions wrong and thought that as a resident of Canada I didn't have to declare anything worth under $60 (this only applies to visitors). Weeeeeeeelllll, that scribble they make on the card is code to the officer at the exit and I got yanked out of line with my luggage for a secondary inspection (this was at Pearson in Toronto, not Vancouver). Thankfully I was able to plead ignorance. But it was terrifying as the grumpy officer opened my bags and pointed at some of the items I was bringing home from Ireland and kept asking how much each was worth.

Now that I have my Nexus card, when I fly between the US and Canada, I get to bypass the officers at the booths who ask you all the questions about why you are visiting, etc, scan my eyeballs at a machine, answer some questions on a touch screen and then it gives me a printed slip. I hand that and my customs declaration form to the officer at the exit. My last flight down to the US this printed slip also had a code on it that flagged me as needing to go to secondary, but it was because the system crossed my name with some guy by accident and they needed to confirm who I was.