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| Subject: Landing Experience |
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Hello everybody !!
I have not logged in for some time now but see a lot of new people in here. A few old ones too !!
I just wanted to share my landing experience here. My time line is as follows.
App March 2004
AOR April 2004
IA Nov 2004
Updated application May 2005
Interview Waived in Aug 2005
FBI PCC etc Sept 2005
Medicals Oct 3rd 2005
eCAS changed to Medicals recieved Jan 3 2006
PPR on Jan 24th 2006
I live in Nebraska and decided to drive upto Detroit with two friends and cross via Ambassador Bridge. It was a very long drive(13 hours). We started on Friday, June 30th and got there on Saturday, July 1st which was also Canada day. I was driving a rental car.
One big problem with that day was that there was a lot of traffic that day on the bridge. I had to wait almost half an hour to get to the immigration guy at the booth. Cars were moving slowly, I was tired after a long drive and wait was very intense.
The first encounter was with the guy in the booth. He was pretty rude and asked me simple questions like what am I doing here, what I have in the car, how long I will stay. But he just asked them very very rudely. Then he asked me to go to customs. The two ladies there were pretty bad too. They had a lot of questions about simple stuff such as clothes in my car. They went through every single item in my bag and asked me the same questions again and again. Then they said that they guy at the booth had not written the correct information on the form. They asked me at least three times if I wanted to land today. I told them YES YES and YES. I think the first guy was so pissed off that he wrote some wrong info on the first form.
Anyways they kept my car there and asked me to go in the office and do further immigration and customs. The guy at the immigration was SUPER nice, polite and patient. He did the paper work. It took about 10 min and said that I had picked a very good day to land. He did bother to look at my financial statements. In the end, he said, Welcome to Canada. It felt very very nice. Then I went to customs, the guy there was very nice too, but was new and took about 20 min to stamp and process my goods to follow list. Since he was new, he had to ask several people about small things but was pretty patient. He did not mind some small things that I had not filled out and said that it was no big deal. He too in the end said Welcome to Canada.
I went back with the forms, and got my car. I drove to pickup my cousin in Windsor who lives about 10 mins away and wanted to come to Detroit with him. My US visa had expired but used automatic revalidation rule as I had a valid I-20. The US side took a long time to check my documents and I had to wait for an hour in the line. But I understand that they were doing their job too. I was just sick of the wait because it was very hot that day. But in the end they had no problem letting me in with my I-20 and I-94 and waved me off with a smile.
My e-CAS has changed too. I am mostly stress-free and happy. I am just waiting for my PR card now. I plan to move in Dec or Jan once I graduate here. I might go there again in Aug to visit more family in Toronto. The guy at the immigration counter told me clearly that I can drive into Canada by showing my landing document if I am traveling in my own car. I cannot use a commercial vehicle.
I just wanted to share my experience with all of you. All the best to all of you !!
[05-07-2006,22:54]
[**.243.235.205]
Anonymous |
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(in reply to: Landing Experience)
Hi,
Thanks for sharing in your landing experience. I just wanted to know when you entered back into US, you mentioned the US guys checked your documents etc.What all documents did they ask for ? and did they ask you to fill in some forms ?
Please let me know.
John
[06-07-2006,13:01]
[***.48.227.164]
John |
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