My self and my wife got our Confirmation of Permanent Residence,CoPR. My wife is currently pregnant and we live in US. The baby is due in two months and the PR visa date is valid till August 2019 (we gave our medical in August 2018). We are planning to soft land in Vancouver for 2 days, confirm our PR and return to US using AVR ( my wife’s visa is expired but she has a valid i797). We plan to immigrate to Canada after a year.
I would be grateful if someone could answer the following questions
Should I inform CIC about the baby’s arrival?
I have read that CoPR date in the PR visa foil cannot be extended under any circumstances. Is it true? (I need to be prepared just in case, as I need to apply for Passport for the newborn to travel to Canada after the child is born and it may take time).
Should I ask IRCC more time to get PR stamped (as the time between the baby’s birth and the PR visa foil expiration date would be very close).
Should I get a travel visa for the baby to enter into Canada? (or any other visa as the baby would be US citizen)
How to add the baby as a PR dependent? Should I do it before entering Canada? Or can I do it after re-entering to US and before moving to Canada permanently.
Good information in this thread. My queries are for people who have already moved.
When doing the landing by road (Vancouver), we need to have an official form (B4?) filled out beforehand along with the goods accompanying list, yes? If not, can someone please paste the appropriate link to correct forms.
The good accompanying list needs to mention the CAD$ value, yes?
If so, is there a limit on the value of your personal belongings that can be brought into Canada? (like it is with cash of <10k)?
Do we need the approximate value or the current market value of the item(s)?
Do we need to list jewelry as well? If so, any experience in how to get the valuation of the same?
Hi,
Couple of key points (I am not a lawyer, so get legal advice):
You don’t have to disclose till baby is born. You can land before the baby is born. However you will need to do 6-8 months long paperwork for the baby’s PR once you are living in Canada as PR.
After the baby is born, you are required to disclose it to CIC. You might have noticed your CoPR has a list of your dependents and asks if there is one who is not listed in the application. If you don’t disclose at this point, there is no way you would be able to sponsor your child in future and it might also jeopardize you PR status in future.
If you disclose to CIC, before baby landing (in this case disclose as soon as possible) - they will cancel your current CoPR. Once the baby is born, you have to get the baby’s medical done. Looks like this would be too close to your medical expiry date, so likely you all will need to do medical again. Then you will all get new CoPRs. If anyone of existing applicants or newborn is found to have any serious medical issue - it will cancel the PR application for everyone.
Unless you are going to land by road, it might not be possible for your wife to take a flight at this stage of pregnancy.
Options:
Unless your are concerned/want to hedge against any health issue: Simplest action is notify CIC now, get new CoPRs and land. There are elections in November, try to do landing before that.
You and your wife can land now. You can worry about adding the baby later on. You will need to do more paperwork later on, when you are ready to move. Baby would still need to pass medicals then, before he/she is granted PR.
Move to Canada now and have baby there. Canadian Citizens don’t have to be added to PR application. However the baby will miss having US Citizenship.
US Citizens do not need a visa for Canada. In fact US Canada have a special treaty, where their respective citizens do not need and cannot get a Visa stamp for each other. A Canadian Citizen on H1, can enter US just on copy of I-797. They don’t need a H1 visa stamp.
My wife is on bedrest till her delivery ( advised by her doctors ). It is not possible for her to travel before the delivery. So we cannot travel before the baby is born. As per the due date, the baby will be born before 1st week of July. The PR visa date is valid till August 28,2019.
Initially we thought of going to Canada and get our PR stamped before the delivery but now things have changed. Our only option is to deliver the baby in US and then go to Vancouver (nearest port of entry) and get PR confirmation.
Can we get an extension of the CoPR date in the PR visa citing medical reason? (we can provide hospital medical records).
If the extension is granted, then can myself and wife get our CoPR stamped and then add the baby as my dependent later?
As soon as you notify CIC about the pregnancy or child birth, they will cancel your current CoPR. At that point of time, there would be no way to land without going through these steps: child birth, medicals, new CoPRs valid 1 year from the new medical. Sometimes they give the new CoPR beyond current medical validity without needing new medicals or ask you whether you can land before Aug 28. This is unlikely in your case, because your wife would have just had a childbirth.
Given that your wife can’t travel right now, if you are the primary applicant - technically you can land right now. Consult an Immigration lawyer, if you are planning to go down this path - so that you understand the consequences of this for your, your wife’s and baby’s PR. In this case, there is a possibility that you will need to do the process both for your wife and baby as dependents. As I said, get legal opinion if you are doing down this path.
To answer your questions:
You will get an extension, most likely with request for new medicals.
After child birth - there is no way to land without doing baby’s medical and getting new CoPR for everyone.
Thanks for your prompt reply. I got a good understanding of what to expect. I will consult an Immigration lawyer before proceeding further. Once again thanks for your time!
Do we need to carry additional photos for PR card/SIN number ?We are planning to do a soft landing shortly.
Also, do we need to carry rest of the documents (originals) that we submitted in PR application?
About the proof of funds , should we get new statements from the bank as the ones we submitted with the PR application are more than 6 months old now?
I received my COPR and visa stamped passport today. They have attached one of the photos I sent to them to the COPR and the second photo was sent back in the package. There is no photo on the visa. I am not sure what it means. Do I need to take any additional photos or will they take the photo on the COPR which we will give it to them .
Yet to finish landing. Same happened with us too. One photo is attached to COPR and the second one is returned. I know from the forum that we should not take photos for landing. Can others who have already completed landing confirm if the second photo is generally returned or is this an exception?
You have to inform CIC about change in circumstances and that includes having a kid. Do that as soon as you can after birth. I don’t know which is better, to travel before (I.e. now) or after birth, if flying now is even allowed. Maybe someone else in the community has been through similar experience and can elaborate
They will extend it under genuine circumstances, however it’s not guaranteed.
Yes
US citizens generally don’t need visa if staying for less than 90 days. But I know one other person who’s kid was a US citizen when they were moving to Canada (was born after landing), and CBSA asked them more questions about how the kid was gonna stay in Canada when visa expires. Talk to a lawyer.
If CIC grants your extension request, they will also ask you to add the baby to the PR. However for that you need to get the baby’s paperwork (passport, birth certificate) done quickly. This can be done before you land, assuming CiC grants extension.
I wouldn’t even hesitate to contact an immigration lawyer for your case as you want to be sure given the circumstances
Im not talking about landing …im asking about stamp on passport or copr…if they are living in different countries and submitted their passports at different visa offices
It might, I guess. My husband and I are living in different countries. Mine was stamped first since I had sent in earlier than my husband. But I think secondary applicant’s passport could be stamped earlier than primary applicant’s. It should depend on when the passports reach the CIC centre or the High Commission.
Oky…one thing more…my husband didn’t attach annex A when he courier his passport and pics …our application is approved yesterday …moreover he email annex A to cic …in that sanerio his passport would be delivered on his address or he might face difficulties…
I am sorry Maria. I cannot say about that. But if he was asked to email his annex A, then it should not be a problem. My husband was told to fill out the form and send the hard copy with the passport, photographs and return envelope. You could call the CIC and find out, maybe.
I applied for Canadian PR and recently received my CoPR. I would like to move to Canada after a couple of years but the CoPR deadline is Aug 2019. So I’ll need to do a soft landing in Canada and come back to the US in a few days. My situation is complicated by the fact that I’m changing jobs in the USA. At the moment, I’m in the USA on H1B and in the process of moving to a different company and my H1B visa is in the process of getting transferred.
My question pertains to the timing of my landing in Canada - when should I do a soft landing in Canada - should I do it after my H1B visa gets transferred to the new employer or before it is transferred. If I land in Canada after I move to a different employer, will I need to inform Canadian authorities that I changed employers in the US? My worry is that they will ask why I moved to a different employer in the USA when I intend to immigrate to Canada. I would like to move after a couple of years. Another point I’d like to mention is that I have very little time (small window of about 2 days) to do a soft landing before my H1B visa is transferred as the visa transfer process is at an advanced stage.
Here are my questions:
Should I do a soft landing before my visa is transfered to the new employer in USA or after it is transferred.
If I land after my H1B visa is transferred, will the CBPA know that I changed employers?
Am I obligated to inform them that I changed employers?
Is it ok to tell them that I intend to move after a year or so and not immediately?
I don’t know too much about H1, however, CBSA doesn’t really care that much about your current employment changes. They care more about changes such as birth of a child after receiving CoPR, marriage/separation, criminal charges etc.
They probably won’t even ask you about your current employment.
CBP will definitely care about your H1, it’s validity etc. while you’re entering the US.