Soft Landing via Road

Moving Here
1

Hello All,

I am currently on H1B visa and planning to do a soft landing this month via Road ( Windsor City in Ontario, Canada)

I have a couple of questions:

(1) Can I complete the PR process within 3-4 hours and then return back to the USA on the same day?
(2) List of the documents I need to carry with me?
(3) Can I travel during weekend as well?

Thanks in advance !!

Regards,
Aditya

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2

  1. Yes you can turn right back to the US after confirming PR. For re-entry to Canada in future you will need to apply for PR travel document (takes a week) or wait for someone to mail you the PR card from the address you give during landing (can take 2-3 months).

  2. Someone with H1-B experience should answer this*.

  3. As far as I know, the border is open 24 hours so there should be some CBSA officer to address your landing procedure. (e.g. https://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Congestion/border/Info.htm) Most likely you will travel during daytime so that should be OK. Google for the congestion hours at your favorite border crossing to avoid delays.

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For 2, I’ve required passport (with valid visa stamped) and I-797 in the past but you probably also want to keep I-129 (if applicable), job offer letter and a few recent paystubs just in case. Good luck!

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In addition, if you can include the reference letter from your current company/boss that you got for EE, then you should carry that as well in case CBP asks for description of duties :stuck_out_tongue:

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5

@avj Do I need to apply for Social Insurance Number before returning back to US ?

Also, do you think the entire process will be completed on the same day ? If not, I need to plan accordingly.

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Any recent experiences ?

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You don’t have to apply for anything before returning to US. Although it’s recommended to do so so you can open a bank account, or will have SIn number ready as soon as you land a job. Yes your landing procedure should take no more than half hour.

8

Hello,
I would really appreciate if anyone could answer the below questions for me:
Background info:
I am on H1B visa, working in the USA. I have traveled to Canada (several cities) on visitor visa in the last few years and the validity of my Canada tourist visa is until 2026. I am currently waiting for PPR (Sep 13 APR). I am planning to do a soft landing after I get my CoPR and give my friend’s address to receive PR card.

Questions:

  1. When they issue CoPR & PR visa foil, will they cancel my current Canadian tourist visa?
  2. If NO, Can I travel on my tourist visa back to Canada to collect my PR card from my friend ( instead of having him send it via post to me)?
  3. If YES, I guess there is no other option than having it mail to me.

Thank you in advance.

9

Checking again, if anyone can help me with the above question.
Thanks!

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Once u get ur PR, then from then onwards you will be a resident officially. And according to Anshu’s info in another thread, you can apply for PR travel document to travel to Canada till you get your PR cards… I don’t have much info on that document…

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  1. Not sure. In the US when your visa status changes they usually cancel other valid visas (“Canceled without prejudice”). Check https://twitter.com/citimmcanada/status/960620990026932224?lang=en
    This might mean the tourist visa isnt canceled till you finish landing.

  2. If landing is successful tourist visa will be canceled so no you can’t. You will have to apply for PRTD to go to Canada or wait for PR card to be mailed to you by friend. PRTD only takes one week,

  3. In any case, the best option is to have it mailed it to you.

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Thank you very much for your response @avj. Very much appreciated.

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Hi Folks,

I am planning to do Soft-Landing via Detroit-Windsor by road. Can anyone please share recent experiences from October/November 2018 who did Detroit-Windsor “Soft” Landing ?

In this following blog from canadavisa.com, satish1947 has mentioned that he tried to do “Soft” landing at Windsor, and he was not allowed to apply for PR Card.

I would like to move to Canada and continue working at my current job in Detroit, but I need to plan/apply for Nexus card and it will take time, so I can not move immediately, hence I plan to only do only “Soft” landing in Nov/Dec 2018. I have some family in Toronto and I would give their address to mail my PR card.

  1. Is Soft landing allowed only in Airports? and not at border crossing cities like Windsor ?
  2. If I want to do landing at Windsor either through Bridge or Tunnel, should I “not” mention that I am only doing soft landing ? i.e. I should “not” mention that I would return back to USA on same day or the next day ?
  3. Is landing process and PR Card application process allowed on a Saturday at Windsor bridge/tunnel ?
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Soft landing = landing without moving there permanently right away!

  1. So it doesn’t matter whether you do it by airport or by road; you still have to go through the same formalities.
  2. Why would you want to mention this? Also, CBSA officers know already that most people land and then go back immediately and return at a later point in time. There’s nothing illegal or wrong about that even if you divulge this. Something as simple as “I will return soon once I have wrapped up my affairs in the US” is good enough if asked. Just answer only what is asked, the same way you would do for CBP.
  3. Not sure about the PR card application process. Most land crossings have their hours of operations on the CBSA website, google it. Also land crossings/CBSA should be operational 24 hours.

If you have trouble applying for PR card during landing just do it later from within Canada. For the time being apply for PRTD.

For Nexus card application you need to have a PR card in hand.

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15

Hello All,

I’m software engineer from India holding B1 Visa. I ve traveled twice to the US in th year 2017 for 85 days and 2018 for 21 days. Now I am planning to go US this week for about 4 months. During my 3rd month of stay in the US, I need to do a soft landing via Road and return on the same day. (Windsor city, Ontario)
I have a couple of questions regarding this:

  1. Keeping in mind that I’m a B1 Visa holder, will there be any immigration issues when I re-enter USA after completing PR process as I already would have stayed in the US for 3 months there? ( I would have completed 2-3 months in my present stay in the USA)
  2. Is it easy to clear immigration for re-entry to USA via Road than air?
  3. Is it necessary to carry birth certificates and educational documents along for completing PR process?
  4. Do I need to carry any document along while re-entering?
  5. I have not received PPR (Passport request) email yet. Once I receive, I’m planning to change my VFS from India (I applied for PR from India) to Chicago (my present address).
    Will changing the VFS cause any issues or delay?

Thanks in advance!

Regards,
Andy

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  1. Check this: https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/is-there-any-required-interval-or-gap-between-two--2007009.html
    There’s a high probability you won’t have a problem returning since there’s no rule according to the link above. However, being on a tourist visa, the CBP officer could in theory raise objection that you left the US and are returning too soon as they have wide discretion when it comes to this. Anecdotal evidence suggests that people who stay for 6 months then leave for a month and come back usually receive more questioning at the border. If you’re here on “business meetings” you might receive more.

  2. Immigration standards should be same in theory. Again, it depends on the individual officer.

  3. Carry everything you submitted online for the PR application (especially proof of funds). I don’t think birth certificate is required but it’s your choice if you want to carry it.

  4. Just your US entry documents (passport, visa, any relevant letters etc).

  5. Not sure. Others might be able to answer.

If your PPR has not yet arrived, are you sure you will be in US when you do get your PR visa and CoPR? If not, I’d highly recommend flying back to India to finish the PPR request, do the landing from India-Canada-India to avoid possible complications during US re-entry. Remember that your Canadian PR has nothing to do with US re-entry, just the fact that you’ve already lived here for a few months and are returning again soon.

Maybe others can add their own experience.

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17

Hi All,

I have a situation. What if only Primary applicant can travel and my spouse cant travel due to medical reasons (pregnancy)?
Will it cancel my Spouse PR application ?
Should I have to apply for my wife and kid separately?

regards,
Venkata

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@aditya.bhardwaja
@avj

can you please help us with goods to follow and goods accompany forms?
we are going through road to do soft landing and will stay there only for 2-3days…

We forgot about preparing this earlier so can you share yours as sample to save time or if you have another sample to check then it will be very helpful…
thank you

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Thank you for the answers AVJ

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@reddy

Hello,

Were you able to apply for PR card during the soft landing with your friend’s address.
Thanks!