Arrival Day Essentials
Monday, November 8, 2010
Time come that you already have your visa and on your way to canada. Here is some excerpt email to me by a client on what happened to him upon landing in canada. I hope this could ease some tension from you.
"On board, one is handed a landing card. As a prospective settler, fill in the card as if one is a tourist. There are separate categories for Canadians and tourists but none for new settlers.
At the immigration desk, submit the landing card together with passport and landing form IMM 5292 'Confirmation of Permanent Residence'.
Collect all your luggage first and proceed to the immigration office beside the luggage area. There are two sections - one for returning residents and one marked 'new arrivals'. Go to the latter.
One must leave all luggage outside the door to the office. Take all your valuables and documents with you.
Queue at the first counter to get your queue number and have your landing card checked. Bring additional copies of passport photos for each member of the family as sometimes the photos on the form are considered 'unacceptable' for any number of reasons. In the absence of your own photos, they do have an area where they can take additional passport photos for you in the office.
Wait for your number to be called. At the processing desk, submit your IMM 5292, passport and inventory of belongings B4(E) and B4 (A). One is just a continuation of the other so if you have more than one page, use the continuation form. Alternatively, use a spreadsheet print it out and attach a header B4 filled and signed.
It would be easier to batch them to a) luggage that you have with you on the flight b) any items you are shipping as unaccompanied luggage c) the rest which are being shipped by sea and which will arrive much later. Also submit form E667 which documents any money you bring into Canada either in cash, bank cheques etc. (Telegraphic Transfers appear not to be in this category).
Budget a good hour for this step especially if there happens to be a lot of new arrivals on that day. You will receive a copy of the IMM5292 stamped and processed clipped to your passport, This serves as your legal document in Canada pending the arrival of your PR card which will be posted to you in 4-6 weeks.
If you have unaccompanied luggage it may have to be picked up and declared at customs as a separate procedure. Get details from your shipping agent/airline where and how to do this. For Australians, I can recommend Jetta Express. It is half the price of excess luggage. Be prepared to pay for storage if your luggage arrives more than 2 days prior to your arrival."
