Landing Experience at Niagara/Rainbow Bridge. (Indian Citizen with H1B)

Finally landed on 3rd Week of Jan through Niagara Falls/Rainbow Bridge. I took a rental car from Buffalo and drove all the way to Niagara Falls. The day seemed perfect to land since there was not a soul seen anywhere on US side of Niagara Falls, partly because it was weekday in a very COLD & Snowy January and out of season, unlike if you go in summer time, there is long queue of cars on rainbow bridge. But here I was the only one crossing the bridge.

Ok, I reached Niagara Falls at 12.30PM and drove around the falls twice asking myself should I go across rainbow bridge and do the landing! Only a couple of lanes on rainbow bridge were open. Also i saw the US Immigration Office on the left side, so decided to stop by to see if I needed any exit stamp from them. The US Immigration officers were very cool and i was surprised by their nice behaviour. I kept insisting on asking them an EXIT Stamp and they kept explaining to me that i do not need any exit stamp. The way they were telling me all this in such a cool way that I thought they are fooling me. But they finally convinced me to go ahead and cross the borders without the US Exit Stamp and that i can come back on valid I94 before 30 days using the automatic revalidation rule. So with all the best wishes from US Immigration i decided to go ahead and pay toll (US $2.50/CD $3.50) and cross the bridge. I could not explain my feelings driving on the bridge till i reached the Canadian side.

On the Canadian Side, same thing only a couple of lanes open, I stopped at one lane. The officer at that post was i guess sleeping because when i stopped my car and rolled down the window, The person on the post seemed to be sleeping after a good lunch and not expecting that anyone would be crossing at this time of the year.

So he a bit rudely asked me the following questions.

1. where do you think you are going?. Still rubbing his eyes and trying to make sure that he can keep his eyes open!
Anyways, I told him that I am doing my landing and that we are Indian Citizen.

2. Is this your car?
No, this is a rental.

He gave me a Yellow slip and wrote a couple of things on it and asked me to past and park on the left side and go see the canadian immigration inside.

The moment I parked the car, another officer came out of the bulding and asked me to show me the Yellow slip. After reading something from the slip, he asked all of us to step inside with Passports and all the document and go see the officers inside to complete the landing.

Canadian Immigration :

I was asked to show the Passports and COPR. he asked me questions like, how many days i will be staying? and when I will be moving back? I was asked to go and sit till called.

After 15/20 minutes I was called to show proof of funds and provide an address in Canada and Phone Number and the officer again asked me to go and sit as he again started working.

Another 15/20 mins he called me and asked me sign the COPR for myself and kids and then asked my wife to sign the same.

Then he took another 10 mins to finish attaching all the paperwork in all our passports and started to explain me that PR cards will be mailed to the Address in 6-8 weeks and that I should apply for SIN asap. He asked to go over to the Customs and finish the Goods to Follow process.

At the Customs, the whole process took 30 minutes, I had prepared two copies of Goods to Follow (b4a-04b) with serial numbers/make/model of most of the goods and Goods that i am taking (b4-04e) list, So all they had to do was to sign all the copies and explain me how i can bring goods to follow.

Good experience with Canadian Officers, nice, polite and respect you.

Next day, Went to Human Resources Office and applied for the SIN card. It helps if you download and fill forms, saves lots of time. Applying SIN was only a half hour job. The officer told me that it is talking 3 weeks to get the SIN cards since they come from another state (New Brunswick).

Next day, Opened a bank account. Actually did lot of research to decide what bank product is right for me.

Came back to Niagara Falls over to US Immigration for entry into US:

1. What is your citizenship.
2. Passports Please, Your I94 are expired.
3. Gave him new I94 and Notice of Action, He looked and verified and Nodded me to go ahead.

By the way, it was -25 Centigrade in toronto and very cold.

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4z4z

Great narration, man. Very detailed and very informative.

Where in the U.S. did you move from?

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Are you there?

x

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4z4z

Good job...

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Shreenivas