When you first land in Canada, you should proceed to the immigration processing area for new immigrants. Follow the airport signs. Be sure to have the following documents with you in your hand-carry bag :
• Philippine Passport with the Canada Immigrant Visa
• Certificate of Permanent Residency (original, in good condition)
• Customs Form (provided to you in the plane before landing)
• “Show money”: cash, bank drafts, etc.
• List of personal effects with you, and list of personal effects “to follow”
Also have your Canada address and other Canada contact information with you.
At the Immigration Area
You will only be able to bring in your hand-carry bags into the Vancouver immigration area for new immigrants. Don’t worry about your check-in bags; you will be able to safely get these even hours later after you finish your interview.
Expect a quick initial interview at the entrance counter. You will then be given a queue number. There were a number of interview counters, each with a digital number sign that signals the queue number called for interview at that counter.
Find a comfortable place to sit and wait for your turn. There are vendo machines in the area, so that having Canadian coins with you would be an advantage.
Wait for your queue number to light up, or for your number to be called.
Be prepared for a long wait. In my case, there was a very long queue, so that I completed the landing process over 3 hours after I entered the immigration area. I almost missed my connecting flight.
The Immigration Interview
When it is your turn for interview, go to the counter with your documents. If you’re with family, have all the members go to the counter just so the officer knows how many he is processing. He will likely ask all except one (the Principal) to take their seats. Present your documents when asked.
The interview time will range from 20-30 minutes, depending on the number of family members being processed.
Processing will likely go from the Customs Form to your Passport to your CPR, and then to your Settlement Funds. You will be asked questions.
Some questions asked of me were almost funny, like “do you have any other wife …”, and “do you have any other children other than those listed …” I say “almost funny” since my wife was beside me at the time. I answered no to both questions, and I do not know where the questions would have led had I answered yes to either one.
I also found it strange that the immigration officer was not interested in the list of personal effects that I brought with me, even after I offered to submit the list to him. If you have a list of personal effects “to follow” (I didn’t have this list), you should insist that your “to follow” list be processed as this affects your tax exemption privilege when these personal effects arrive at a later date.
After the interview, your passports are returned to you, together with your copy of your CPR and your customs form.
You are now a landed immigrant. Welcome to Canada.
Your Permanent Resident Card
The processing of your Permanent Resident Card automatically starts after that interview. The PR Card will be mailed to you in about 7-8 weeks, if you had provided a valid Canada address where it will be mailed, and if there are no problems encountered during card processing (e.g. problems with your picture size or quality).
Advice on Connecting Flights
Do you have a connecting flight after landing at your Port of Entry? Give yourself at least five hours between flights.
This will allow you time for immigration processing (say 3 hours in case of long queues), flight delay allowance (say 1 hour), walking some distance from plane to immigration to check in counter for your connecting flight (say 30 minutes), and still be able to check in 30 minutes before the plane leaves .
If your main flight arrives on time, and if there is a short processing queue, you will end up with a long wait for your next flight. Well, between missing my connecting flight and having a boring wait, I would choose the boring wait any day. 🙂
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Pinoys to Canada 
All wat i hav go tru here it ok by me.god bless the land of canada.
This post was very informative and concise, thank you for writing this!
what happens if i miss the flight? i only have one and a half hours in between connecting flights i do not know that it will take that long. do you have any idea? thanks!
Most important getting past the immigration process and actually being a landed immigrant.
Still, one and a half hours is too short an allowance for the interview process, possible delayed flights, and unforeseen delays. I hope your flight is not too late in the evening, so you can still catch a later same-day flight if you miss the scheduled flight. In either case, I suggest that you be ready with a Plan B, like being ready to stay the night in the city where you land and take a flight the next day.
Or, you might want to talk with your travel agent and arrange a later flight while you still have time now to do so.
Best of luck to you.
Hello there. i received my immigrant visa november of last year and i am scheduled to leave for canada on april. i have this question. during visa application, the required proof of fund for me (under the federal skilled worker class for one person) is more than 11000 dollars. do i need to show all that 11000+ dollars at the port of entry? thanks.
Yes, you do have to be ready to show the minimum required proof of funds amount at the port of entry. If during your visa application, you declared an intention to bring in an amount greater than the minimum (as I did), you still need to only be ready to show the minimum required amount. I suggest you bring some amount in cash so you have some immediate resources available, and the balance in cashier’s check (for some safety during transport, but would take some time to clear). Good luck.
Is it possible for me to get my flight with montreal as my point of entry while my employer is in toronto? my visa is under working visa and my agency advised me to get that flight without any explanation why. I am just wondering why I need to go to montreal for my point of entry while there is direct flight going to toronto and be my point of entry. anyone knows a good explanation(s) regarding this matter?many thanks!
Sorry. I’m as puzzled as you are.
just my 2 cents, maybe your travel agency will earn bigger profit if you purchase a non-direct flight, maybe there is a promo for that flight but not puclicly announced yet
Sir,could u pls give me an idea of these ” personal effects “
Personal effects would usually refer to clothes, cosmetics, personal jewelry, etc.
Just granted an Immigrant visa on aug. 2, 2013 together with my 3 dependants under the MPNP. My Q is re funds too. Do the immigration officer at the port of entry (vancouver),will request to show it or will they just ask the amount we bring? Thanks.
In my case, I was asked for the amount of settlement funds I had with me, and was then asked to show it. I had a mix of both cash and a demand draft. I first showed the cash which the immigration officer didn’t touch or bother to count. But he did examine the demand draft before returning it to me. He then recorded the amount I had just declared on my landing document.
im about to leave the country next month and i have the same problem by one of the user above. i will be arriving in vancouver at 12:15pm and will have my next flight at 1:45pm. heck not even 2 hours of time for me. what should i do.
im still having confusions since i just checked my ticket and it says that there will be no changing of planes. im now thinking that this might just be a stopover in vancouver. will vancouver still be my port of entry even if that’s the case?
I imagine your advice documents from the Embassy should have instructions. In my view (ask the Embassy to be sure), it should not matter where in Canada you first land so long as you end up in the province you were approved for. My basis? Not all provinces have international airports, not all Canadian airports have flights coming from Manila, and immigration is primarily a Federal, not a provincial issue. Try to confirm in other ways though, as I am no Canadian immigration expert, just somebody who has gone through coming here. Good luck.
You will not have enough time. I suggest you rebook your connecting flight.
Hi im fililpina from bahrain worked as nanny i apply as live in caregiver in canada i’ve already received my temporary work visa and now i will book my ticket bahrain to vancouver then toronto because my work place is in toronto but i had to pass in vancouver my question is, What country should i allow to entry without problem in entering the country because i heard that i should apply transit visa if i pass state country. Im confusing of these destination. Its my first time please can you help me to get out of this? or kindly give me clue what to do.
You say you already have a temporary work visa for Canada. You do not need a transit visa to land in Vancouver enroute to Toronto. Land in Vancouver and get a connecting flight to Toronto.
About the personal effects stuff, do we need to write everything? Like, what’s included in my hand-carry and check-in luggages?
I suggest you detail only those items that you feel would normally be assessed custom duties. Listing these down when you first land as a new immigrant allows you to bring these in duty-free. All other items would probably fall under “personal effects”.
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Hello guys.i would like to ask once youve shown the proof of funds to the immigration officer are they gonna ask you, where or how did you earned that money? Next question is demand draft
& bank draft are the same? Thanks.
No way of predicting if the immigration officer will ask you that or not (she didn’t in my case), just as there’s no way for them to check whatever it is you answer.
Apparently there is a difference between a demand draft and a bank draft. Ask Google. Or Siri. 🙂
i’m still in the process of applying for a trv, is a bank statement or a letter from the bank stating that i have enough funs for the duration of the stay enough as proof of funds ? or the ‘show money’ has to be specific?
Sorry, I’m not familiar with the support fund requirements of a temporary resident visa.
Thanks so much for this very informative blgsite! When you migrated, did you take your kids with you? Or its just you and wifey? I’m thinking what would be the setup if I’ll bring my 3yr old with us.
We all migrated, although my youngest was already 20 by that time. Of course it is best if your 3 year old migrates with you. Just be aware that children below 12 cannot be left alone in the house so that you and your husband may have to take turns working. Or one stays at home. Or you find some kind of babysitting or daycare arrangement.
Hello guys. This forum is so informative and it’s very helpful. 1 question for me though, if in case I sponsor my spouse and my spouse arrive in Vancouver port of entry, does she needs to have a show money with her to show to the immigration officer? Or is it only for the family who migrated canada that needs to have it ? Thank you guys in advance.
No, your sponsored spouse will not need to have show money. You as the sponsor will provide the financial undertaking to provide support during the sponsorship application. I know this because my daughter was recently married and is currently undergoing that process of sponsoring her husband who is still in Manila.
What if I’m accompanying them to come here in canada. Would I the sponsor need to show some money in the port of entry in Vancouver? Thanks a lot
Hmm. The sponsor would have been vetted during application and also does not need to accompany the sponsored spouse. Logically, there is no show money required of the sponsor at landing should you choose to accompany her.
Hello Sir, Your blog is very informative. Thank you talaga po. I just want to ask po tungkol sa anak niyo pag process niya for sponsoring his husband? Ang boyfriend ko po kasi ay nasa Toronto Canada at andito ako sa pinas. Nag plan po kasi kami na mag pakasal dito sa pinas pag uwi niya next year. Dito rin ba sa pinas kinasal ang anak niyo po at tsaka madali rin ba talaga ang pag sponsor pag kasal po ba? Hoping for your reply SIr. Thankyou GOD BLESS 🙂
Hi Nikka, my dad asked me to respond to you. 🙂 My family was already in Calgary when we decided to get married. We got married in the Philippines in March 2014 and submitted our spousal sponsorship application as soon as we had all the required documents in June 2014. By Jan 2015, nakaland na husband ko sa Calgary. The 7-month wait wasn’t too bad as the “published” processing time for outland spousal sponsorship then was 16 months in total. 🙂
Mas madali ba ang pagsponsor pag kasal na? In our case, yes. There were a couple of routes we considered to bring my then-fiance here but the Outland Spousal Sponsorship route seemed to be the best and “most reliable” option for us. First, because we were in a long-term relationship that was fairly well-documented (Thanks to Facebook!) and we were already engaged and planning to get married. Second, there was no pressure to meet income requirements or meet a certain number of points through education, experience, etc. We just had to prove that I was eligible to sponsor my spouse and prove that we were in a genuine husband-wife relationship.
If you’re planning to submit a spousal sponsorship application in the future, I would suggest that you start documenting your relationship – gather photos, keep logs of your emails/ messages while on LDR, keep travel itineraries, etc. to give you a headstart on the preps. I hope this helps! All the best to you and your boyfriend! 🙂
— RINA
Hello! This site really rocks! Will send the FSW pack tom via DHL. Given that there’s a new scheme of FSW application by Jan next year, abot kaya kami? How long is the turnaround time kaya? Salamat at mabuhay po kayo =)
Sorry, but I have no idea about the new scheme and turnaround times. But the best of luck to you.
Hello,I just got Permanent resident permit to live i canada with my family,What document do i need to present at port of entry,Coming from Nigeria.Thank you.
You should have gotten detailed instructions from the embassy. Might be different depending on which track you applied to. My guess is your passports, landing document, settlement funds and your listing of personal effects. But do check the embassy instructions.
Hello po. Just wanted to ask if during the interview, all your family member will be interviewed, or only the principal??
Only the principal was interviewed in our case.
Hi,
I am the principal applicant, but I have used my wife ‘s credentials to get more points in express entry system. And for the question, “Will your wife travel with you at the time of your arrival in Canada?” I answered “YES”. But the situation is different, she will be able to come to Canada only after 6 months time. Is it acceptable? Please advice, thanks in advance.
I believe that when you land, the immigration officer will have access to your declarations when you applied. I cannot guess if it’s acceptable to go against what you declared but they will likely know if you don’t. It might be better for you to postpone your own landing so you and your wife can land together. Just my view.
Hi, I will be landing to Vancouver permanently next month. I’m just concerned about proof of funds. I have CAD cash with me and just planning to show them a bank statement. Would this “bank statement” be acceptable to the immigration officer or I have to show him/her other forms of proof of funds e.g. Bank draft, manager’s check etc.
Kindly enlighten me on this. Thank you. BTW, Great forum. 🙂
Hi Yeng. You have to bring the required funds with you, either in cash and/or bank draft. I imagine a bank statement works only if the bank is in Canada and the account is in your name, which means your funds are already in Canada.
Thank you. Your blog is so informative. You even reply so fast. Big help.
God bless you. 🙂
Good luck, Yeng.
hi once again,
I would just like to ask, what are the details on the demand draft I should double check? And, if the draft has a Scotia Bank address – Toronto, and my destination is Vancouver, is there a problem with that? I hope I will not be questioned by the immigration officer with that.
I hope you can help me. Thanks.
Yeng
A bank draft in the principal’s name, amount in Canadian or US dollars should be good. Your demand draft and cash combined should be equal to or more than the minimum settlement funds required for your case.
My demand draft was issued by BPI drawn in US dollars. I just find it strange that your funds would be issued by Scotia. Are your funds already in Canada?
Hi,
Thank you for your message.
I guess I wasn’t clear enough. Mine was issued by the same bank, BPI, drawn in CAD. They informed me that they have this tie up with Nova Scotia Bank. On the draft, left portion, Scotia bank add. is printed.
Then you should be good. Yes, BPI and Scotia have a tie-up. I opened an account with Scotia and deposited the bank draft. I guess their tie-up helps in some way, altho I’m not clear how.
Relieved much. ☺ Thanks.
Threads are so helpful, I just found this BPI draft info. over the internet after my Aunt who is in Canada told me to google it 😁. This is really a good assistance.
God bless. 😇
Hi. About settlement funds when landing. I inquired with BPI about the demand draft In CAD. Since I don’t have an account with them, they suggested that I just deposit my funds to my sister’s account and my sister can request the draft with me as payee. Will this work at port of entry and when I open an account with Scotiabank? Another option is for me to open a BPI acct myself but I am pressed for time. I’ll be leaving in a month.
The bank draft is in your name. It shouldn’t matter if it passed thru your sister’s account. But to be safe, do keep a copy of your transaction docs — your withdrawal from your account and deposit into hers.
Wow, quick reply. Thank you! The branch staff at BPI told me the name of the ‘source account holder’, in this case my sister, will be indicated on the draft. That concerned me because it may be misconstrued that I am using someone else’s money. But then I researched online and saw a sample bpi bank draft that does not display the source acct or name. Would you remember if your draft displayed a source acct and/or name? I’ll probably also clarify this with BPI Ayala later in the day. Thank you for the tip on keeping my transaction docs in case I go this route. Really appreciate it.
I don’t think it was on the draft itself, but it was on the bank document used to create the draft.
The form to request a draft? Did you have to present this bank doc with the draft at any time during point of entry? Sorry about all the questions.
The bank doc that came with the draft. And no, never had occasion to use it. But I brought it with me anyway. Good luck. And welcome.
Alright. This cleared a lot of issues for me. Thanks again!
I have a PR through the PNP in Manitoba and am very soon to land in Winnipeg via Toronto where I plan to stay for a couple of days to visit some friends. Am I allowed to stay in Toronto for a few days?
Sorry. I’m not familiar with the nuances of the PNP. If I were to hazard a guess, I would say it shouldn’t be a problem. The PNP shouldn’t limit your ability to travel outside of your province. But that would be my guess.
Thank you. Will read and reread the conditions.
Hi. My husband and I will be travelling to Canada as immigrants under Manitoba PNP in a few weeks. We have our settlement funds ready. 2 bank drafts in CAD and some cash in CAD also. Now, this is my problem: we have a total of 14,000 CAD bank draft. Half of the total amount is under my name (which means I am the payee) and half is under my husband’s name. Will there be a problem at the immigration about this? Considering I am the principal applicant, should I have the whole amount under my name? Or will the amount be counted together because we are considered as a family? Thank you
In my opinion, it shouldn’t be a problem. The logic? Your husband could have chosen to bring cash instead of a draft, and have you bring it. Then all the funds would have been with you.
Thank you 🙂
Good day!
I am the principal applicant under FSW program and we just finished our med exam last week. we were told to wait 1-3 months for the visa notice.
my husband and I are planning ,God’s will, that i will land first then after 3-6 months he’ll follow with my 11 y/o daughter.
my concern, do i need to bring the total amount of the settlement fund required by cic? is it okay to just bring half of it then my husband will bring the half later?
please advise.thank you
Hmmmm. I haven’t read any rule on this but I would consider that risky. When you applied, I believe you had to show proof of funds, which to me implies that it is available for transfer when the principal applicant lands. My advice is to not risk it. Leave and land when you have the minimum required settlement funds and not before.
Good day,
I’m a Manitoba provincial nominee and I would like to clarify if the settlement funds to be presented on the port of entry in Vancouver would be base on the Manitoba requirements or base on the federal requirement.
Thank you.
Is it Calgary airport issuing work permit? Because my ticket routes are HK to Korea to Tokyo and directly to Calgary.A friend of mine told me that Vancouver and Toronto are only the port of entry of caregivers that issuing wp,but not sure.thanks!
Hi Cherry. I’m not sure either. I would think that if your ports of entry are limited to either Vancouver or Toronto, your immigration papers would have stated that very clearly. Otherwise, in my unsure opinion, any port of entry would have immigration people who should know and be able to handle your entry, Calgary included.
What to do if after 8 weeks the pr cards are not yet received?
Check online what the standard or expected processing time is. If after a week, you still haven’t received it, give them a call to inquire.
Hello. First of all I want to say thanks for having this blog. Really helps. My concern is this, next month February 2016 my family and I (family of 3) will be migrating to Cananda (Toronto) My parents are neutralized Canadians already 4 years ago. So we will be staying with them until we find a job so we can save on rent. I have CAD 10000 cash and the rest will be deposited in a bank in Toronto. The funds will come from the house that we are still selling. Can I tell the immigration officer that our remaining funds will follow as soon the house in the Philippines will be sold and show the officer the land title which is under my name?
Thanks in advance for your advise.
I assume the cash to follow is part of your required settlement funds? If so, I wouldn’t risk it. The safe thing to do is have your entire settlement funds with you, either in cash, draft or already deposited in a bank in Canada.
Good day po.
Sir I got my PR visa under PNP. I will be landing soon at the Vancouver as my POE, destination Winnipeg. Just have this concern with the proof of funds as well, I hope you could give me some positive points about it. Would you think bringing half of the minimum requirement would enough for the immigration officer to let me through in Canada? Is” affidavit of support” from my sponsor could support the missing half of minimum requirement? Any thoughts would be appreciated. TIA
Paul
Hi Paul. I think you already suspect that would be a weak and risky argument. You are supposed to show that you have proof of your settlement funds with you when you land. The promise that you can produce it at a later date, to my mind, doesn’t fulfill that requirement.
Thank you sir, got it…sir what if, lets say, have cad$6000 draft plus cad$1500 cash, would u think they will let me to through?
Sorry, but I do not know your case. What was the required minimum settlement funds required for your situation?
cad$10,000.. was this all collective by the cash, drafts, and personal effects (total amount)?
Cash and drafts in your name (which is also considered cash). Personal effects do not count as funds.
Then you do not have the minimum required amount. I recommend that you not risk it. There’s no reason to think why an immigration officer will allow anything less than the “minimum required” which has a clear and plain meaning.
Ok Sir thank you for the advice. Still have days to work it out..GB po.
I am MPNP and will land in September 2016 in Winnipeg(routing thru US, We have US visit visa holder). I bought the ticket via online someone told me that i have to land either in Vancouver or Toronto as these are the Port of entry for first time immigrants. They told me that there is no immigration who will assist us for our documents as first time immigrants. Your opinion is highly appreciated. Thanks!
Hi Rizel,
I can understand why Vancouver and Toronto would be the most common ports of entry when entering Canada. Coming from the west, its Vancouver. Coming from the east, it’s Toronto. And if you travel via PAL, it’s only either Vancouver or Toronto. But all documents I’ve seen would refer to a generic “Port of Entry”, with no specific rule pointing new immigrants to a particular port. There are many “Ports of Entry” to Canada (see link, I counted 73!), many of them via land crossings. As an official Port of Entry, each one should have qualified officers able to process new immigrants.
Besides, if your landing options only include Vancouver or Toronto, your immigration notices from the Embassy would have provided that advice clearly.
Your final assurance would be your airline — I don’t think any airline would allow you to board if you do not have the correct visa needed to land at your airport of destination. If that happens and you were not allowed to board, you still have the chance to change your tickets and destination. Worst case, you pay more, lose time and deal with the hassle.
That said, in my opinion (I’m not a lawyer) and if I were in your place, and based on the above information and arguments, I wouldn’t worry about landing in Winnipeg. But that’s just me — you would have to decide for yourself, or do more research to allay any fears you may still have.
Good luck.
Good day Sir,
Would like to ask po, kung ok lang po ba na magLAND kami then yung SHOW MONEY namin… (PROOF/SETTLEMENT FUND) bali 9,000 CAD CASH… PLUS 14,000 CAD would be in a form of BANK CERTIFICATE! Instead of BANK DRAFT eh pwd po kaya BANK CERTIFICATE na lang?
If you visit the cic website http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/funds.asp you will see that the list includes (1) cash, (2) documents that show property or capital payable to you such as stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills, etc., or (3) documents that guarantee payment of a set amount of money, which are payable to you such as bankers’ drafts, cheques, travellers’ cheques or money orders. In my opinion, a bank certificate doesn’t qualify.
Note also from the website that you’re not allowed to borrow this money, although I suspect some do. Still, don’t give the immigration officer reason to think that you did. Having the cash with you is your best proof that its yours.
And really, if you already have your money in your bank account that you intend and set aside to use as settlement funds, why wouldn’t you bring it with you? Aside from eliminating concerns about your show money at the port of entry, you will very likely NEED the entire amount AT A MINIMUM, to help you settle down. I try to advise newcomers to bring much more than the minimum required if they can.
hi! we are planning to land in canada this year, we booked ticket already. our route is cebu-osaka-vancouver-winnipeg. where might be our port of entry? will it be in vancouver or winnipeg? if in vancouver, can we get our check in luggage there? because i know that you will get your check in luggage on your final destination and in our case,it will be in winnipeg.
It depends if your Vancouver stop is a brief stop where some passengers are dropped off and you don’t change planes, like the Manila-Vancouver-Toronto flights of PAL. Toronto passengers don’t actually get off the plane at Vancouver. If there’s a plane change and you therefore need to get off, then your port of entry is Vancouver and your luggages will be unloaded for customs clearance. Be sure you have enough time between flights to undergo your landing procedure. About 5 hours should be safe.
Best to confirm with your airline if you aren’t certain about the plane change.
We will have 7hours layover in vancouver before our flight to our final destination- winnipeg. Thank you so much for your immediate response!
Hello, My concern is that my brother will be leaving for canada without his son this Saturday. On his PR document there is a dependent information which is his son. My question is, will the immigration officer ask for his son? Is he allowed to enter without him?If ask, can he just say that his son will jsut follow with the mother? What happened was his wife abandoned him and the child and went home last month and took the child to bring to canada without my brother consent and thank god it didn’t happen. My Brother wants to work in canda to support his son and we have a friend that will help since no support from the mother. You think he will have issues without his son? Will the immigration office contact his wife? Plan is, POE in vancouver and connecting flight to calgary, it is a risk we need to take.
Thank you
I’m assuming your brother is the principal. He should have no problem landing in Canada alone, ahead of his dependents or even if any of his dependents don’t ever land. However, assuming that his son is still a minor, future foreign travel by his son normally needs the consent of both parents. He will have to sort that out with his wife.
Thanks for the prompt response. Yes, i guess they need to settle it when the time comes when the child needs to follow. I will laso try and contact the agency since the connecting flight is 2 hrs and you mentioned it should be 5 hrs. TY for the help.
Hello sir, I must say your doing a great Job here.
I am to start my PGD program by september 2016, I booked my flight for June 14th which is next week tuesday. A friend just hint me about the possible problems at the port of entry which i am now really scared of , like why did i arrive so early and questions like that. Please how do i tackle such questions? Awaiting your swift response.
Thanks and God bless you.
As long as your visa and travel documents are in order, your visit / stay is legitimate and you can show you have the resources to support yourself during your stay, you should have nothing to worry about. Just answer truthfully.
Hi. Thank you for all the useful information. My family and I will be doing a short landing in Toronto next month, staying 3 weeks with relatives to check out Toronto and Vancouver, then return to Canada on a more permanent basis some time next year. Would it be safe to assume that we don’t have bring ALL our settlement funds (which would be substantial since we’ll be a family of 5) just yet since we’ll be staying for only 3 weeks? What we do plan to bring in when we land is some show money, travel funds and, more importantly, bank certifications from the Philippines showing that we have enough available funds to bring in for settlement when we return to Canada for good next year. Can we explain this to the immigration official when we arrive? Many thanks again for your help!
The expectation is that you’ll stay after you land, and that you’ll need to have your full settlement funds with you. Landing without all the funds and then saying you plan on staying only three weeks are two strikes. I don’t know if that’s enough to get you into trouble, but personally I wouldn’t risk even just one strike.
There’s nothing stopping you from leaving after just three weeks, but I wouldn’t even raise that plan to the immigration official.
Bring all the funds. That would be my advice.
Hello po! Um, may clarifications po sana ako. Ang mother ko po ang nagapply ng permanent residency namin ng father ko since nagwowork na po sya sa canada. Ngayong august po ang flight namin ng father ko to canada. Kailangan din po ba namin ng show money sa port of entry? Hindi po kasi namin kasama ang mama ko sa flight po. Thank you po. 🙂
If the principal applicant is already working or has a valid employment offer in Canada, show money is not required. But you need to be able to show verifiable proof — payslips, CRA notice of assessments, etc.
Hi pp. Will the immigration officer ask about the change of marital status?
Thanks po
Simple question with potentially complicated situations arising.
If there was a change in marital status, you should bring it up regardless if it’s asked or not. It’s usually best to be upfront, clear and honest in all your dealings with immigration.
The more critical question is, did the change in marital status happen while the visa application was in process? If so, it should have been formally declared then. If it was declared at that time, then there’s absolutely no reason not to bring it up with immigration on landing.
If not, I think it could get complicated. A material piece of info was not declared in your application, which could possibly be considered as misrepresentation. If that is the case, you should ask either an immigration lawyer or a registered immigration consultant for advice.
Hi, this is a very useful blog for newcomers to Canada. We are a family of 3(me principal applicant, my wife and my 2 yr old kid). I received PR through SINP this month.
I have concern regarding proof of funds. In my proof of funds I have shown 18K$ as term deposit in wife’s name sponsored by her family member. I am the nominee for the term deposit as well as I have a bankers certificate that term deposit can be en cashed at any point of time as well my wife has given an undertaking that I am free to use the funds as and when required.
Our initial plan was to travel together but as I do not have a job in Canada therefore I am planning to travel alone in June and find a job. My family will accompany me later after 2 months. My question is whether I can show the term deposit slip along with the bankers letter when I make a port of entry to convince the Immigration office(Also I will be carrying 6K$ in cash/forex card) ? Also when my family join me after 2 months, will my wife be asked for separate proof of funds?
Waiting for your response.
By “sponsored”, do you mean somebody lent you the money? The rules clearly say you cannot borrow money for your settlement funds.
Only the principal needs to bring and show proof of settlement funds. Non-cash funds are normally expected to be payable to you.
Hello! I will be leaving for Canada in two weeks time. I have a concern regarding the proof of funds. My classification is under the Manitoba Provincial Nominee, and am I still required to bring show money? And if yes, is it ok to bring with me a combination of bank draft and US dollars as proof of funds? And is it ok to show only the minimum required funds? thanks!
Yes to all three questions, Karen.
Hi Karen! We are Manitoba provincial nominee also,under family sponsorship. They didn’t asked for any settlement fund when we arrived here. We are a family of 3 and we only brought less than 5k CAD. Maybe because we are under family sponsorship.
That was my concern also before going here in canada. God Bless! Have a safe trip!
For clarity, those who land under sponsorship programs (spousal, family) do not need to show settlement funds since the sponsor would have signed a financial undertaking. Those coming in with a confirmed job offer also do not need to show settlement funds. Otherwise, the migrant needs to show the minimum required funds upon landing.
Hi Sir! Your blog is very informative and we appreciate the effort you put into this. I found it so wonderful I was sad of the fact that I no longer have a pet to share this journey with like your daughter Rina did with Alpha.
My husband and I got our ITA and just submitted all of the necessary documents. While praying for the best outcome, we are also preparing on the side in case we are granted a PR status. We opened a joint account with an international bank so we can have access to our funds and can easily transfer it to a local branch there. Would a bank certificate from this bank (since it has branches all over the world) suffice for proof of funds on our port of entry? Thanks in advance!
Hi Angeli. I don’t have personal experience on your question, but I found this link. http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/proof-of-funds-requirements-explained-t45043.0.html
My question to you is, why wouldn’t you just bring the settlement funds with you when you land? You will very likely need it, plus you avoid transfer fees, plus it’s the no-questions-asked way at the port of entry.
This is all such good information….much appreciated. I did not read every answer, you probably answered this before. I have my Confirmation of PR and my visa is IM-1. I want to fly Manila to Calgary….one 4 hour stop in Tokyo. Can Calgary be my POE or do I need to schedule a flight that stops in Vancouver first. It seems most of us are assuming Vancouver is a mandatory POE. Please advise…Thanks
Hi Richard. If you’re flying in, the first international airport where you land in Canada is your port of entry. Any international airport in Canada should have the facilities and personnel to process your papers. Understandably though, Vancouver is probably the most common port of entry for Filipinos crossing the Pacific.
Hi Richard,
My husband will be flying the similar route on the next couple of weeks (Manila-Tokyo-Calgary-Winnipeg). I would just like to know if you had any problems flying on this route? Because a lot of people have also told us that new immigrants could only use Vancouver / Toronto as point of entry to Canada. But really i don’t see any problems getting a connecting flight on other international airports in Canada. Otherwise, they would have indicated it on the first place on the COPR right?
Hoping for your response. Thanks!
Hi me and my daughter(5 yrs old) will be traveling to Canada on spousal visa,..If I may ask what are the common questions at the port of entry?
Sorry, aside from what I’ve shared on the post on my experience (which wasn’t based on a spousal visa), I have no further information.
Hi
I am under mpnp is it ok if ill have 7 days layover to toronto to visit a friend and tour around the city before i go to manitoba?0
I doubt if you’ll find a policy or statement that specifically says it’s ok. But here’s what I think. Once you land, you have all the rights of a permanent resident. Unless you were specifically told you couldn’t, staying a few days in Toronto shouldn’t be an issue with immigration.
Are there any additional travel documents needed for minor traveling with legal guardian? Thank you 😊
Hello
My name is Marina meron po ako multiple tourist Visa at naka book na po ako sa November 23 for Vancouver bale mag to tourist lang po ako ng 1 week po nakapab book na din po ako ng airBnB kung saan po ako manunuluyan. Gusto ko lang po itanong kung ano po ang mga kailangan documents na kailang ipakita sa immigration yung mga tanong po bago ka makapag exit 1st time ko lang po kasi na mmmakakapunta dito at nabasa ko din po sa mga tanong sa inyo na kailangan may show money pa po gusto ko din po sana malaman kung magkano po ba dapat ang minimum amount na kailangan ko i show money credit card lang po kasi ang aking back up salamat po.
Hi ! Our family is leaving for Canada Feb. next year…, with one of our kids with a disability. Our 18 years old son that has Autism Disorder. I have read that every member of the family will be interviewed. I’m just a bit worry, what if my kids won’t be able to answer the question and what if his answer won’t satisfy the immigration, officer? Is it possible, to be denied after being granted PR and we are already in Vancouver??
Hi Julynn. In my opinion, if his condition was declared in your application and you were granted PR, then it’s not a disqualification. Also, I feel Canadians are quite sympathetic and understanding of people with disabilities. That said, there’s nothing much you can do but hope for the best upon landing. Worrying, while understandable, does not help. Good luck.
hello kababayan thank u for this post! is it okay if me and my husbang land first to canada-manitoba?then my son will follow after 6months ir at least negore his immigrant visa expires,my parents will just accompany him (parents will use tourist visa).this way we
can prepare and settle first before his arrival.i want evrythng
in order when he landed.will this be ok?do they allow this?thanks so much!
As long as the principal applicant lands first, dependents can follow later. That’s what I did. My wife and I landed first. Then one daughter and one son landed two weeks later. Another son after another 6 weeks. And finally, one daughter after another two months.
sir thank u so much po!ask ko din po,since my son will be accompanied by my parents w/tourist visa,will
my parents have to be interviewed
by immigration officer on behalf
of my son?(son is only 7yrs old:husband is principal
applicant mpnp) that way i can prepare my parents in case and have them bring documents. thank u once again sir.ang laking tulong po. 🙂
Since your son is a minor, your parents will most certainly be interviewed. I imagine your son might also be asked some basic questions, nothing major, maybe like his name and how he is related to your parents. I’m guessing. Aside from your son’s landing documents, make sure your parents have documents to show who they are relative to the principal applicant and to your son. Pictures of you and your family, with your parents might also help.
thank you so much sir!!god bless po
Hello Sir,
Again, thank you so much for your blog- its my to go site for CANADA prepping. I will be landing with my husband (principal applicant) in 2 days time- May 3.My son is to follow on August. I have all his stuff pack with me. My question is 1. Do we need to fill separate forms each for family member or we can just fill one form for the family? 2. Do I need to declare the stuff my son will be bringing on August in case my parents will buy him stuff to bring (which I don’t know yet at this point)- I could just guess that this will be clothing and toys too. 3. Do you include your medicine (vitamins,common meds for cough and colds and antibiotic w/prescription) on the personal effects form?4. My son has medical surveillance form, should I sign it now, or let my father(his guardian) isgn it on the day he lands? Thank you so much kabayan! Hope our landing will be smooth like yours.
I suggest you complete the family form, broken down “with you” and “to follow at a later date”. Your son can have an additional list with him when he lands. No harm signing the medical surveillance form, since your father can sign it again if the immigration officer asks him to.
Relax. People in Canada, from the airport to your destination, are going to be much nicer and reasonable. When in doubt with other additional concerns for this trip, just be honest and do what you believe is what a reasonable person would expect or do.
Good luck, and welcome to Canada.