Canada: Flagpoling Please Help!!

123bar56

hi,Myself and three friends are heading to toronto for the summer on the IEC Programme.However two of us wont have our visa on time and will have to "flag pole".can somebody please explain this process to me and how i go about doing it.Many thanks

InTheTrees

New to me as well but as far as I understand it you have to "activate" the visa by entering the country from another country which means that if you're already in then you have to leave and come back again.

Crazy really. I'd have thought going to the airport, going through immigration to leave, then turning around and going through immigration to enter again, would suit the legal obligations but apparently not.

You have to leave the country and then come back in again and the term "flagpoling" means getting to the nearest foreign border post so you can cross and reenter.

From Toronto that should be easy enough, the USA is just across the lake isn't it?

*I could be wrong, I only learned this term a few days ago...

123bar56

yeh that sounds about right..just another problem arises when you first arrive in Canada.Do you tell the boarder agents you are here for a holiday or do you say you are waiting on your visa to come through.again there has been many conflicting answers to this if ya get me

Fysh

At the time you enter the country, you won't have your LoI for the IEC.

This means you're entering as a visitor. Strictly speaking, Canadian immigration authorities are within their rights to demand that you show proof of intent to leave the country by or before the date at which your visitor status would expire - eg an airline ticket. How rigidly they enforce this is impossible to say, but the sensible bet is to plan for the worst.

It has been suggested in other threads that a cheap bus ticket to somewhere in the US (eg Seattle for $15 or thereabouts) will satisfy this requirement, while also giving you a way of leaving the country and then returning in order to officially present your LoI and activate your IEC status.

DaveDaRave1

Toronto to Seattle for 15 bucks sounds like a great deal!!

Seriously tho just say your a tourist traveling with friends. Once you get your visa get a bus down to the states and on the way back in activate your visa

Fysh

DaveDaRave1 wrote: »

Toronto to Seattle for 15 bucks sounds like a great deal!!

D'oh! Yeah, scratch Toronto and replace it with Vancouver for that one...there must be equivalently cheap bus routes from Toronto to $SOMEWHEREINUSA though.

DaveDaRave1

I think most people on the east coast get the bus down to Niagra Falls. It's a great excuse to see them!

orgaz

123bar56 wrote: »

hi,Myself and three friends are heading to toronto for the summer on the IEC Programme.However two of us wont have our visa on time and will have to "flag pole".can somebody please explain this process to me and how i go about doing it.Many thanks

Hey there.

You dont even have to cross into the states to activate your visa.

My BF came over on a holiday visa too, and while he was here he received his LOI and went to Niagra to activate it. (Here is what we BOTH done on different occasion's)


I received my 2nd Year visa in March and I activated my visa in Niagra. My previous one had expired so I was on a 'visitor visa'

I got the megabus down to Niagra Falls, went to 'Rainbow Bridge' (Pedestrian side) paid the 50c to cross. Went to the American side told them I was 'flagpoling' they gave me a piece of paper to hand back to the Canadian side, so I just walked back, went into the Canadian side, gave them the sheet from the US side, told them I was flagpoling, that I have a work permit to activate.

They take your letter of Introduction from the IEC, ask a few questions (didnt even ask for my insurance or proof of funds) although I had them just incase. Was told to take a seat, and within 10mins or less I was called back up to the desk, and my Visa was printed and stapled into my passport. SIMPLES.

The whole process took less than 30mins, and that was even on a Friday evening.

Any questions just drop us a line.

123bar56

Many thanks..So looks like best way is to enter as a visitor and then go to Niagra

Helix

123bar56 wrote: »

Many thanks..So looks like best way is to enter as a visitor and then go to Niagra

yup, but to be doubly sure, buy a megabus ticket from toronto to new york for as far into the future as you can (usually 6 weeks from purchase date) to show to immigration when you arrive initially

JonSnuuu

I entered Canada today on a tourist visa, while waiting on my LOI, and let me just say getting through immigration was a lot tougher than I expected.

I was asked by the border patrol officer if I ever intended working in Canada during my stay, I thought it best not to lie seeing as I read on here that the immigration people can actually see on their computers if you applied for an work visa and didn't want to be banned from entering the country for giving a false declaration. Then he launched into loads of questions about my funds, complained that most money had been lodged into my account only a week ago (I keep most of my money in my credit union and just transfered it into the bank last week for Canada), Then asked me what was to stop me from working now on a tourist visa while I was waiting seeing as I already "have intentions to work".

Then I was accused of trying to illegally immigrate into Canada because "we all know about the economic situation over in Ireland at the minute and lots of people are taking advantage of the IEC visa to illegally immigrate to Ireland" Then he asked my parent's occupations (which I found irrelevant) and also asked if they had been employed throughout the entire recession or if they experienced any unemployment.

My friend got through ok in about 5 minutes but my guy kept me around 20 minutes asking me every question under the sun before he let me through. True these kind of border security personnel could be in the minority, just be prepared!

Helix

johnt91 wrote: »

Then asked me what was to stop me from working now on a tourist visa while I was waiting seeing as I already "have intentions to work".

the answer to that one is that you can't work without a social insurance number, because nobody will hire you

JonSnuuu

Helix wrote: »

the answer to that one is that you can't work without a social insurance number, because nobody will hire you

Said that exact thing. He told me "Plenty of people work illegally, getting paid under the table, what's to stop you doing that" Basically had to keep telling him that I don't plan on breaking the law until he said he'd "give me the benifit of the doubt" and let me in.

Helix

johnt91 wrote: »

Said that exact thing. He told me "Plenty of people work illegally, getting paid under the table, what's to stop you doing that" Basically had to keep telling him that I don't plan on breaking the law until he said he'd "give me the benifit of the doubt" and let me in.

sounds like you got one with an attitude

why on earth would anyone work illegally knowing theyve got an loi coming to let them work legally, and potentially open the country up to them for a long term thing

123bar56

Thanks for all your replies.So when i enter Canada it is best to declare that I am waiting for a visa?or not say anything at all?

DaveDaRave1

Be honest, if they catch you out in a lie you'ld be in deep Sh*t

Fysh

If it were me, I'd be honest about it - because the potential repercussions if they decide that you're trying to pull a fast one of some sort can be very tedious and time-consuming to resolve.

Helix

yeah just tell them youre over on a holiday to decide which part of canada you want to use your work visa in before you settle down

jj22uk

Hi guys,

Quick question in regards to flagpoling...

My IEC visa is set to run out in a couple of weeks. I have a flight booked in the states (to LA from Buffalo), and then a flight from LA back home to the UK.

The question is... How is it looked upon if I were to overstay my working IEC visa by a few days? Is it advisable to "flagpole" between the Canadian/US border and return to Canada on a "visitors visa" (so to speak)? I have stopped working weeks ago, and am currently just wrapping things up (bank accounts, credit cards, packing etc..) before I return back home to the UK.

I should also note that I now I have a new passport, that no longer has my IEC visa attached. I've since been in and out of Canada on this new passport, and been stamped.


Can someone give me any guidance as on what action to take? Should there be any trouble when entering the US? Can US borders see when I officially entered Canada on my working visa? It is literally the difference of a couple days..

I'm a little stressed out about the whole situation.

Hope someone can help!

DaveDaRave1

you can stay for 6 months as a tourist directly after so it doesn't matter if you go over you just cant work.

doconne

orgaz wrote: »

Hey there.

You dont even have to cross into the states to activate your visa.

My BF came over on a holiday visa too, and while he was here he received his LOI and went to Niagra to activate it. (Here is what we BOTH done on different occasion's)


I received my 2nd Year visa in March and I activated my visa in Niagra. My previous one had expired so I was on a 'visitor visa'

I got the megabus down to Niagra Falls, went to 'Rainbow Bridge' (Pedestrian side) paid the 50c to cross. Went to the American side told them I was 'flagpoling' they gave me a piece of paper to hand back to the Canadian side, so I just walked back, went into the Canadian side, gave them the sheet from the US side, told them I was flagpoling, that I have a work permit to activate.

They take your letter of Introduction from the IEC, ask a few questions (didnt even ask for my insurance or proof of funds) although I had them just incase. Was told to take a seat, and within 10mins or less I was called back up to the desk, and my Visa was printed and stapled into my passport. SIMPLES.

The whole process took less than 30mins, and that was even on a Friday evening.

Any questions just drop us a line.

Hi orgaz, I realise you posted a last year but I need some advice! How did you change to visitor visa after your iec ran out? Mine runs out in 3 weeks and am still waiting to hear on my second Letter of Introduction.

Did you do this? http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/visitor.asp

Any help greatly appreciated, thanks.

COYVB

DaveDaRave1 wrote: »

you can stay for 6 months as a tourist directly after so it doesn't matter if you go over you just cant work.

You have to notify them of the fact first, or you'll be illegally in the country

OneColdHand

Sorry to hi-jack this thread, but it seems like a good place for my question.

Currently on my second IEC, and it expires on Sept 1st. Is that the day I have to get out of the country, or can I stick around for a bit longer?

If necessary, I can do a border run and come back in on a tourist visa, but I'm wondering if they will think it's a bit dodgy, and I might end up getting lots of hassle from them?

ondadole

:mad:

OneColdHand wrote: »

Sorry to hi-jack this thread, but it seems like a good place for my question.

Currently on my second IEC, and it expires on Sept 1st. Is that the day I have to get out of the country, or can I stick around for a bit longer?

If necessary, I can do a border run and come back in on a tourist visa, but I'm wondering if they will think it's a bit dodgy, and I might end up getting lots of hassle from them?

Now what you should do in my opinion, is to apply online to 'extend your stay as a visitor'. log on to www.cic.gc.ca and then click on the 'apply online' tab on the left of the screen, then click on the 'temporary residence' tab, then click on the 'eligible to apply' tab. the rest is self explanatory. It will tell you that you can extend your stay as a visitor. You will have to gather some documents such as proof of funds, digital photo, passport image and scan these documents and upload them, along with paying 75 dollars with your visa card. CIC recommend that you do all this 30 days before your current status expires but I think you can do it any time before your IEC visa expires.
If you decide and do a border run you may not get back in and end up getting deported.