Buffalo – Niagara International Airport (BUF) has rental car facilities and you can rent a car from there to drive to Ontario. Most people who come to visit Niagara Falls on the canadian side do this.
Usually flights to Buffalo-Niagara International airport is a lot cheaper than flying into Toronto Pearson International airport and hence tourists do rent cars in Buffalo.
Whenever you rent a car from Buffalo and drive into Ontario please check if the rental car company allows you to drive out side of U.S and also check if there is any surcharge if you do it. Check also with your car insurance provider if they cover your rental car if you drive it to Canada. If you use American Express/Visa credit card for your LDW, call your credit card company to verify if they cover the rental car when you drive into Canada.
Rental car is usually cheaper in Buffalo and taxes are lower. So if your intention is to visit Canada for a shorter period of time, renting in Buffalo may be a better option.
As a new immigrant, often you may not have a car to drive around. It is better to rent a car until you buy one. Payless provides decent rental car for a good price. Enterprise Rent a car also provides good cars but the prices are higher. Enterprise provides a 50% off during the weekends.
You may need a driver’s license and proof of insurance to rent a car. If you are moving from the U.S, it is a lot easier to rent a car in Canada. Most rental car companies in GTA will allow you to take your car to other provinces or even crossing the border to U.S. There may be an additional surcharge to it. So please check with your rental car company before you rent the car.
Gas is available in litres ( not Gallons as in the U.S).
Children are required to be seated on a Child Seat. You may rent at the rental car location if they have one or buy it from any store such as Walmart or Zellers.
Yes. You do need your birth certificate. But if you do not have it, there are other documents that CIC will accept as a valid proof of birth. Information for Indian citizens if they dont have a birth certificate is provided here.
IELTS is the only recognized test methodology accepted by CIC (Citizenship and Immigration Canada ).
The best way to provide proof of language skills is to take a language proficiency test given by an organization that is approved by Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). If you do so, you will be able to see exactly how many points you will receive for the language factor according to your test results.
You can choose not to take IELTS exam but if a visa officer determines that your english skills are not sufficient, you may get lesser points or you may be asked to take an IELTS exam to make your application feasible.
IELTS has two options for the reading and writing tests: General Training and Academic. You must take the General Training option.
Federal skilled worker applications received on or after February 27, 2008 are now assessed for eligibility according to a set of instructions issued by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism.
- you have an offer of arranged employment, OR
- you are a foreign national who has been living legally in Canada for one year as a temporary foreign worker or an international student, OR
- you are a skilled worker who has at least one year of experience in one or more of the occupations listed here.
0111: Financial Managers
0213: Computer and Information Systems Managers
0311: Managers in Health Care
0631: Restaurant and Food Service Managers
0632: Accommodation Service Managers
0711: Construction Managers
1111: Financial Auditors and Accountants
2113: Geologists, Geochemists and Geophysicists
2143: Mining Engineers
2144: Geological Engineers
2145: Petroleum Engineers
3111: Specialist Physicians
3112: General Practitioners and Family Physicians
3141: Audiologists and Speech Language Pathologists
3143: Occupational Therapists
3142: Physiotherapists
3151: Head Nurses and Supervisors
3152: Registered Nurses
3215: Medical Radiation Technologists
3233: Licensed Practical Nurses
4121: University Professors
4131: College and Other Vocational Instructors
6241: Chefs
6242: Cooks
7213: Contractors and Supervisors, Pipefitting Trades
7215: Contractors and Supervisors, Carpentry Trades
7217: Contractors and Supervisors, Heavy Construction Equipment Crews
7241: Electricians (Except Industrial and Power System)
7242: Industrial Electricians
7251: Plumbers
7252: Steamfitters, Pipe fitters and Sprinkler System Installers
7265: Welders and Related Machine Operators
7312: Heavy-Duty Equipment Mechanics
7371: Crane Operators
7372: Drillers and Blasters
A very interesting website for finding parking spots and how much they charge in Greater Toronto Area (GTA)
http://www.stopfinder.com/
Hope the website is useful to you.
CIC requires that you show evidence of funds (see table below) when you do your landing procedure. You will also have to show your bank statements or other financial document when you apply for your immigration petition.
Remember, you will need this kind of money for supporting yourself for the first six months or so until you get a job that will support you further. Canadian Government does not support new immigrants.
| Number of Family Members |
Funds Required (in Canadian dollars) |
| 1 |
$10,833 |
| 2 |
$13,486 |
| 3 |
$16,580 |
| 4 |
$20,130 |
| 5 |
$22,831 |
| 6 |
$25,749 |
| 7 or more |
$28,668 |
Disclosure of funds
If you are carrying more than C$10,000, tell a Canadian official when you arrive in Canada. If you do not tell an official, you may be fined or put in prison. These funds could be in the form of:
- cash
- securities in bearer form (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures, treasury bills) or
- negotiable instruments in bearer form (for example, bankers
P.S: The following post is a personal experience of one of our fellow immigrants. Please do not take this as an advice but rather note key points that can help you in your landing experience.
I was living in Canada and had applied from Buffalo for Permanent Residency. I was a student and was already in Canada over an year.
Although I did not have a US visa, I went to Niagara Falls, Canada and took the pedestrian walkway on the Rainbow Bridge located there. The bridge is meant to take you to the US borders. I just kept walking on the bridge, deposited the 25 cents toll and continued. After almost 15 minutes of walking, I reached the US border. I informed the US border officials that that I was actually trying to do Landing in Canada. They asked if I have an US visa and I replied that I don’t have one.
They asked for further identification and gave me a paper called Entry Denial. I took the paper and walked back. Once I reached the Canadian border, I told them that I am here for landing and gave them the “Entry Denial” paper.
It took me like 20-25 minutes to finish my Landing and Customs. I hear that depending upon the crowd at the border, it may take somewhere between 20 minutes to over an hour. I was issued a Confirmation of Permanent Residence and Customs clearance letter. The same day, I came back and applied for my SIN number at Service Canada, went to the OHIP office and applied for my health card.
You can cross from U.S to Canada through three bridges from Buffalo.
1. Peace Bridge
2. Rainbow Bridge
3.Lewiston-Queenston Bridge
If you are importing a car into Canada from the U.S, you can do so only through the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge.
Peace Bridge is usually the fastest of all and is open 24 hours.
Rainbow bridge gives you a spectacular view of the Niagara falls.
All the three bridges have toll booths and prices range from $1 USD to $4 USD to cross them. So have some change in your pocket.