A couple who received PR through Express Entry each did a soft landing from the USA in April 2022 (historical timeline; the mechanics remain broadly applicable) by driving a rental car through the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel, activating PR at the Canadian border, then returning to Detroit the same day.
- Logistics. Rent a car near Detroit Airport (Enterprise, National, Alamo and others are a 5–10 minute drive away) and cross via the Detroit–Windsor Tunnel. Spouses on the same application can land on different dates individually.
- At the Canadian border. Expect basic, formality-level questions: why are you here, will you be moving permanently, how long will you stay. Multiple members who crossed at Detroit–Windsor and Rainbow Bridge reported the same light questioning, whether in rental or personal cars.
- Same-day return to the USA. The couple took a U-turn at Windsor and re-entered the USA the same day (they used Automatic Visa Revalidation for their US status — check your own US visa situation carefully before relying on this).
- The PR card address problem — and the fix. If you soft-land without a Canadian address, your PR card application can stall. What worked: raise an IRCC webform stating your address has changed to a Canadian address and asking for the PR card to be delivered there. One member received the card about two months after the webform. Also link your PR card application to your online IRCC account so you can track it.
Practical takeaway: a US-based soft landing by rental car is routine — the border step is easy; the real work is the PR card delivery address, which a webform with a Canadian address resolves.