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Will I be able to travel back to Canada?

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
53,092
12,816
I have a similar kind of situation but I want to know what I am thinking of doing is actually right or not.
So, I got my eCOPR on 16 Jan, 2024 and now, I am waiting for my PR card which I don't know when I will get it.
I have to travel to India and I have a flight from Chicago to India and vice-versa. So, give and take, I have approximately one more month to wait for my PR card. I have already booked the tickets, took the vacation from work and I have no other option.
I have my USA visa and I am travelling by road from my city in Canada to Chicago to take my flight. So, on the way they will only check my USA visa and will let me go and then, I will board my flight to India from Chicago using my Indian passport. Now questions:
1.) When I will come back from India to Chicago, what will they check? If they will just check the USA visa, then I will not have to show my PR card which in reality I dont actually have. Apart from USA visa stamp will they check or ask something else?
2.) If I manage to travel back to Chicago just on the basis of my USA visa, then when I will land in United States, the only thing I have to do is to travel back to Canada in a non-commercial vehicle. So, my friend will come in car to USA to pick me up and then, when we will reach the Canadian border, I will show them my eCopr, my passport, plus I also have TRV stamp on my passport which I would imagine is already null and void and my driver's license.

This is what I am planning to do if I did not receive my PR card before 23rd March. Any comments or suggestions are highly appreciated!
No issue
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,784
8,006
For real? I still have some questions regarding coming back to USA and then to Canada. I am not sure if you can answer those. Thanks for your reply btw.
If you mean what USA will ask about / whether what you have is sufficient - hard to say.

But it seems to me just telling the truth is likely to work. You have a valid visa from USA. You travelled from Canada. They'll see a visitor's visa in your passport that's not physically cancelled (if I understand correctly). And you have the ecopr thing. Tell them you're staying in Canada, recently became a PR, here's the doc, you're crossing by land.

As usual with these type of authorities: answer their questions, truthfully, dn't volunteer detail until it's needed to answer their question.

I would NOT get into this with airline people. You have US visa, you're travelling from USA to Canada - eventually. People travel lots of different ways and buy tickets at last minute. I think the main thing they will care about is whether they get the 'clear to board' from US authorities.
 

arsh.singh18

Newbie
Aug 24, 2022
9
1
If you mean what USA will ask about / whether what you have is sufficient - hard to say.

But it seems to me just telling the truth is likely to work. You have a valid visa from USA. You travelled from Canada. They'll see a visitor's visa in your passport that's not physically cancelled (if I understand correctly). And you have the ecopr thing. Tell them you're staying in Canada, recently became a PR, here's the doc, you're crossing by land.

I would NOT get into this with airline people. You have US visa, you're travelling from USA to Canada - eventually. People travel lots of different ways and buy tickets at last minute. I think the main thing they will care about is whether they get the 'clear to board' from US authorities.
Hmm.. I am mainly concerned about what will be checked and asked when I will board the flight from Delhi, India to Chicago, USA. I have my B1/B2 US Visa that is valid till 2033 on my passport. I am pretty sure they will ask me why is the purpose of visit and all that. I am thinking of saying that I am going to Canada from USA by land. Not sure if the officials will ask me to show the status document of Canada that I only have my eCOPR and the TRV stamp of Canada that usually becomes no longer valid after you become PR.
If they are only going to check my US visa in India, then I am assuming that I should be fine!
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,784
8,006
Hmm.. I am mainly concerned about what will be checked and asked when I will board the flight from Delhi, India to Chicago, USA. I have my B1/B2 US Visa that is valid till 2033 on my passport. I am pretty sure they will ask me why is the purpose of visit and all that. I am thinking of saying that I am going to Canada from USA by land. Not sure if the officials will ask me to show the status document of Canada that I only have my eCOPR and the TRV stamp of Canada that usually becomes no longer valid after you become PR.
If they are only going to check my US visa in India, then I am assuming that I should be fine!
You are going to USA to do [something.] After that you will travel to Canada. Don't get into this with the people in India, it's not really their business. Their business is whether you will be admitted to USA.

My point is it's possible on landing in USA at passport control they will ask. Tell them the truth, you're heading on after USA to Canada.
 

arsh.singh18

Newbie
Aug 24, 2022
9
1
You are going to USA to do [something.] After that you will travel to Canada. Don't get into this with the people in India, it's not really their business. Their business is whether you will be admitted to USA.

My point is it's possible on landing in USA at passport control they will ask. Tell them the truth, you're heading on after USA to Canada.
Well.. I hope everything works well and as expected! Thanks for you message though!
 

Ponga

VIP Member
Oct 22, 2013
10,154
1,337
Job Offer........
Pre-Assessed..
Thanks, wanted to emphasize again - slightly different situation between speaking to airline people and US border/passport people, just be aware of that.
Exactly! The airline people transport a person from one airport to another airport [somewhere]; The border officer is the `bouncer' that decides if you get to enter `the club'. LOL!
 

arsh.singh18

Newbie
Aug 24, 2022
9
1
Exactly! The airline people transport a person from one airport to another airport [somewhere]; The border officer is the `bouncer' that decides if you get to enter `the club'. LOL!
Ok I get it, so it is totally on the officials! I am gonna tell them the truth..! I should be OK haha! Going to India through USA was mainly because of 2 reasons; I got a pretty cheap flight and I dont have my PR car yet to come to Canada directly! So, fingers crossed hoping everything should be fine.. Lol!
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,784
8,006
Ok I get it, so it is totally on the officials! I am gonna tell them the truth..! I should be OK haha! Going to India through USA was mainly because of 2 reasons; I got a pretty cheap flight and I dont have my PR car yet to come to Canada directly! So, fingers crossed hoping everything should be fine.. Lol!
I truthfully don't know how USA authorities are, and it may depend on what visa you have. But I don't think in general they care much whether you are passing through, even if 'visit' is very short, as long as you'll leave, and as long as that's not outright inconsistent with/violating terms fo your visa.

But I know nothing about them or their visas. Simple approach though: answer briefly, truthfully, don't volunteer irrelevant info. If you're going to chicago for a beef sandwich and then leaving the next day, what's relevant is you're visiting chicago for a day, from whence you leave to Canada. You figure out how to tell them the purpose of the visit; I'd guess they don't much care if it's 'transit' but I don't know if that has specific meaning in US immigration stuff.

Again, I don't know what types of visas they have though.
 

arsh.singh18

Newbie
Aug 24, 2022
9
1
I truthfully don't know how USA authorities are, and it may depend on what visa you have. But I don't think in general they care much whether you are passing through, even if 'visit' is very short, as long as you'll leave, and as long as that's not outright inconsistent with/violating terms fo your visa.

But I know nothing about them or their visas. Simple approach though: answer briefly, truthfully, don't volunteer irrelevant info. If you're going to chicago for a beef sandwich and then leaving the next day, what's relevant is you're visiting chicago for a day, from whence you leave to Canada. You figure out how to tell them the purpose of the visit; I'd guess they don't much care if it's 'transit' but I don't know if that has specific meaning in US immigration stuff.

Again, I don't know what types of visas they have though.
Hmm.. Anyways, again thanks for the information. I am only concerned about coming back to USA from India, that's it.. if they are only going to ask me about my USA visa and the purpose of going to USA.. then I should be fine!! I will land here and then can travel to Canada by land! Let's see, I am still in hopes of receiving the PR card before my travel! LOL
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
15,784
8,006
Hmm.. Anyways, again thanks for the information. I am only concerned about coming back to USA from India, that's it.. if they are only going to ask me about my USA visa and the purpose of going to USA.. then I should be fine!! I will land here and then can travel to Canada by land! Let's see, I am still in hopes of receiving the PR card before my travel! LOL
I repeat: I don't know much about the USA side of things. I know if you get to Canadian border with the docs / situation you say you have, you should have no problem being admitted to Canada.