Entry at land border without passport

[jwswart]

It's quite a common situation that folks find themselves in during PR or Citizenship that when their status changes there is a period of time during which they can't board planes, trains etc back to Canada because they have not yet received their PR card or Canadian passports. This is because the airlines cannot confirm the traveler's status in Canada and are liable for fines if they transport someone that is not allowed to enter Canada.

I just want to confirm that I've called the CBSA and it's completely legitimate in this sort of situation to present yourself at a land crossing and identify yourself by another means, for example a regular provincial drivers license (even a credit card!). The crossing may take a little longer because border officers will need to verify your information but there is nothing wrong with entering Canada in this way.

The key thing is that you cannot fly back so you would need to first travel to the USA, somewhere like Seattle or New York and drive across the border.

You can read more about this and the various ways in which you can identify yourself here:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html#s1-3

Just posting this here because I searched the forum and wasn't really able to find conclusive information from someone that had spoken to CBSA.

 

[Varunaimar]

It's quite a common situation that folks find themselves in during PR or Citizenship that when their status changes there is a period of time during which they can't board planes, trains etc back to Canada because they have not yet received their PR card or Canadian passports. This is because the airlines cannot confirm the traveler's status in Canada and are liable for fines if they transport someone that is not allowed to enter Canada.

I just want to confirm that I've called the CBSA and it's completely legitimate in this sort of situation to present yourself at a land crossing and identify yourself by another means, for example a regular provincial drivers license (even a credit card!). The crossing may take a little longer because border officers will need to verify your information but there is nothing wrong with entering Canada in this way.

The key thing is that you cannot fly back so you would need to first travel to the USA, somewhere like Seattle or New York and drive across the border.

You can read more about this and the various ways in which you can identify yourself here:

https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html#s1-3

Just posting this here because I searched the forum and wasn't really able to find conclusive information from someone that had spoken to CBSA.

Thanks.

We knew we could cross the land border at US using our COPR papers. What about when you have just taken oath and have cut your PR card?

 

[armoured]

Thanks.

We knew we could cross the land border at US using our COPR papers. What about when you have just taken oath and have cut your PR card?

Same. Just show a copy of your PR card (assuming you kept one) and if you have anythign at all from the citizenship process. Something with your UCI will be able to let them look it up. Identify yourself as a new ctizen who hasn't got the certificate nor passport yet.

 

[jwswart]

Thanks.

We knew we could cross the land border at US using our COPR papers. What about when you have just taken oath and have cut your PR card?

This is the situation I will be in in the next few weeks and I've confirmed with CBSA that I can show my BC drivers license for them to confirm my identity and status (citizen) in Canada.

 

[Varunaimar]

Same. Just show a copy of your PR card (assuming you kept one) and if you have anythign at all from the citizenship process. Something with your UCI will be able to let them look it up. Identify yourself as a new ctizen who hasn't got the certificate nor passport yet.

Okay, we'd still have our COPR papers with us so I guess we can show those? We dont get any receipt of completing the oath ceremony, so the officer will have to search based on our UCIs. This is interesting - I haven't seen/ heard about a precedent in this scenario so i'm a little skeptical, but i would love to drive across the border and refuel my car the moment i give my oath .

 

[jwswart]

The point is you don't need to do any of the above (show old PR cards, COPR papers etc), just use something from the list in the link I shared - provincial drivers license being most obvious.

 

[armoured]

Okay, we'd still have our COPR papers with us so I guess we can show those? We dont get any receipt of completing the oath ceremony, so the officer will have to search based on our UCIs. This is interesting - I haven't seen/ heard about a precedent in this scenario so i'm a little skeptical, but i would love to drive across the border and refuel my car the moment i give my oath .

You must have something with your UCI.

 

[armoured]

This is the situation I will be in in the next few weeks and I've confirmed with CBSA that I can show my BC drivers license for them to confirm my identity and status (citizen) in Canada.

While a drivers' license should work, I'd still strongly recommend that anyone doing this travel with something from IRCC with their UCI number. The UCI is unique.

Otherwise using other docs (which again - should work) you are reliant on them getting a match in their systems from name dob etc. It should work - but it's computers and databases, so 'should' is not as strong an affirmative as most would like.

And note: if you have something with UCI, you will still need photo identification - eg drivers' license or foreign passport or whatever.

 

[jwswart]

While a drivers' license should work, I'd still strongly recommend that anyone doing this travel with something from IRCC with their UCI number. The UCI is unique.

Otherwise using other docs (which again - should work) you are reliant on them getting a match in their systems from name dob etc. It should work - but it's computers and databases, so 'should' is not as strong an affirmative as most would like.

And note: if you have something with UCI, you will still need photo identification - eg drivers' license or foreign passport or whatever.

That's a fair point - good idea to travel with as much as possible to identify yourself, ultimately it's the border official that's taking what you give them to determine that you are indeed a citizen and should be allowed to enter.

I guess it's just that I couldn't find this conclusively stated anywhere on the forum (perhaps I didn't search well enough) so I verified with CBSA.

 

[armoured]

That's a fair point - good idea to travel with as much as possible to identify yourself, ultimately it's the border official that's taking what you give them to determine that you are indeed a citizen and should be allowed to enter.

I guess it's just that I couldn't find this conclusively stated anywhere on the forum (perhaps I didn't search well enough) so I verified with CBSA.

You're right that, conclusively, if you satisfy the the border officer that you are a PR or citizen, they MUST let you in. And usually any 'conclusive' photo id should be enough to both identify you and find you in the system. (Especially so if canadian id like a driver's license because in addition gives them comfort that you reside in Canada).

But having somethign from IRCC with the UCI on it - something that clearly identified that you were once a PR - both makes it certain that they will identify 'you' and not have doubt it's someone else, and also not have any basis to doubt that 'you' are a PR or citizen.