Travel during PR card wait time

[Michael Schumacher]

Hello Folks... I hope you all are doing fine and get your PR soon if waiting on it...

I did the PR landing process a few days ago (August 5th 2017 to be exact). It was a very short interview for 1 minute at 1.15 am at Toronto airport. I did this process on my way back from U.S... now I need to know whether i can travel to United states (in flight) and enter Canada while i am waiting for PR card... I am scheduled to go to U.S again in September 1st week for installations (I am an Electrician)... and i don't think i'll get my PR card within Sept 1st week.... I still have my multiple entry Work visa in my passport, its not been striked out with a pen in my passport and i have my COPR document as well... Can anyone advice me on this... I appreciate your time....

I thought 1000 times to myself that i should ask this question to immigration officer who does the PR landing process, but forgot...

And could anyone also tell me, how long is it taking these days to get PR card after border landing process...

 

[systix]

1. If travelling by air to enter Canada from the US, you will need to have PR landing Visa (which is voided after you land first time) or a PR Travel Document (aka PRTD), which is NOT your CoPR neither your landing record or you need your pr card.

2. People have reported (I myself have not gone through this) that when entering Canada via private vehicle (owned, leased or rented Vehicle) you can enter Canada from a land border from the US with just the CoPR and landing record.

3. For PR cards, no personal experience since I am waiting for my copr, but people nowadays are reporting that it is taking 2-2.5 months to get pr cards.

 

[spyfy]

1. If travelling by air you will need to have PR landing Visa (which is voided after you land first time) or a PR Travel Document (aka PRTD), which is NOT your CoPR neither your landing record.

2. People have reported (I myself have not gone through this) that when entering Canada via private vehicle (owned, leased or rented Vehicle) you can enter Canada from a land border from the US with just the CoPR and landing record.

3. For PR cards, no personal experience since I am waiting for my copr, but people nowadays are reporting that it is taking 2-2.5 months to get pr cards.

Regarding land border: This is in fact official policy. When entering Canada in a private vehicle (taxis are allowed, too), CoPR plus passport is enough. Things could get tricky if your CoPR is years old but if the landing just happened a few months ago, there shouldn't be a problem at all. They can confirm PR status within minutes on their computer.

Since the OP lives in Toronto (or at least I assume based on him/her mentioning YYZ for their landing), I would highly recommend to simply book the return flight NOT to Toronto but to Buffalo instead. You can then, for example, use a rental car to cross the border. Or take a taxi across the border and then take a Bus from Niagara Falls.

For current processing times of the first PR card, see the CIC website.