Traveling abroad while holding only a PGWP?

[ila8394]

Hi all,

Last year a good friend of mine came to Canada as a student, and a few months ago she got her PGWP (Post Graduate Work Permit). She is from Indonesia (which is a NON visa exempt country.)

Her dad (in Indonesia) is currently sick, and she's contemplating to go to Indonesia to give him a visit.

Her PGWP says "This does not authorize re-entry". My questions are:

1. Does that mean that in order to be able to return to Canada, she would need to apply for a tourist visa?

2. Being from a non visa exempt country, do you think it would be difficult for her to get a tourist visa?

3. In her tourist visa application, should she just be to the point and mention that her reason for wanting to travel to Canada is to go back to work, since she is holding a PGWP?

4. Should she apply for the tourist visa online (through the CIC portal) while still being here in Canada? Or should she do that once she's back in Indonesia?

Thanks!

 

[Madagascar1]

Hi, if she is not from a visa exempt country, then
1. yes she would need a TRV to re-enter Canada.
2. if she already has a PGWP, renewing her TRV should be no problem.
The only way you can enter Canada with only a work permit (I believe) is if you ONLY travel to the US and back via land (not air) or something like that.
3. Determine her eligibility online, it will tell you all the steps and documents to provide. But like I said, it shouldn't be difficult. The documents they require if you already have a PGWP are the main
application form that you need to validate, family info, passport, and a copy of the work permit.
4. She should apply for a new TRV online (the processing time is less than 2 weeks).

 

[ila8394]

Hi, if she is not from a visa exempt country, then
1. yes she would need a TRV to re-enter Canada.
2. if she already has a PGWP, renewing her TRV should be no problem.
The only way you can enter Canada with only a work permit (I believe) is if you ONLY travel to the US and back via land (not air) or something like that.
3. Determine her eligibility online, it will tell you all the steps and documents to provide. But like I said, it shouldn't be difficult. The documents they require if you already have a PGWP are the main
application form that you need to validate, family info, passport, and a copy of the work permit.
4. She should apply for a new TRV online (the processing time is less than 2 weeks).

Hi,

Thanks so much for the insights!

As you're aware, when applying for a TRV, an invitation letter (from someone living in Canada) is required. But given that she has a PGWP, is an invitation really required? I mean, having a PGWP obviously means she's coming back to Canada with the intention to continue working....so just wondering whether it's really necessary for her to get an invitation letter from someone living in Canada? (i.e.: Hi, I'm XYZ's friend, I'm inviting her to Canada for....etc...)

Or is it better to get her employer to write the invitation letter, stating that she's going back to Canada to continue working, and that she will leave Canada when the PGWP ends, etc...?

Any thoughts?

 

[jenkinson]

Hi,

Thanks so much for the insights!

As you're aware, when applying for a TRV, an invitation letter (from someone living in Canada) is required. But given that she has a PGWP, is an invitation really required? I mean, having a PGWP obviously means she's coming back to Canada with the intention to continue working....so just wondering whether it's really necessary for her to get an invitation letter from someone living in Canada? (i.e.: Hi, I'm XYZ's friend, I'm inviting her to Canada for....etc...)

Or is it better to get her employer to write the invitation letter, stating that she's going back to Canada to continue working, and that she will leave Canada when the PGWP ends, etc...?

Any thoughts?

No invitation letter should be needed. She already has an immigration status in Canada (i.e. Open Work Permit Holder), she just needs a visa for re-entry.

I also got a PGWP after I graduated a couple of years ago. Once I received my permit, I applied for a TRV since I'm also from a visa-required country. They only asked for Passport Scan, Digital Photo, Work Permit Scan and Travel Itinerary. No work letter, invitation letter whatsoever. And they approved it super quickly (couple of days!)

I suggest, use the Come To Canada tool to find out which documents will be required for your friend.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp

Also, another important note: She needs to carry her work permit with her to be able to return to Canada. Border Officers will ask to see it along with the visa.

Good luck.

 

[ila8394]

No invitation letter should be needed. She already has an immigration status in Canada (i.e. Open Work Permit Holder), she just needs a visa for re-entry.

I also got a PGWP after I graduated a couple of years ago. Once I received my permit, I applied for a TRV since I'm also from a visa-required country. They only asked for Passport Scan, Digital Photo, Work Permit Scan and Travel Itinerary. No work letter, invitation letter whatsoever. And they approved it super quickly (couple of days!)

I suggest, use the Come To Canada tool to find out which documents will be required for your friend.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/ctc-vac/getting-started.asp

Also, another important note: She needs to carry her work permit with her to be able to return to Canada. Border Officers will ask to see it along with the visa.

Good luck.

Hi Jenkinson, thanks so much for the very informative reply. It is very helpful!

My follow up questions are:

1. She began applying for her TRV online. The CIC online questionnaire has a question that asks "What do you want to do in Canada?" Should she answer "Work"? Or "Visit"?

(It's confusing because technically she's returning to Canada to resume work, but it's actually a visitor visa that she's applying for. Any thoughts?)


2. Because she's confused about the above, she did try changing her answer to the above question to "Work", and she saw these questions instead:

https://s26.postimg.org/t455u5xft/Eligibility.png

She knows that the answer to all of those points is "no". But she's not sure about the 2nd point that says "I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry"

In particular, what does the "not issued at a port entry" mean? Does it mean:

a. She applied for her original study permit before entering Canada, got it approved, but rejected at a port of entry?

OR

b. She applied for her original study permit before entering Canada, got it approved and issued in Indonesia (which, technically is not the port of entry).


Just to give you some background information:

- She applied for her original study permit sometime in late 2015 from Indonesia (i.e.: the study permit was issued by the Canadian embassy in Indonesia)
- She entered Canada (as a student) in January 2016 without a problem at all.
- She finally got her PGWP (in Canada) sometime in April 2017.

and now that her dad is sick, she wishes to give him a visit, which is why she's applying for the TRV, because she intends to return to Canada to resume her work.


Apologies if this message is very long winded and confusing!! To summarize, essentially the main questions are:

a. "What do you want to do in Canada": should she say Work or Visit?

b. Assuming she should say "Work", should she say "Yes"? or "No"? to the questions in the screenshot above, given the background information I shared above?

Thanks!!

 

[jenkinson]

Hi Jenkinson, thanks so much for the very informative reply. It is very helpful!

She began applying for her TRV online. The CIC online questionnaire has a question that asks "What do you want to do in Canada?" Should she answer "Work"? Or "Visit"?

(It's confusing because technically she's returning to Canada to resume work, but it's actually a visitor visa that she's applying for. Any thoughts?)

Happy to be able to help. She should answer "Work" because her status in Canada is/will be "Worker". That's what I did anyway

 

[ila8394]

Happy to be able to help. She should answer "Work" because her status in Canada is/will be "Worker". That's what I did anyway

Thanks a lot!! Actually I added a lot more information to my last message above. But I'll repeat it again here:

now that we know that she should answer "Work", what should she say to the questions indicated in the screenshot above? (I shared you her background story in my last post above).

Cheers!

 

[jenkinson]

Hi Jenkinson, thanks so much for the very informative reply. It is very helpful!

My follow up questions are:

1. She began applying for her TRV online. The CIC online questionnaire has a question that asks "What do you want to do in Canada?" Should she answer "Work"? Or "Visit"?

(It's confusing because technically she's returning to Canada to resume work, but it's actually a visitor visa that she's applying for. Any thoughts?)


2. Because she's confused about the above, she did try changing her answer to the above question to "Work", and she saw these questions instead:

https://s26.postimg.org/t455u5xft/Eligibility.png

She knows that the answer to all of those points is "no". But she's not sure about the 2nd point that says "I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry"

In particular, what does the "not issued at a port entry" mean? Does it mean:

a. She applied for her original study permit before entering Canada, got it approved, but rejected at a port of entry?

OR

b. She applied for her original study permit before entering Canada, got it approved and issued in Indonesia (which, technically is not the port of entry).


Just to give you some background information:

- She applied for her original study permit sometime in late 2015 from Indonesia (i.e.: the study permit was issued by the Canadian embassy in Indonesia)
- She entered Canada (as a student) in January 2016 without a problem at all.
- She finally got her PGWP (in Canada) sometime in April 2017.

and now that her dad is sick, she wishes to give him a visit, which is why she's applying for the TRV, because she intends to return to Canada to resume her work.


Apologies if this message is very long winded and confusing!! To summarize, essentially the main questions are:

a. "What do you want to do in Canada": should she say Work or Visit?

b. Assuming she should say "Work", should she say "Yes"? or "No"? to the questions in the screenshot above, given the background information I shared above?

Thanks!!

Hey, sorry just seen your updated msg.

1) Your friend already has the PGWP and her current status is Worker so she needs to choose "Work".

2) "I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry" This statement refers to people who got approved for study/work permit but not provided one for any reason at the time of entry. Your friend already has a (valid) work permit so don't worry about it. It's not applicable to her. Unless any other item in that question matches her case she should simply say "No".

---
P.S: I just tested it on the Come To Canada tool myself. When I said "yes" to that question, it opened the option to apply for a work permit in addition to the temporary resident visa, which supports my deduction that its for people who are eligible for a work permit, yet don't hold a valid one. So, just say "no"

 

[ila8394]

Hey, sorry just seen your updated msg.

1) Your friend already has the PGWP and her current status is Worker so she needs to choose "Work".

2) "I applied for a study or work permit before entering Canada which was approved, but not issued at a port of entry" This statement refers to people who got approved for study/work permit but not provided one for any reason at the time of entry. Your friend already has a (valid) work permit so don't worry about it. It's not applicable to her. Unless any other item in that question matches her case she should simply say "No".

Thanks!! She did exactly as you suggested above, and she saw this:

https://postimg.org/image/s527lgbbp/

See the description of the first document? How come it says "Application for Visitor Visa Made Outside of Canada"?

(When answering the questionnaire regarding her current residency, she did make sure to pick "Ontario" as her current residency.)

 

[jenkinson]

I don't know why the title is like that but I vaguely remember (though it's been years) I wondered the same thing at the time of my application. At the end, I filled the form called IMM5257E which is the same form in your screenshot. Maybe they don't have a dedicated form for visa application inside Canada, who knows.

 

[ila8394]

Makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.

Another question is (and this is just out of pure curiosity).

Earlier you said:

"This statement refers to people who got approved for study/work permit but not provided one for any reason at the time of entry. "

How would that scenario ever happen though? I thought foreigners whose study/work permit gets approved, always get it "provided" (i.e.: the visa getting glued to the passport) while still in their home country? I don't think the gluing/sticking of the visa on the passport ever takes place at the time of entry in Canada?

 

[jenkinson]

Makes sense! Thanks for clarifying.

Another question is (and this is just out of pure curiosity).

Earlier you said:

"This statement refers to people who got approved for study/work permit but not provided one for any reason at the time of entry. "

How would that scenario ever happen though? I thought foreigners whose study/work permit gets approved, always get it "provided" (i.e.: the visa getting glued to the passport) while still in their home country? I don't think the gluing/sticking of the visa on the passport ever takes place at the time of entry in Canada?

Travel visa + letter of introduction are issued by the consulates before the trip. The actual work/study/residence permit is issued inside Canada at the port of entry, (at least in my case). It's still at the discretion of the immigration officer at the border, whether to issue the permit or not. Or maybe it simply referred to the case before arriving in Canada (hence you have the visa + letter and you are approved but not yet got the permit issued at the port of entry.)

Don't take me as an expert please, I was just trying to help based on my past experience.

 

[ila8394]

Travel visa + letter of introduction are issued by the consulates before the trip. The actual work/study/residence permit is issued inside Canada at the port of entry, (at least in my case). It's still at the discretion of the immigration officer at the border, whether to issue the permit or not. Or maybe it simply referred to the case before arriving in Canada (hence you have the visa + letter and you are approved but not yet got the permit issued at the port of entry.)

Don't take me as an expert please, I was just trying to help based on my past experience.

Oh okay, makes sense!

By the way, when you applied for your TRV online (from Canada), did you have to mail your passport to the CIC so that they could glue the TRV on your passport? Or did they mail you a loose/standalone TRV?

 

[jenkinson]

Oh okay, makes sense!

By the way, when you applied for your TRV online (from Canada), did you have to mail your passport to the CIC so that they could glue the TRV on your passport? Or did they mail you a loose/standalone TRV?

I did have to send the original passport.
.

 

[ila8394]

I did have to send the original passport.
.

So between the day you submitted your application online till you got your passport back (with the new TRV glued on it), how many days was it, approximately?

(And did you have to send your original passport to Ottawa? Or...?)