Traveling right after oath without PR card within Canada

[multik]

Hi guys,

I’ve been reading this forum for a while when I was applying for PR and now for citizenship but never posted anything. Thanks to everybody contributing and moderating, you guys are doing an incredible job. For those who are curious about my timelines, the application was delivered on October 26, IP since Dec 5 and the test was on Feb 10 in Mississauga (they made me go all the way there from uptown Toronto )

Issue: I have my oath ceremony on April 6 but need to fly for work within Canada on the 9th. My PR card will be taken away and I do not have a driver’s licence or Ontario card and now it’s too late to apply. Out of all Canadian documents, i only have my Ontario health card. The government website is a bit vague about the documents “Most would be sufficient on their own, while others may need to be supplemented with a second piece of valid government-issued identification“. https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/ntnl-scrt/cntr-trrrsm/pssngr-prtct/dcmnts-en.aspx

Do you think i will be able to fly with my health card and my home country psssport? The citizenship certificate is not on the list for some reason. Thanks!!

 

[gopr]

Your home country passport (as long as it is with valid expiry date is sufficient). You can use your Ontario Health card as a proof as long as it has:
one piece of valid government-issued photo identification that shows the holder's name, date of birth and gender.

You can also take your COPR with you for just in case situation (incase questions raise about your status etc).

The BC Care card I have (not integrated with my DL) doesn't contain a photo. But I believe OHIP card has photo.

 

[btbt]

Your home country passport (as long as it is with valid expiry date is sufficient). You can use your Ontario Health card as a proof as long as it has:
one piece of valid government-issued photo identification that shows the holder's name, date of birth and gender.

You can also take your COPR with you for just in case situation (incase questions raise about your status etc).

The BC Care card I have (not integrated with my DL) doesn't contain a photo. But I believe OHIP card has photo.

The OHIP card does have a photo, but Ontario puts restrictions on its use as ID, which may or may not apply in this case (it's a bit of a mess).
(If it's a recent OHIP card it no longer shows gender, so wouldn't meet the three requirements listed on the publicsafety website)

If @multik has their home country passport that would indeed be the best document to use, as it meets all requirements. They could also just try to apply for a photo card; the cards are often delivered faster than what the Ontario website would lead you to believe (it would still be cutting it close, but two weeks delivery time is not unheard of).

(I overlooked that in their original mail they mentioned having a passport... so there's no need for any shenanigans -- that will work just fine. I'd still recommend getting a photo card, as that's a convenient way of carrying ID.)

An option -- not guaranteed to work -- is to ask the IRCC staff if they could hold on to the PR card for the duration of the trip. As it's a domestic trip that is not a major issue (it wouldn't be using it to cross the border after they've ceased to be a PR). That would mean they would likely not get their citizenship certificate until they've mailed the card to the local IRCC office. (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/canadian-citizenship/admininistration/general-file-processing/revocation-permanent-resident-cards-upon-granting.html has some information on how that would work, usually for when people forget to take their PR card to the ceremony)

 

[supadude]

You can use your passport and travel to Canada if you are from visa free country. Otherwise you will not be able to board a plane. Why don't you wait a few days and apply for a rush passport? It takes 1-2 days to process if you show your tickets.

 

[btbt]

You can use your passport and travel to Canada if you are from visa free country. Otherwise you will not be able to board a plane. Why don't you wait a few days and apply for a rush passport? It takes 1-2 days to process if you show your tickets.

If you are a citizen you are not allowed to travel to Canada using your non-Canadian passport. Even if you are from a visa-exempt country you must get a travel authorization, which will be denied to Canadian citizens.

Now, none of that matters in this case, as the question is about domestic travel, within Canada, for which their home country passport will work just fine.

 

[multik]

Thank you all.

My OHIP card does have a photo but not sure it can be used as an ID. @btbt are you talking about the Ontario card? Yes, the website says it takes 4-6 weeks to receive in the mail... Thanks for the tip, I might try that. But this is too risky. If there is any other document I can apply for, please let me know. Thanks for the the advice on the PR card. I’m just afraid it delays the process a lot and will prevent me from traveling abroad in the next couple of months.

Just a bit confused - can I use my home country passport while it does not have any Canadian visas? I do have the COPR but I'll be a citizen then, not a resident.

@supadude I am not able to postpone this trip, unfortunately, as it's work related.

 

[btbt]

Thank you all.

My OHIP card does have a photo but not sure it can be used as an ID. @btbt are you talking about the Ontario card? Yes, the website says it takes 4-6 weeks to receive in the mail... Thanks for the tip, I might try that. But this is too risky. If there is any other document I can apply for, please let me know. Thanks for the the advice on the PR card. I’m just afraid it delays the process a lot and will prevent me from traveling abroad in the next couple of months.

Just a bit confused - can I use my home country passport while it does not have any Canadian visas? I do have the COPR but I'll be a citizen then, not a resident.

@supadude I am not able to postpone this trip, unfortunately, as it's work related.

Yes, you can use the passport.
On domestic flights you don't go through CBSA checkpoints; they do not check your status.
(If you're worried someone would ask: you have your health card, so you can show that you're a resident. Take a photocopy of your citizenship certificate if you'd like to take more proof. I'd recommend leaving the original safely at home.)

And go apply for a photo card (I think the official name is "Ontario Photo Card") tomorrow. It may arrive on time, and then you don't even have to show the passport at all. (If you can, of course. No need to stress out if you can't.)

 

[multik]

@btbt thank you!! This will be my first flight within Canada and I thought they check the passenger's status like on international flights.

 

[multik]

Update for those who might need to get their Ontario Card sooner: the lady at the counter gave me the email address ceo@serviceontario.ca saying there’s a good chance they will expedite my request if I ask. Btw the call centre representative earlier said it was not possible.

So I emailed them.. and the card was courriered to me in a week. Amazing customer service.

 

[btbt]

Update for those who might need to get their Ontario Card sooner: the lady at the counter gave me the email address ceo@serviceontario.ca saying there’s a good chance they will expedite my request if I ask. Btw the call centre representative earlier said it was not possible.

So I emailed them.. and the card was courriered to me in a week. Amazing customer service.

Cool - glad that worked out.

 

[links18]

@btbt thank you!! This will be my first flight within Canada and I thought they check the passenger's status like on international flights.

This is Canada, not the United States:

thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/355146-aclu-sues-customs-homeland-security-over-id-check-on-domestic-flight