Re-entering Canada without PR Card, only CoPR and passport - by plane

[leazy]

I’m sorry for jumping this thread, but it seems to be one of the few fairly active ones with some very knowledgeable posters. Does anyone happen to know if it would be sufficient to show a copy of the PR card? I recently lost my wallet containing my PR card and have upcoming travels.

 

[scylla]

I’m sorry for jumping this thread, but it seems to be one of the few fairly active ones with some very knowledgeable posters. Does anyone happen to know if it would be sufficient to show a copy of the PR card? I recently lost my wallet containing my PR card and have upcoming travels.

No - it's not sufficient unfortunately. To board a plane to Canada, you need either a valid PR card or a PR Travel Document. Alternatively you can fly to the US and re-enter Canada by land.

 

[zardoz]

I’m sorry for jumping this thread, but it seems to be one of the few fairly active ones with some very knowledgeable posters. Does anyone happen to know if it would be sufficient to show a copy of the PR card? I recently lost my wallet containing my PR card and have upcoming travels.

That's much the same as asking if they would accept a copy of your passport...

 

[spyfy]

I'm already a PR with no PR card yet, just the CoPR. I landed last mid November, being previously on a one year working holiday visa, after crossing the border by car. So what you assume is correct, I am already a PR.
Working holiday visas have an eta associated to them, and since this happened to long ago, there is a chance it is still active, although when typing the ETA number to check the status no results are thrown, which is not reassuring. And I am well aware that I should not account on this.

The fact that you can't check your eTA online is a preeeety strong indicator that it's deactivated, I would say.

May I please check if there is any coincidence between the PR card number and the UCI number or any other number present in the CoPR. I guess they are different, but if I take the risk I can always ask them to type in my UCI to see if the screen turns to green (which I anticipate will probably not happen)

The PR card number (printed on the back of the PR card) is a completely arbitrary number that has nothing to do with the UCI. Or at least I can't see any connection between them. My PR card number starts with the first two letters of my last name, I don't know if that is a coincidence or not.
Generally, even you would know your PR card number, it wouldn't be enough. That is just as good as a copy of a PR card, which isn't enough (see one of the last posts above).

May I also check, based on your experience, if you have always experience what happened to you in London when having a transfer flight in Europe? Or that particular time it was due to the Zurich employee lazyness, being your PR card asked in the rest of the ocassions in the initial airport and not when boarding the plane to Canada?

No, my Zurich-London-Canada flight was the only time ever where just briefly flashing my PR card without any details being entered was enough at the FIRST airport and the true boarding check didn't happen until the connection. For all other flights of the kind Europe-Europe-Canada, they inspected and entered my PR card details at the original point of departure.
I think the agent in Zurich basically was lazy and didn't want to do the work and thought "meh, I'll let London deal with it, I want to get lunch".

I'm unsure of the Lufthansa's manager experience on flights to Canada as you point out, however he referred to issues with previous passengers not being able to board as they were only carrying the passport and not any other document. He looked at my CoPR document and went through it, identified the document number and referred to that being sufficient. But as said, I won't take this for granted. Will go again to the airport tomorrow, and try my best to get someone to scan my passport and see what it says, in case it already says "board" or alternatively "no board" and they can try typing the numbers I have somehow in the system.

Does that Lufthansa manager know the difference between an unused CoPR (before first landing) and a used CoPR (stamped with a landing date on it). The former is enough to board a flight, the latter is NOT.
Regarding your plans: I doubt that you can let someone scan your passport in a generic sense, but don't let me stop you

Again thanks a lot for your help and time.
Will use that boarding tool you just sent to see if it gives me any useful boarding info

I really think you should simply consider rebooking your flight to land in the US and to travel to Canada via the land boarder. Sure, that adds some hours to your trip, but at least you don't have to go crazy over these things.

 

[zardoz]

PR card number, in my case, started with two letters that don't even appear in my name.

 

[Klotar]

Asking for a friend...

Travelling from Canada to USA as a PR of Canada and US Citizen. The PR card expired and I sent it in with all of the proper documentation however with Canada Post it seems likely I'll cut it close to receive the new card prior to departure. Traveling with Air Canada for all flights. From what I read, since I am a US Citizen with a US Passport, I should be fine to travel and will just have to explain myself at the CBSA upon return in Canada and may have to go in secondary review. I will bring my COPR document. To the best of my knowledge, I've never had to provide my PR card to anyone but the CBSA when doing US - CAN (or CAN - US) flights. So this would mean my US passport is a sufficient document to travel across these two countries? Or is it because the airlines know my PR status just by swiping the passport?

So to clarify the question... while I know that no one can give 100% guarantee here, how good are my chances of being able to make it back to the airport back in Canada on my return trip where I'll likely have to explain myself a bit further?

PS: No, not eligible for urgent process... this is a leisure trip.

 

[canuck78]

Asking for a friend...

Travelling from Canada to USA as a PR of Canada and US Citizen. The PR card expired and I sent it in with all of the proper documentation however with Canada Post it seems likely I'll cut it close to receive the new card prior to departure. Traveling with Air Canada for all flights. From what I read, since I am a US Citizen with a US Passport, I should be fine to travel and will just have to explain myself at the CBSA upon return in Canada and may have to go in secondary review. I will bring my COPR document. To the best of my knowledge, I've never had to provide my PR card to anyone but the CBSA when doing US - CAN (or CAN - US) flights. So this would mean my US passport is a sufficient document to travel across these two countries? Or is it because the airlines know my PR status just by swiping the passport?

So to clarify the question... while I know that no one can give 100% guarantee here, how good are my chances of being able to make it back to the airport back in Canada on my return trip where I'll likely have to explain myself a bit further?

PS: No, not eligible for urgent process... this is a leisure trip.

Yes US citizen can get back to Canada using their US passport.

 

[andy1011]

Technically they are correct in that all you need is a valid passport to board. However that passport must be linked electronically to a valid eTA, so when the airline swipes your passport at check-in they will get the "board" clearance due to the valid eTA.

If your passport is NOT linked to a valid and active eTA, the airline will get an automatic "no board" notice, and deny you boarding. With no eTA there is a 0% chance to be allowed boarding.

The eTA is not a physical document or anything you carry, it's simply an online approval that's linked directly to your passport.

If not a US citizen and with no PR card, then there are only 2 ways to enter Canada as a PR:
1. Apply for a PR Travel Document from a US visa application centre, and use it to fly to Canada.
2. Cross into Canada by road at a land border. For this no PR TD is needed, and CBSA can verify your PR status with your passport + COPR only.

Hi there,

I'm in the same situation. I have been waiting for my PR card for so long and I need to go back to Canada, i'm in the US now. I plan to rent a car (Alamo) in Seattle and drive through the border with my COPR and passport, would that be any issue? I'm not sure if a rental car is considered a commercial vehicle or not.

 

[andy1011]

Hi so just checking if anyone had a recent experience with crossing the land border from Buffalo, US to Canada with just their Passport and COPR
I landed last month and my PR card is yet to arrive. I need to travel to the US this week for 2 weeks (I have a valid US visit visa stamped on my Pakistani passport) .. so my questions are:

1. Will I be fine boarding a flight from Toronto to Boston ?
2. On return, can I take a taxi (or a bus?) from Buffalo, US and cross the border in to Canada with just my Pakistani passport and signed COPR?

This is really important - I don't want to get stuck on my way back to Canada because I have to join a new job as soon as I get back!

So anyone who has actually done this recently or knows someone (with a similar background) who has done this..would appreciate your responses to help with this please?

Hi there,

Did you end up getting a taxi back to Canada with your COPR and passport without any issue? Please share your experience

I'm in the same situation. I have been waiting for my PR card for so long and I need to go back to Canada, i'm in the US now. I plan to rent a car (Alamo) in Seattle and drive through the border with my COPR and passport and return the car in Alamo location in Canada, would that be any issue? I'm not sure if a rental car is considered a commercial vehicle or not.

 

[andy1011]

It is totally fine. I went to Buffalo in March 2018 by road and I was able to cross the border back into Canada with my passport and COPR, no issues at all.

Hi Lmbees, did they stamp the date on your passport with the date you entered back to Canada at PoE at Buffalo by road?

 

[andy1011]

Rental car companies do provide one-way cross-border rentals. I have one booked for the end of October in fact. It just costs a lot more.

You have to go with the bigger rental companies, and book to main locations in the border regions. Mine is booked from Buffalo Airport to Toronto Pearson.

Because people do this, chances are you'll get a Canadian-plated car when driving north to drive back into Canada, and a US-plated car going south.

Hi evdm,

Were you able to rent the car at the US location and drove to Canada with your COPR and passport without any issue? Did the CBSA ask about the car document/paperwork (rent contract, etc.). Please share your experience. Thanks!

I'm in the same situation. I have been waiting for my PR card for so long and I need to go back to Canada, i'm in the US now. I plan to rent a car (Alamo) in Seattle and drive through the border with my COPR and passport and return the car in Alamo location in Canada, would that be any issue? I'm not sure if a rental car is considered a commercial vehicle or not.

 

[andy1011]

Nice. Thanks for the recommendation. I was able to check with Avis. Daily is $40 from BUF to YYZ, but they charge 27c/mile. So, it may come to a similar total cost.

Hi there,

Thanks for your info. Did the CBSA ask anything about your rental car at all (inspection record/rental contract, etc.)? Did they request you to show both COPR and passport? Please share your experience

I'm in the same situation. I have been waiting for my PR card for so long and I need to go back to Canada, i'm in the US now. I plan to rent a car (Alamo) in Seattle and drive through the border with my COPR and passport and return the car in Alamo location in Canada, would that be any issue? I'm not sure if a rental car is considered a commercial vehicle or not.

 

[8494193]

Hi there,

Thanks for your info. Did the CBSA ask anything about your rental car at all (inspection record/rental contract, etc.)? Did they request you to show both COPR and passport? Please share your experience

I'm in the same situation. I have been waiting for my PR card for so long and I need to go back to Canada, i'm in the US now. I plan to rent a car (Alamo) in Seattle and drive through the border with my COPR and passport and return the car in Alamo location in Canada, would that be any issue? I'm not sure if a rental car is considered a commercial vehicle or not.

The only thing they asked: "Your car has US plates?". I said, "It's a rental". She said, "Okay". Nothing more.

I provided them with both: a copy of the COPR (I had my original as well, safe inside, but did not provide that) and my passport. She just glanced at the COPR, scanned my passport and we were on our way

My most recent cross-border drive was when I moved to Montreal in August 2018. No PR card. We flew into Burlington, VT. Picked up an Avis at the airport, drove to Montreal (passport+COPR only), dropped off the car in Montreal. Simple.

Rental cars for personal use are NOT considered commercial and the CBSA gets that. Your plan of driving across will not have any problems using passport+COPR. Drive safe!

 

[andy1011]

The only thing they asked: "Your car has US plates?". I said, "It's a rental". She said, "Okay". Nothing more.

I provided them with both: a copy of the COPR (I had my original as well, safe inside, but did not provide that) and my passport. She just glanced at the COPR, scanned my passport and we were on our way

My most recent cross-border drive was when I moved to Montreal in August 2018. No PR card. We flew into Burlington, VT. Picked up an Avis at the airport, drove to Montreal (passport+COPR only), dropped off the car in Montreal. Simple.

Rental cars for personal use are NOT considered commercial and the CBSA gets that. Your plan of driving across will not have any problems using passport+COPR. Drive safe!

Hi sid8tive, thanks much for the feedback. That's great to hear. Hope you are enjoying Canada, eh?

 

[8494193]

Hi sid8tive, thanks much for the feedback. That's great to hear. Hope you are enjoying Canada, eh?

Totally!