+1(514) 937-9445 or Toll-free (Canada & US) +1 (888) 947-9445

After Citizenship ceremony, can you enter Canada with a foreign passport?

Nov 27, 2018
6
0
I am invited to a citizenship ceremony on Jan 30, however, i have a planned trip from feb 3-10 to Cuba. CIC asked to wait for 2 business days to apply for a canadian passport and I won’t have enough time to apply for a canadian passport before the trip. I currently possess a South Korean passport. I am wondering if I can attend the ceremony on Jan 30, turn in my PR card, go to Cuba with my south korean passport, and then enter Canada as a visitor using my Korean passport? (South Koreans are visa exempt for both Cuba and Canada)
Has anyone have similar experiences?
If I reschedule my ceremony, how long after do I get a new date? Any advise will be helpful! Thanks
 

bellaluna

VIP Member
May 23, 2014
7,405
1,781
Your plan won’t work as intended because South Koreans still need to apply for an eTA, which PRs and citizens are not entitled to.
 

cursor18

Hero Member
May 31, 2015
419
134
I am invited to a citizenship ceremony on Jan 30, however, i have a planned trip from feb 3-10 to Cuba. CIC asked to wait for 2 business days to apply for a canadian passport and I won’t have enough time to apply for a canadian passport before the trip. I currently possess a South Korean passport. I am wondering if I can attend the ceremony on Jan 30, turn in my PR card, go to Cuba with my south korean passport, and then enter Canada as a visitor using my Korean passport? (South Koreans are visa exempt for both Cuba and Canada)
Has anyone have similar experiences?
If I reschedule my ceremony, how long after do I get a new date? Any advise will be helpful! Thanks
See this:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/visit-canada/dual-canadian-citizens-visit-canada.html#findOut

I suggest keep the ceremony as-is, apply for above certificate as one off
Note that I havent used it myself, but read that few folks have suggested it. Along with CIC obviously
 
  • Like
Reactions: lets_go_canada

PMM

VIP Member
Jun 30, 2005
25,494
1,950

charmainefrances

Hero Member
Oct 24, 2011
885
106
St. Albert, Alberta
Visa Office......
CPC/VEGREVILLE TRANSFERRED TO CIC-EDMONTON
App. Filed.......
23-11-2010
File Transfer...
19-10-2011
Med's Request
12-10-2013
Med's Done....
23-10-2013 received by cic 31-10-2013
Interview........
12-09-2013 PASSED
Passport Req..
18-03-2014 PPR OF MY SON
VISA ISSUED...
10-06-2014
LANDED..........
June 24,2014 To God be the glory! PR CARD received: August 22, 2014 (exactly 60 days after landing)! Son's PR card arrived August 27, 2014 (exactly 65 days after landing)
Hello! On the day of my oath taking....

the first question of the immigration clerk was:

Are there any people who's travelling the next day or the day after the ceremony? if yes, just go see them, because they will provide a certificate or a certain pass that you can use for your travel.

Hope this helps.!
 

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,437
3,183
For Clarification Given Topic Title:

Canadian citizens have a Charter right to enter Canada. Citizens cannot be denied entry. So there is no question about whether a citizen can "enter" Canada using a foreign passport. Any means of verifying identity will suffice for a citizen to obtain "entry" into Canada.

As the other responses addressed, the practical question is whether a Canadian citizen will be allowed to board a flight headed to Canada.

Cursor18 mentioned a special authorization, which i thought i can apply online within 10 days of entry to Canada.
As the IRCC information provided as linked above by @cursor18 indicates, having a valid visa-exempt passport should enable the new citizen to obtain ELECTRONIC authorization to board a flight to Canada. Contrary to the post by @PMM this does not involve the Canadian consulate abroad. HOWEVER, this cannot be applied for prior to becoming a citizen (and can only be applied for within a ten day window of the planned travel date back to Canada). And given the lack of reporting about how well this actually works (especially given the precise details in required fields in the application, noting this is clearly an electronically processed application so any flaw entails high risk of not getting the authorization), in conjunction with being a brand new a citizen (thus depending on the GCMS records to be updated rather promptly following the oath ceremony), hard to offer much if any reassurance about how well this will work in practice. The downside is that if the electronic authorization (which appears to be very similar to eTA but special for citizens and for a very limited period of authorization) does not work, then the local Canadian consulate will be involved and the caution expressed by @PMM looms large.

And given that it is Cuba, there is no travel via the U.S. alternative (except for some creative and probably expensive flight routes).

I am not familiar with what @charmainefrances describes. Seems good but it also seems at least a bit incongruous with what is otherwise known.
 
  • Like
Reactions: armoured