2023 October Common-Law / Spousal Sponsorship (Inland)

[armoured]

You travel with your US passport but you have to request a travel document to come back. The eCoPR is not a travel document as it is boldly writen on it " Not for travel"

Those with US passports can board a plane with no issue. They just have to show the eCOPR (or whatever else, really) at passport control and present there as a PR (showing passport just to confirm ID).

Those PRs without US passports need a PR card or PRTD to board a plane to Canada. If they can arrive by land (eg through or from USA), they can enter by a private car or on foot - the eCOPR (or whatever else) will be sufficient to get admitted as a PR (with their passport as simply supporting ID).

 

[Master5678]

Yes.

Even though it says "not for travel"?

 

[armoured]

Even though it says "not for travel"?

Yes. You're not using it 'for travel,' at least not in a specific narrow sense. You're using it exclusively for entry when already physically in Canada, at a port of entry. Welcome home.

You can't use it to get on a plane. You can use it after crossing a land border to be admitted, when you're in Canada (and in this case only FROM a country that has no exit controls, of which there are only a handful in the world and two in north america).

Long story and use of the term is not always consistent, but basically a PR card is not a 'travel document' either - it can't be used on its own. For the most part only passports are 'travel documents' per se, and the visas within them. [I'm leaving aside some things like refugee travel documents and UN laissez passer and some other odds and ends.]

At any rate, ignore all this verbiage of mine: the answer is yes, it works.

 

[wchristenw]

I just received the most pleasant surprise today; my PR card came in the mail!!! I wasn’t expecting it since my photo & address still says “in review with IRCC” (aka I didn’t receive an approval notification, but I’m not complaining)

Montreal VO in case anyone is curious!

Applied October 3rd
AOR Received Nov 2nd
Biometrics requested Nov 24th
Medical requested Nov 28th
Biometrics received Dec 5th
Medical completed Dec 14th
Eligibility completed Jan 4th
Pre-Arrival Letter received Jan 5th
AIP 1: Received Jan 10th
AIP 2: Received Jan 30th
Background check: Showing completed as of April 19th
P1: Received April 22nd
P2: Received May 13th (I submitted photo & address within a day of this date).
ECOPR document: Issued May 17th, received email notification on May 21
PR Card received in mail: June 25

Moral of the story: you might receive your PR card quicker than you think! Good luck to everyone else!

 

[Gill$&@]

I just received the most pleasant surprise today; my PR card came in the mail!!! I wasn’t expecting it since my photo & address still says “in review with IRCC” (aka I didn’t receive an approval notification, but I’m not complaining)

Montreal VO in case anyone is curious!

Applied October 3rd
AOR Received Nov 2nd
Biometrics requested Nov 24th
Medical requested Nov 28th
Biometrics received Dec 5th
Medical completed Dec 14th
Eligibility completed Jan 4th
Pre-Arrival Letter received Jan 5th
AIP 1: Received Jan 10th
AIP 2: Received Jan 30th
Background check: Showing completed as of April 19th
P1: Received April 22nd
P2: Received May 13th (I submitted photo & address within a day of this date).
ECOPR document: Issued May 17th, received email notification on May 21
PR Card received in mail: June 25

Moral of the story: you might receive your PR card quicker than you think! Good luck to everyone else!

Congratulations i am waiting

 

[hectorzh]

Yes. You're not using it 'for travel,' at least not in a specific narrow sense. You're using it exclusively for entry when already physically in Canada, at a port of entry. Welcome home.

You can't use it to get on a plane. You can use it after crossing a land border to be admitted, when you're in Canada (and in this case only FROM a country that has no exit controls, of which there are only a handful in the world and two in north america).

Long story and use of the term is not always consistent, but basically a PR card is not a 'travel document' either - it can't be used on its own. For the most part only passports are 'travel documents' per se, and the visas within them. [I'm leaving aside some things like refugee travel documents and UN laissez passer and some other odds and ends.]

At any rate, ignore all this verbiage of mine: the answer is yes, it works.

If I have to travel between receiving eCOPR and PR card, can I travel with my passport that's visa-exempt for Canada then? Don't know how eTA will work under this circumstance?

 

[armoured]

If I have to travel between receiving eCOPR and PR card, can I travel with my passport that's visa-exempt for Canada then? Don't know how eTA will work under this circumstance?

Generally once you become a PR, IRCC will cancel previous TRVs and ETAs. I've no idea how quickly or diligently they do this. if they do, you won't be able to board a plane to Canada.

But as above - you can cross at a land border.

 

[hectorzh]

Generally once you become a PR, IRCC will cancel previous TRVs and ETAs. I've no idea how quickly or diligently they do this. if they do, you won't be able to board a plane to Canada.

But as above - you can cross at a land border.

Thanks for the answer!

I understand all previous TRVs and ETAs will be revoked once the eCOPR is issued, however, when I board the plane in a foreign country, i assume the airlines can not access IRCC system and should not know that the ETAs and my current work permit are cancelled? Issues should occur at the CBSA after landing in Canada? I know it sounds too risky but is that so technically?

 

[armoured]

however, when I board the plane in a foreign country, i assume the airlines can not access IRCC system and should not know that the ETAs and my current work permit are cancelled? Issues should occur at the CBSA after landing in Canada? I know it sounds too risky but is that so technically?

Strange assumption, this is not pre-2001 anymore. My understanding is there is a system to allow them to check the docs in advance, and give the airlines a board/no-board decision.

The airlines do not 'know' much, they just get told the decision through the system. If it doesn't work, they'll just tell you there is an ETA issue.

I'm sure there are plenty of cases of cancelled documents that weren't caught, times the system didn't work, docs that shojuld've been cancelled but weren't, etc. But we're not likely to know about it.