Buying plane tickets - Advance Passenger Information System - Visa (Spousal)

[eviltofu]

Hello all!

Firstly, I would like to apologize if it seems that I start a new topic for every small thing, but I guess I kind-of justify if by breaking questions up, in hope that they assist someone else with it, and is easier to search.

In any case, here is the recent question.
My Wife received her Visa and CoPR just last week, so we just purchased tickets.
I purchased them online through LOT Polish Airlines, went through all the steps, and got to the APIS (Advance passenger information system) (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advance_Passenger_Information_System)

I filled out the information, it asked for:
Name, DOB, Travel Document (passport) - Date of Issue/Expiry and Issuing Country, etc.

After completion, I got everything I need for her. The eTicket, and the booking.

Here are the questions I have.

1) For 'travel document' the default is passport, so obviously enter that there. The only question is the visa. She is from a non-visa-exempt country, and needs a visa to travel, but from the list of additional documents, there was nothing: only Passport, Passport Card, Green Card, Other non-standard approved travel document. You would think that a visa would be a common document. In any case, has anyone ordered tickets online, filled out the APIS information? I would assume that Passport would be enough, as the visa (which is a sticker in her passport) has the passport number written on it. Could anyone confirm/share insight?

2) Does anyone know how the eTicket pickup works? I know that there are terminals (like in YYZ - Pearson Int'l Airport) in the airport she is leaving from, is the process the same? Scan passport, get boarding passes?

3) When my wife shows her passport, the staff usually look at the passport+visa, to see if all is in order, she doesn't need to have a visa to get through Poland (layover in Poland, short, few hours), she will not be leaving the airport, and will be transferring through the next flight, am I correct?

Thanks again!
Everyone here has been a huge help!
I wish everyone the best and good luck!
As soon as my process completes, I will update you all with all the information I managed to gather for my Outland application and VO.

 

[rhcohen2014]

1. if she requires a visa to enter canada, then her passport will have the PR visa stamp/counterfoil in it. so, yes - all she needs to travel is her passport and copr paperwork. if she doesn't need a visa, then she can just get on the plane with her passport, and supply her passport and copr at immigration to "land" as a pr.

2. i'm not familiar with the airport she is flying from, though i'm sure there are instructions on her e-ticket about how to confirm her travel.

3. i think it depends on the airport. while she won't have to go through immigration, she may have to go through security which will probably require her to show her passport/copr to get to the gate for her flight. again, i can't say for sure, because i've never travelled to that specific airport.

 

[eviltofu]

This may be a dumb question... but here goes.

You don't need a separate visa for the country of the connecting flight, correct?
Same airline, no leaving airport. Just from one plane onto another.

Note: NOT a connecting flight in Canada, Port of entry into Canada is Pearson Int't Airport.
Basically, Origin Country -> Warsaw -> Canada.
Visa/CoPR for Canada is present, no visa for Warsaw (Poland) is required, right? (Just a connecting flight)

Thanks!

 

[steaky]

It looks like if someone has citizenship of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan or Sri Lanka, the person would need a transit airport visa:

http://www.msz.gov.pl/en/travel_to_poland/visa/

 

[Avadava]

This may be a dumb question... but here goes.

You don't need a separate visa for the country of the connecting flight, correct?
Same airline, no leaving airport. Just from one plane onto another.

Note: NOT a connecting flight in Canada, Port of entry into Canada is Pearson Int't Airport.
Basically, Origin Country -> Warsaw -> Canada.
Visa/CoPR for Canada is present, no visa for Warsaw (Poland) is required, right? (Just a connecting flight)

Thanks!

Poland is in the Schengen area, so depending on her nationality, she might need a transit visa. That, you will have to get separately, the Canada visa and COPR will not help with that at all.

"Transit airport visa

If you intend to travel by air from a third state to another third state with a stopover at an airport in the Schengen area (in the territory of the Republic of Poland) and also:
(1) you do not intend to leave the international transit area of the airport and
(2) you hold the citizenship of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Ghana, Iran, Iraq, Nigeria, Pakistan, Sudan or Sri Lanka,
- you need to apply for an A-type airport transit visa.

When planning transit through an airport situated in a Schengen state other than Poland, we advise you to directly contact a consulate of the country concerned for visa information.

The A-type airport transit visa only entitles the holder to stay in the international transit area of the airport (it does not entitle the holder to enter Schengen territory or leave the transit area of the airport)."

 

[eviltofu]

She is Ukrainian - so looks like no A-type visa is required?

EDIT: thank you for uniform rules EU
http://www.government.nl/issues/visa-for-the-netherlands-and-the-caribbean-parts-of-the-kingdom/documents-and-publications/publications/2013/11/28/nationals-of-the-following-countries-need-an-airport-transit-visa-to-change-aircraft-at-an-airport-in-a-schengen-country.html

Nationals of the following countries need an airport transit visa to change
aircraft at an airport in a Schengen country:

• Afghanistan
  Bangladesh
  Congo (Democratic Republic)
  Eritrea
  Ethiopia
  Ghana
  Iran
  Iraq
  Nigeria
  Pakistan
  Somalia
  Sri Lanka

Nationals of the following countries need an airport transit visa to change
aircraft at an airport in Belgium, the Netherlands or Luxembourg:

• Angola
  Guinea
  Guinea Bissau
  Nepal
  Sudan
  Syria
  South Sudan

Nationals of the following countries need an airport transit visa to change
aircraft at an airport in the Netherlands:

• Sierra Leone

This is official - from the Government of the Netherlands.

EDIT2: keep answering my own questions! Thank you all who have pointed me on the right track!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policies_in_the_European_Union#Airport_transit
http://ec.europa.eu/dgs/home-affairs/e-library/documents/policies/borders-and-visas/visa-policy/docs/annex_7b_atv-national_lists.en.pdf

 

[Avadava]

You should actually do a more thorough research regarding visa requirements for Ukrainian nationals. On this website it suggests Ukrainians might still need a Type A visa (transit visa), although it will be free of charge (possibly getting it at the point of entry in Poland). "Visas for Moldavian Citizens and Ukrainian Citizens are free of charge"
It also says a uniform visa would give the right to enter Poland to Ukrainian nationals: "Schengen uniform visa does not give the right to enter Poland, with exception for transit of citizens of Belarus, Russia and Ukraine according to conditions indicated in bilateral agreements."

http://www.learn4good.com/travel/poland_visa.htm

Make a quick call to the Polish embassy in Ukraine, for peace of mind.

 

[eviltofu]

Not really a definitive answer (I will call the Polish Embassy), but:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Visa_policy_of_the_Schengen_Area#Airport_transit

On 5 April 2010, common visa requirements for airport transit were introduced by the European Union. At present, citizens of the following 12 countries are required to hold an airport transit visa (ATV) when transiting through any airport in the Schengen Area, Bulgaria, Cyprus or Romania, even if they remain airside:

Visa Required for:
Afghanistan
Bangladesh
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Eritrea
Ethiopia
Ghana
Iran
Iraq
Nigeria
Pakistan
Somalia
Sri Lanka

However, citizens of the above 12 countries are exempt from airport transit visas if they:

• hold a Schengen visa, a national long-stay visa or a residence permit issued by an EU member state,
• hold certain residence permits issued by Andorra, Canada, Japan, San Marino or the United States guaranteeing the holder's unconditional readmission to that country,
• hold a valid visa for an EU member state or for a member of the European Economic Area Agreement, Canada, Japan or the United States of America, or when they return from those countries after having used the visa,
• are family members of an EU citizen,
• hold a diplomatic passport, or
• are flight crew members whose state of nationality is a party to the Chicago Convention on International Civil Aviation.

Also here:
http://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32009R0810&from=EN
L243/33 - list of countries that need transit visas.