Can I go to Canada while application in progress?

[bryandd]

You may have a problem with this breed... and may need to check with the province you will be visiting and eventually living in... bull terriers (pit bulls) are banned in many places... may also be why the company won't transport the dog, because where you are going they are banned?
I know in Ontario they are banned completely (it says by city or town but when I looked at the list there wasn't many that weren't on there) and there are other bi-laws throughout the Country so checking into this before moving would be important. I have heard that if they do allow the dog it must be muzzled at all times and you have to have liability insurance.
You must have gotten a nice CSBA agent cus Landing is what you do once you receive CoPR and the agent wouldn't have referred to it as landing cus you are not landing your visiting... He may have said you didn't need return tickets but the agent sitting right next to him may infact want one you CAN NOT go by what one agent says cus each agent is different and could want many things to prove you will be leaving... ie lease, bank statements proof of employment etc... they can make it very easy or very hard it all depends on the agent you get that and believe it or not what kind of mood they are in...

Hi Creampop,

Yeh it is because of the 'bull terrier' issue that the airline won't take her, pity as she's the sweetest dog we've ever owed, but c'est la vie! Its an airline wide ban, but we did check into the issues around bringing her to Canada and which provinces and cities will take her. We should be ok, all the places we want to go are ok with staffies.

Sorry I think I've gotten my terminology muddled up, didn't mean to say landed, of course your correct and we don't land until we have COPR approved. Is it quite common to be turned away at the border and have that variability with the officers? I have been trying to understand this process as much as possible and have't seen anyone mention any problems with waiting in Canada until their COPR arrives. Can only go on the information I'm managed to scrape together though. Have you found it to be different?

Thanks

P

 

[CharlieD10]

Yes, you need to show funds are available for your expenses. If you can't provide a bank statement with sufficient funds, you can show proof of your spouse's employment, such as paystubs, T4s, etc. It should be clear that you are capable of supporting yourself without relying on public assistance.

6 months is the standard visitor's maximum stay, you don't need to tell them that's how long you're staying because if they are satisfied you are admissible they will allow you the maximum. If they have issues, they might shorten that maximum.

 

[Lindissa]

Yes, you need to show funds are available for your expenses. If you can't provide a bank statement with sufficient funds, you can show proof of your spouse's employment, such as paystubs, T4s, etc. It should be clear that you are capable of supporting yourself without relying on public assistance.

6 months is the standard visitor's maximum stay, you don't need to tell them that's how long you're staying because if they are satisfied you are admissible they will allow you the maximum. If they have issues, they might shorten that maximum.

What if they ask how long I'm planning on staying? do I need to have a return ticket?

 

[Creampop]

It is a shame how the breeds are discriminated against... I am a believer that it isn't the breed but how they are raised... As for crossing in my 13 years experience I have many many stories LOL not all bad but it can be a pain in the butt once your passport is red-flagged and the term landing before CoPR to the right CSBA agent can get you exactly that... I didn't mean to sound rude before or even now but some of them have the
"God Complex". You need to make sure they think you are leaving at the end of your visit if they have any doubts they can limit your visit with whatever amount of time they seem fit, (some people have stated they were only giving 1 month visit from UK) or deny you entry all together. I just mentioned the return ticket cus you stated that you were told you didn't need it but, when asked about my leaving it was always the first thing they wanted proof of return home, plane ticket, bus ticket, my husband (then boyfriend) saying he would be returning me home etc... just try to be prepared to show ties to your home country... honestly tho what makes me wonder about your case would be the dogs... and here is why... your gonna be paying alot of money to get them over here, they might be thinking that bringing the dogs now would show your intention to not leave. maybe you can have someone on this side write you a letter saying that your bringing the dogs now and they will be staying with them until your process is finished?

 

[CathandBob]

Creampop, I would be in exactly the same position, I'd be bringing the dogs. I have just been over to the March applicants and seen there is a first from March through London just got her PR approval. filed a few days before mine..... so I'm a little more hopefull of getting that before we leave. I really would prefer to have it before we go as it makes things so much easier for us (dont really want to have two lots of bills on top of everything else),... but its father in laws health that is bothering us. My husband couldn't get back in time before his mother passed (suddenly) and so he really wants to spend time with him.

Oh and my dogs are Cavalier King Charles ... 3 of them

 

[bryandd]

Yeh, That is exactly the thing that we would be worried about, bringing the dogs, clearly with the intent of settling and then the officer saying...no. Which is why we queried with the immigration officer on our last visit, he did say that it was up to the discretion of the officer on duty, but he implied it wasn't a problem *sigh* now I'm worried too. We also asked a friend of ours who works as an immigration officer, but on the fraudulant application side (once landed). He used to work at Vancouver airport, stamping the visas and all. He also didn't seem to think that it was a problem, and when I mentioned the dogs and how that must show that we had intent to move he just said that because my husband is canadian then he could bring the dogs and all our stuff in his name and so it wouldn't be a problem. I'm just hoping the COPR arrives soon. We applied in April and at the rate London is going we should be done in good time to move by Nov/Dec. We're a straight forward case..together for years, married for years, kid....dogs It looks like a return ticket (or maybe an onward ticket to the states?) might be a good idea though, just to be on the safe side....

 

[Sweden]

Yeh, That is exactly the thing that we would be worried about, bringing the dogs, clearly with the intent of settling and then the officer saying...no. Which is why we queried with the immigration officer on our last visit, he did say that it was up to the discretion of the officer on duty, but he implied it wasn't a problem *sigh* now I'm worried too. We also asked a friend of ours who works as an immigration officer, but on the fraudulant application side (once landed). He used to work at Vancouver airport, stamping the visas and all. He also didn't seem to think that it was a problem, and when I mentioned the dogs and how that must show that we had intent to move he just said that because my husband is canadian then he could bring the dogs and all our stuff in his name and so it wouldn't be a problem. I'm just hoping the COPR arrives soon. We applied in April and at the rate London is going we should be done in good time to move by Nov/Dec. We're a straight forward case..together for years, married for years, kid....dogs It looks like a return ticket (or maybe an onward ticket to the states?) might be a good idea though, just to be on the safe side....

Hey,

I will be moving as well before my COPR ( unless London is really fast!), and apparently if you can show some funds on your bank account, it's the same as a return ticket. That's what I'm planning to do, because finding a return ticket fully reimbursable was just way too expensive! They want to make sure that you have the means to leave the country if your COPR doesn't come before your tourist visa expires... but in your case, straightforward, you should be fine!

Good luck,
Sweden

 

[bryandd]

Ah Sweden, your posts are always so nice You make me feel more confident. Proof of funds would be simpler (and hopefully cheaper) than a return flight that will probably have to be cancelled.

Here's just hoping that London keep at a good pace and we all have that bit of paper before getting on the plane.

P

 

[mojtaba77]

Hey!

once you have posted 10 times, you can send personal messages and update your profile with statistics etc.
Good luck with your application,
Sweden

Thanks Sweden.

 

[Creampop]

Hey,

I will be moving as well before my COPR ( unless London is really fast!), and apparently if you can show some funds on your bank account, it's the same as a return ticket. That's what I'm planning to do, because finding a return ticket fully reimbursable was just way too expensive! They want to make sure that you have the means to leave the country if your COPR doesn't come before your tourist visa expires... but in your case, straightforward, you should be fine!

Good luck,
Sweden

money in the bank is not as good as a return ticket... its just money in the bank, they want you to prove you are leaving I am not saying by any means that you must have it but, if asked they ain't gonna wanna hear "oh, the money is in the bank" they gonna want to see it, I mean the way they look at it who is going to waste a few hundred bucks... this is why its best to get a refundable ticket...

 

[CathandBob]

Hi CathandBob


I have a question for you too. What is this about the airlines not accepting dogs later in the year? We are planning on taking out two over, probably in Nov/Dec. They will probably be getting to fly AirCanada, while we get the cheap seats on AirTransat, but no-one has mentioned anything about not flying them in the winter.....although getting any info out them has been difficult!

I have just heard back from the pet travel company ... re: winter restrictions. If travelling with Air Transat there isn't a problem as they have temperature controlled vehicles to take the dogs from the plane to the building, unlike others where the dogs would be just on the runway.

 

[bryandd]

I have just heard back from the pet travel company ... re: winter restrictions. If travelling with Air Transat there isn't a problem as they have temperature controlled vehicles to take the dogs from the plane to the building, unlike others where the dogs would be just on the runway.

Ah, I see. Thanks Cath. I'll look into that for us now. Btw the cheapest quote we had was from LadyHaye. AirPets and PetAir (don't remember which one you were) were both double what LadyHaye quoted.