Can I return to Canada without a PR card?

[kawai103]

Hello everyone,

I landed on July 7th and still haven't received my PR card yet (I was told it only takes 6-8 weeks)
I am going to NYC this weekend by plane and I am wondering if there is any problem when I return back to Canada without a PR card.
Because on the CIC website, it says "Starting March 15, 2016, if you are a permanent resident of Canada and a citizen of a visa-exempt country, you will need to travel with your Canadian permanent resident (PR) card or permanent resident travel document when flying to Canada. Otherwise, you may not be able to board your flight to Canada."
But I made few trips to Buffalo by car and return to Canada without any problem and I remember I was told I only need to my COPR stapled in my passport before receiving the PR card.
So i am so confused... Anyone has any idea?

Thanks

 

[keesio]

If you are an American citizen, you can return to Canada via plane. Your US passport will allow you to board a commercial carrier (airplane) to Canada (just don't advertise the fact that you are a PR). Once you get to immigration in Canada, you can tell the officer you are PR still waiting for your PR card and he/she can look you up in the system to check your PR status.

As for the new rules coming into effect on March 15, 2016, I think you are talking about eTA... which US citizens are exempt from.

 

[induscan]

After March 15th, can I still use my COPR to "re-enter" Canada in a private car? (i'm not an US citizen)
Please advise. I am driving tomorrow and i'm in confusion now...

 

[jc94]

You do not need a PR card or eTA (which is on hold until the fall now anyway) to enter Canada by car. Private vehicle is the standard (easiest, not only) way to avoid trying to get into Canada while waiting on a PR card.

All you need is a valid passport and visa if relevant. As you have your COPR, I assume you have either a visa exempt passport OR a visa in passport from landing.

 

[induscan]

You do not need a PR card or eTA (which is on hold until the fall now anyway) to enter Canada by car. Private vehicle is the standard (easiest, not only) way to avoid trying to get into Canada while waiting on a PR card.

All you need is a valid passport and visa if relevant. As you have your COPR, I assume you have either a visa exempt passport OR a visa in passport from landing.

Thank you!
I have COPR and visa in passport that says "one entry" (which is crossed out when I landed). hope I can still make it through. I am not from exempt countries.

 

[exresident]

Hi,

I'm a permanent resident of Canada and have lived there more than two years out of the last 5 . following a divorce in 2014 i m not living in Canada anymore and don't wish to live there anymore. my Permanent resident card is still valid until october 2016. I will be visiting my young daughter that lives there with her mum (like I did last year) in June-July 2016 so this year it should be ok. what happens if I want to visit next year (2017) when my card will be expired.? Is it possible to enter the country as tourist? I'm from a visa exempt country (Italy). Somewhere i found that I could have problems at the border? will i be denied entry? i know at the airport they will probably never know i am \was a PR but what happens in Canada? i truly want to visit for only a few weeks a year. Can they deny me entry? am i less "important" than a tourist? after all im not a Canadian citizen. i hope i dont have to give up my PR status and do all the paperwork just to visit a few weeks a year. what do you think? Please help if you can, thanks to anyone who can give me advice or explain

Regards


ps having a look at CIC website the best bet would be to give up residence status after card expires in october 2016. being an Italian citizen then i should have no problem going back as a tourist once i gave up my resident status, i guess? and what about the ETA? its true i applied before to CIC but being an ex residet they would make me go through the visa process(even if italians dont need tourist visas) or refuse ETA?

 

[jc94]

Thank you!
I have COPR and visa in passport that says "one entry" (which is crossed out when I landed). hope I can still make it through. I am not from exempt countries.

I've not heard of the visa (from COPR) saying one entry, I assume that's related to an entry listing for the official landing.

The way I understand it, by land is the only way to travel as a PR without actually having a PR card. The govt. has proof you are one, so should be fine. Let us know how it goes!

I'm a permanent resident of Canada and have lived there more than two years out of the last 5 . following a divorce in 2014 i m not living in Canada anymore and don't wish to live there anymore. my Permanent resident card is still valid until october 2016. I will be visiting my young daughter that lives there with her mum (like I did last year) in June-July 2016 so this year it should be ok. what happens if I want to visit next year (2017) when my card will be expired.? Is it possible to enter the country as tourist? I'm from a visa exempt country (Italy). Somewhere i found that I could have problems at the border? will i be denied entry? i know at the airport they will probably never know i am \was a PR but what happens in Canada? i truly want to visit for only a few weeks a year. Can they deny me entry? am i less "important" than a tourist? after all im not a Canadian citizen. i hope i dont have to give up my PR status and do all the paperwork just to visit a few weeks a year. what do you think? Please help if you can, thanks to anyone who can give me advice or explain

Regards


ps having a look at CIC website the best bet would be to give up residence status after card expires in october 2016. being an Italian citizen then i should have no problem going back as a tourist once i gave up my resident status, i guess? and what about the ETA? its true i applied before to CIC but being an ex residet they would make me go through the visa process(even if italians dont need tourist visas) or refuse ETA?

You may want to start a separate thread here
As a PR you need a card to come and go. So if you don't wish to be a PR any more, you should give it up and then get the eTA which, I believe requires details of UCI's from previous permits and your PR.

If you have lived here for enough time, you could also renew your PR card for another 5 years. But that's probably not what you are meant to do.... So you are safer, in my opinion, to drop the PR if you truly don't want it and get an eTA once the PR cancellation has gone through. I don't expect you will have any problems visiting for a few weeks unless you get convinced of a crime or anything like that...

 

[induscan]

I've not heard of the visa (from COPR) saying one entry, I assume that's related to an entry listing for the official landing.

The way I understand it, by land is the only way to travel as a PR without actually having a PR card. The govt. has proof you are one, so should be fine. Let us know how it goes!

Thanks... will update you soon...!

 

[exresident]

I've not heard of the visa (from COPR) saying one entry, I assume that's related to an entry listing for the official landing.

The way I understand it, by land is the only way to travel as a PR without actually having a PR card. The govt. has proof you are one, so should be fine. Let us know how it goes!



You may want to start a separate thread here
As a PR you need a card to come and go. So if you don't wish to be a PR any more, you should give it up and then get the eTA which, I believe requires details of UCI's from previous permits and your PR.

If you have lived here for enough time, you could also renew your PR card for another 5 years. But that's probably not what you are meant to do.... So you are safer, in my opinion, to drop the PR if you truly don't want it and get an eTA once the PR cancellation has gone through. I don't expect you will have any problems visiting for a few weeks unless you get convinced of a crime or anything like that...

thank you, you re very kind. I think thats what I will do after my PR is expired and i saw from the CIC website i can even send the application of "give up" my pr status to the canadian embassy here without having to send to canada. about the ETA issue they re coping the usa as usual(see ESTA). it takes time for canada but at the end they seem to be forced to behave like americans(or their government). even fathers day in the usa and canada is different date from the rest of the world and so labours day LOL i should start a separate thread for this too but i guess this is not the right forum LOL but the americans have a massonic eye on their dollar bill(that says it all) while Canada has the british queen. at least the queen you know who she is
about the ETA issue i didnt understand what UCI is ... thanks for your answer again
bye

 

[jc94]

Yep I have an ESTA . The only good thing is the eTA costs less than half and lasts over twice as long. But still annoying.
On the plus side, you need neither on a Canadian or US passport, sot here is hope for me

The UCI is the Unique Client Identifier - you have one per visa/permit including on your PR. So would want to give this when getting the eTA. It's optional... and pops up when you say yes to having a previous request to enter/stay in Canada. I would strongly recommend putting your PR UCI in there, it's on the COPR at least which I think you need to keep even after getting the PR card.

 

[induscan]

I have crossed the border with COPR and re-entered Canada with no issues. Of course, with routine questions asked by the customs, When I will import the car? do I have a job? where i will reside ... etc.. but finally completed.

Thanks... will update you soon...!

 

[jc94]

Wooohoo, congrats. Welcome home

 

[induscan]

Thank you buddy!
+1 for your support... ;D
now the hard time begins... search ..search and search ....for jobs !!!

Wooohoo, congrats. Welcome home

 

[RV_13]

Hi IndusCan,

Congratz for your successful landing!

Looks like I will be in the similar situation, I am in US and planning to do my 1st landing via land. I will then be returning to US and will be entering Canada again soon (hopefully permanently this time). In the meantime, I will have my friend's address for PR card delivery.
My Qs -
1) For the 1st landing, can I use a commercial vehicle (Bus) since I will have the Visa and COPR?
2) While I return to US and intend to re-enter Canada again via land from US side, I believe I have use a private vehicle here. Can I use a rented car? If so, how can I return the car if I re-enter Canada permanently this time?
3) For the 2nd entry, using COPR and passport should suffice..right?

P.S. - I am not from a visa exempted country.

Would appreciate a response from you!

Thanks!

 

[Rob_TO]

1) For the 1st landing, can I use a commercial vehicle (Bus) since I will have the Visa and COPR?

Yes that's fine.

2) While I return to US and intend to re-enter Canada again via land from US side, I believe I have use a private vehicle here. Can I use a rented car? If so, how can I return the car if I re-enter Canada permanently this time?

Check with the car rental company. Many of them have offices in both US and Canada where you can rent from one country and drop off in other one.

Alternatively you could take a bus just to the US side of border, walk across the border, then board a new bus in Canada.

3) For the 2nd entry, using COPR and passport should suffice..right?

Yes.