Can spouse land before the principal applicant

[N_rockstar]

Hi,

My wife and I just got the PPR email. We were asked to send passports. My wife is outside of North America. I live in Alberta. I am wondering whether my wife can land first. What documents does she need to provide in the airport?

 

[ragluf]

Hi,

My wife and I just got the PPR email. We were asked to send passports. My wife is outside of North America. I live in Alberta. I am wondering whether my wife can land first. What documents does she need to provide in the airport?

It is more advisable to have the principal applicant land
- together with all other accompanying family members or
- first before all other accompanying family members

See here: Excerpts from ENF -4 (Port of Entry Examinations)
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/enf/enf04-eng.pdf

12.14. Family members arriving before the principal applicant
Occasionally, a BSO at Immigration Secondary will encounter a family member who arrives before the principal applicant and is seeking permanent residence. R51(b) requires a permanent resident visa holder to establish that they and their family members, whether accompanying or not, meet the requirements of the Act and Regulations. For a family member to meet these requirements, it is usually incumbent on the principal applicant being admissible at the port of entry. This also holds true for the principal applicant arriving before their family members.
A BSO encountering this situation should obtain the following information from the family member or principal applicant:
 why the family member or principal applicant is preceding the rest of the family (for example,
to seek accommodation or employment, lack of a seat on the aircraft carrying the principal applicant, etc.);
 when the rest of the family is due to arrive; and
 the person's means of support.
The BSO should complete the verification process but should not grant permanent resident status to the family member. If the person has a valid permanent resident visa and the BSO is satisfied that the rest of the family intends to come to Canada, the BSO may wish to defer the examination pursuant to A23 in order to obtain more information or wait until the rest of the family arrives so they may be examined.

As to documents - see here:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/provincial/arrival.asp

.../hth

 

[N_rockstar]

Do you think it would still be a problem even though I live in Alberta? I am an inland applicant. My wife lives outside of Canada and wants to land to Canada ASAP.

 

[scylla]

Do you think it would still be a problem even though I live in Alberta? I am an inland applicant. My wife lives outside of Canada and wants to land to Canada ASAP.

No - your wife cannot land first. If she tries to land first she will be refused landing.

You either have to land together or she has to land after you. There are no other options available.