Can you 'land' in Canada during a 5 hr stopover from US to Carribean Islands?

[thisworks]

I am planning a trip from NYC to the Bahamas next month. My immigrant visa is good until August 2018. My United flight stops over at Toronto (YYZ) for 4.5 hours.

1) Can I do a short landing during this trip?
2) Is 4.5 hours enough time to do so?
3) Is it recommended to do so?

BTW, I am the primary applicant and am traveling alone. My spouse (dependent) would drive to Toronto later in the summer.

Thanks!

 

[shannon388]

1) Can I do a short landing during this trip?
yes

2) Is 4.5 hours enough time to do so?
Strongly depends on how busy is the airport. Landing procedure itself is ~30min, but waiting can take hours...

3) Is it recommended to do so?
Strongly depends on how busy is the airport.
Not recommended unless you're US citizen.

 

[zardoz]

I am planning a trip from NYC to the Bahamas next month. My immigrant visa is good until August 2018. My United flight stops over at Toronto (YYZ) for 4.5 hours.

1) Can I do a short landing during this trip?
2) Is 4.5 hours enough time to do so?
3) Is it recommended to do so?

BTW, I am the primary applicant and am traveling alone. My spouse (dependent) would drive to Toronto later in the summer.

Thanks!

You can only do so if you actually pass through Canadian immigration control and enter Canada, rather than just an airside transit.

 

[keesio]

2) Is 4.5 hours enough time to do so?
Strongly depends on how busy is the airport. Landing procedure itself is ~30min, but waiting can take hours...

Yup, the landing itself is usually pretty quick. It took ~15 min to land and get a SIN number for my wife. But we spent over an hour waiting in various lines.

 

[thisworks]

Thanks folks. I hold both a tourist visa and a PR visa. Looks like I might need to wait upto 2 hours or so.. should be manageable to do this in 4.5 hours.

 

[keesio]

should be manageable to do this in 4.5 hours.

Yes, it would have to be really crowded for 4.5 hours to be not enough

 

[vensak]

I would not recommend it.
What they like to do:
1. Redirect your plane on a different gate (that can be waiting in the plane good 30-60 mins).
2. Walk to the customs clearance (5-15 mins)
3. Huge queue for the first check in kiosk (another good 30-60 mins)
4. Smaller queue for the human passport checks (10-15 mins)
5. Queue on the immigration itself (very optional anywhere between 10 - 60 mins).
6. Paperwork (count app 30 mins).
7. Customs clearance (to declare goods you are bringing in and also what you want to bring later (5 - 15 mins).
And after that you have to walk in the gate zone again (with assumption that you would already have your flight tickets)
1. Leaving passport control (5-20 mins).
2. X-ray checks (10-30 mins)
3. Walking to the gate (5-15 mins)
Remember that the gate will close a bit before the plane will leave, so it is not recommended to come late.

So even that gap might be a bit tight (no stops, washroom breaks or such are counted in that estimation)
If you want to do landing, it is for the best to plan one night in Canada and then move on to your final destination.

 

[thisworks]

I would not recommend it.
What they like to do:
1. Redirect your plane on a different gate (that can be waiting in the plane good 30-60 mins).

So even that gap might be a bit tight (no stops, washroom breaks or such are counted in that estimation)
If you want to do landing, it is for the best to plan one night in Canada and then move on to your final destination.

Thanks for the input vensak. Waiting in a plane for 60 minutes sounds kinda extreme. Definitely a 3 sigma event. If that happens I wont land, but if I get of the plane and still have 4.5 hours to go, then I'll make a run for it.

 

[boshiku]

Thanks for the input vensak. Waiting in a plane for 60 minutes sounds kinda extreme. Definitely a 3 sigma event. If that happens I wont land, but if I get of the plane and still have 4.5 hours to go, then I'll make a run for it.

I think you cannot do that, you have to have PR card to cross the border after you landed as PR. You can technically land in Toronto, but will not be able to leave Canada using air until you get PR card.

 

[canuck78]

I think you cannot do that, you have to have PR card to cross the border after you landed as PR. You can technically land in Toronto, but will not be able to leave Canada using air until you get PR card.

No you can leave Canada without a PR card. Issue is coming back. How are you flying back to the US? Your TRV will be technically cancelled after you land and would need a prtd to come through Canada again. Not sure how fast the trv will get cancelled though. The real issue is that you will have to go back through security again so leave a good hour for that.

 

[Bs65]

So plan B what is your layover in Toronto on the way back to NYC given as Canuck implies if you land on the outward you will require a PRTD to board your plane back from the Bahamas which may take longer to get than the time you have in the Bahamas.

There is no way to tell if your TRV would get cancelled post landing in effect until you try checking in for the return should that be via Canada.

You are not obliged to land in either direction although time is against you with a COPR expiring August so you could transit outward as a bona fide visitor and land on the return if time.

 

[thisworks]

Thanks @canuck78 and @Bs65 , I did not realize that my tourist visa will be canceled once I land in Canada, necessitating a PRTD. Hmm, I should think more about this.

A different question, can you travel to Canada from the US in a private vehicle with an expired COPR?

 

[Bs65]

Thanks @canuck78 and @Bs65 , I did not realize that my tourist visa will be canceled once I land in Canada, necessitating a PRTD. Hmm, I should think more about this.

A different question, can you travel to Canada from the US in a private vehicle with an expired COPR?

Hopefully you do not mean an actual expired COPR given if it has expired you could not land as a PR. You have to complete a landing whilst the COPR is still valid so in your case whatever the date is in August 2018

If you mean you will have already landed with your COPR but would not yet have a PR card then sure you can enter from the US land border with your COPR. The lack of a PR card or PRTD as said only applies when flying into Canada not the US land border.

 

[thisworks]

Hopefully you do not mean an actual expired COPR given if it has expired you could not land as a PR. You have to complete a landing whilst the COPR is still valid so in your case whatever the date is in August 2018

If you mean you will have already landed with your COPR but would not yet have a PR card then sure you can enter from the US land border with your COPR. The lack of a PR card or PRTD as said only applies when flying into Canada not the US land border.

Yes, I meant if I 'short' land using my valid COPR before August 2018, travel back to US, and then reenter by land using an expired COPR in november 2018, I should be fine?

 

[shannon388]

Yes, I meant if I 'short' land using my valid COPR before August 2018, travel back to US, and then reenter by land using an expired COPR in november 2018, I should be fine?

Sure, the printed expiration date on CoPR is just the latest date you can land. After landing you are PR, and teh CopR is valid independently of the printed expiry date.