Confusion re: PRTD with a US passport

[dagget42]

Hi there,

While doing research on the PRTD I came across this forum, and it pretty much turned my understanding of getting a permanent resident travel document on it's ear.

First, my scenario: I had a long while back sent my PR card renewal application, which had taken an eternity to get back to me with a letter stating that it contained out of date information (I formatted one date incorrectly, totally my bad). Now, I am leaving this week. Since it takes 100+ days for an application to even be started processing as per the application processing times site (and I swear the "Working on applications received" date has gone backwards), I'm in an awkward situation. I live in Canada year-round and have a US passport.

So, I did my research and came up with a lot of experiences through this site from people in similar-ish situations. It seems like the experiences I've read about have suggested a lack of need of getting a PRTD while abroad, but I don't want to take chances. So, I just wanted to clarify a few specific things:

1. If I arrive at Canadian Customs via commercial airline with a US passport, an expired PR card and evidence of meeting my residency requirements since I live in Canada, I might have trouble but won't be denied entry flat-out and told to go to a land crossing?
2. If I produce a US passport at the airport, since I am from a visa-exempt country, I do not need to produce a PR card for being allowed to board flights to Canada?
3. Even if the airline somehow knew that I was a PR, would my passport supersede the PR status to allow me to board?
4. If the main issue is getting an eTA to board flights to Canada, would applying for an eTA allow me to board without a PR card?
5. The PRTD requires I send in my passport while abroad, I think the assumption is that you are applying in your home country. Given that I will be in a country I am only visiting and that my passport would be my main form of ID other than my Canadian drivers license, I would be uncomfortable going without it for potentially a few weeks. Has anyone only sent their passport in to receive the PRTD foil after acceptance?

Thank you very much!

 

[zardoz]

Hi there,

While doing research on the PRTD I came across this forum, and it pretty much turned my understanding of getting a permanent resident travel document on it's ear.

First, my scenario: I had a long while back sent my PR card renewal application, which had taken an eternity to get back to me with a letter stating that it contained out of date information (I formatted one date incorrectly, totally my bad). Now, I am leaving this week. Since it takes 100+ days for an application to even be started processing as per the application processing times site (and I swear the "Working on applications received" date has gone backwards), I'm in an awkward situation. I live in Canada year-round and have a US passport.

So, I did my research and came up with a lot of experiences through this site from people in similar-ish situations. It seems like the experiences I've read about have suggested a lack of need of getting a PRTD while abroad, but I don't want to take chances. So, I just wanted to clarify a few specific things:

1. If I arrive at Canadian Customs via commercial airline with a US passport, an expired PR card and evidence of meeting my residency requirements since I live in Canada, I might have trouble but won't be denied entry flat-out and told to go to a land crossing?
2. If I produce a US passport at the airport, since I am from a visa-exempt country, I do not need to produce a PR card for being allowed to board flights to Canada?
3. Even if the airline somehow knew that I was a PR, would my passport supersede the PR status to allow me to board?
4. If the main issue is getting an eTA to board flights to Canada, would applying for an eTA allow me to board without a PR card?
5. The PRTD requires I send in my passport while abroad, I think the assumption is that you are applying in your home country. Given that I will be in a country I am only visiting and that my passport would be my main form of ID other than my Canadian drivers license, I would be uncomfortable going without it for potentially a few weeks. Has anyone only sent their passport in to receive the PRTD foil after acceptance?

Thank you very much!

1. Correct.
2. Correct.
3. Correct.
4. US passport holders do not require an eTA. Your passport is your "trump card", pun intended.
5. US passport holders do not require a PRTD, see 4.

 

[dagget42]

Wow, that's great. So, it would probably be at best an unnecessary safety to get a PRTD is what I'm hearing, and while the official stance of the government is that it's absolutely necessary, it seems there's this loophole for US passport holders. That echos a lot of what I've heard.

Regardless, I will put the results of my experiences on this forum to share

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi there,

While doing research on the PRTD I came across this forum, and it pretty much turned my understanding of getting a permanent resident travel document on it's ear.

First, my scenario: I had a long while back sent my PR card renewal application, which had taken an eternity to get back to me with a letter stating that it contained out of date information (I formatted one date incorrectly, totally my bad). Now, I am leaving this week. Since it takes 100+ days for an application to even be started processing as per the application processing times site (and I swear the "Working on applications received" date has gone backwards), I'm in an awkward situation. I live in Canada year-round and have a US passport.

So, I did my research and came up with a lot of experiences through this site from people in similar-ish situations. It seems like the experiences I've read about have suggested a lack of need of getting a PRTD while abroad, but I don't want to take chances. So, I just wanted to clarify a few specific things:

1. If I arrive at Canadian Customs via commercial airline with a US passport, an expired PR card and evidence of meeting my residency requirements since I live in Canada, I might have trouble but won't be denied entry flat-out and told to go to a land crossing?
2. If I produce a US passport at the airport, since I am from a visa-exempt country, I do not need to produce a PR card for being allowed to board flights to Canada?
3. Even if the airline somehow knew that I was a PR, would my passport supersede the PR status to allow me to board?
4. If the main issue is getting an eTA to board flights to Canada, would applying for an eTA allow me to board without a PR card?
5. The PRTD requires I send in my passport while abroad, I think the assumption is that you are applying in your home country. Given that I will be in a country I am only visiting and that my passport would be my main form of ID other than my Canadian drivers license, I would be uncomfortable going without it for potentially a few weeks. Has anyone only sent their passport in to receive the PRTD foil after acceptance?

Thank you very much!

Do not tell the airline that you are a PR. While they probably wouldn't, they can actually refuse to board you with a valid PR card or PRTD.

 

[dagget42]

Do not tell the airline that you are a PR. While they probably wouldn't, they can actually refuse to board you with a valid PR card or PRTD.

Certainly, I wouldn't volunteer any information like that to an airline anyway. I'm actually filling out my advanced passenger profile right now and specifically putting down that I am American and putting in my passport number. That seems like it would be sufficient, do you think?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Certainly, I wouldn't volunteer any information like that to an airline anyway. I'm actually filling out my advanced passenger profile right now and specifically putting down that I am American and putting in my passport number. That seems like it would be sufficient, do you think?

Yes, that's fine.

 

[dagget42]

I just wanted to follow up on this to report that indeed I had no problems at all the entire trip. There wasn't really any trouble once I got to Canada either, I just told them the situation and I didn't even get put into secondary screening.

Thanks everyone!