Denied entry into Canada for legitimate holiday?

[ST123]

Hello


Iv'e been looking for advice on this so thought i would try here as i haven't had much luck anywhere else.

Back in December i was supposed to be going to Canada for a 3 week holiday (Toronto) from the United Kingdom, i got to the airport in Toronto and i was asked a few questions such as purpose of visit and how long i was staying for etc, i was then told to go into the imigration/customs centre at the airport. When i got there i was asked several questions about why i was visiting and so on, in the end i was there about 5-6 hours and i wasn't allowed to make a phone call home to tell my family that i had arrived safely etc.

To cut this short, i was denied entry based on the reasons that the imigration officer thought i was going to stay in the country for work and not return back to the UK, despite the facts that i have a job in the UK, i had a return flight and even a return bus ticket for when i got back to the UK. They didn't want to phone the company up that i work for etc to prove that i did work for them. Further more the imigration officer put in his report that i "had a poor relationship" with my family, despite not asking me a single question regarding my family.

I wasn't deported and i haven't had my passport stamped etc so i can return there, however i was told that the chances of me being allowed in are "slim unless you have a very valid reason" so basically i have to have a better reason to be there other than a holiday? Also in the report it stated that i didn't have any paper work to return to Canada, even though i wouldn't have been returning for another few years for another holiday.

Any help/advice please?

 

[Baloo]

Sadly many visitors think that getting into Canada is a slam dunk.
As you know, this is not always the case.

Anyone coming to Canada should read the CIC website information before travelling, there are a lot of things that will help avoid the situation that you found yourself in.

It seems crazy that you would need anything more than a passport, but, in many cases you do...
If you had been carrying a letter from your company, stating that you were on holiday and would be returning to work, the IO would have been more likely to grant you entry.

I don't understand some of the reasons why the IO did what he/she did, so I cannot comment.

If you want to return to Canada in the future, you can do so, but you will need a lot of documentation to prove your case.
FWIW you can apply for copies of your immigration notes.
There are no 100% guarantees with Canadian immigration.


A few questions:
What was the purpose of the trip, just holiday or other things like visiting friends etc?
Where were you going to stay?
What locations would you have visited on the holiday
Have you visited Canada before, how often?

 

[ST123]

I had a good read of the CIC website before i went and even sent a few emails off to them to check that i had everything in order with regards to any documentation i may have been missing but everything seemed fine.


Just a holiday, i have some family members in British Columbia but iv'e never met them before or anything, so yeah just a holiday.

Hotel

I'd of been in a few places but most of it would have been in Toronto such as the Eaton Centre etc. Niagara falls was another place i washopeing to visit, but mostly it was just going to be attractions around Toronto.

Never visited before, this was my first time.

 

[xse2573]

I think your self expression to him put him in doubt about your intentions.
Also if you have no previous problems with immigrations or passport control
issues, Yes! you will be fine to return back and enjoy your holiday, only if you
have a multiple entry visa.
But this time ensure you have all the required documentations such as
letter of leave from your company, place of stay, people you might be
visiting/seeing (if any), how long you intend to stay etc....

I wish you good luck!

 

[Baloo]

Kind of strange -
Maybe your name matched a "bad person" or,
the IO was having a bad day, or
any number of other possible issues.

I assume that you signed a document that you were going to leave Canada voluntarily?
Did they give you a copy?

Like I said, you can attempt a visit, but you will need a lot of proof (I know that you had some items already).

Letter from company that you will return.
Proof of funds for the trip
Insurance cover.
Hotel bookings
Return air ticket.

etc

 

[ST123]

Yeah i signed a voluntary leave form, i was giving the option to appeal the decision but they said it could have taking a week or more.

A lot of the documentation i had (Return flight tickets, travel funds,insurance etc)

I'm not sure if it was more because i was travelling alone as well as another person from the UK (who told me he was a regular visiter to Canada) was stopped as well and asked the same/other questions. But thank you for the answers.

 

[Leon]

If you are worried about going again, you can apply for a visit visa at the Canadian embassy even though you are visa exempt. At the time you apply for the visa, you will already have answered all the questions and shown all your proof of returning.

 

[Baloo]

If you are worried about going again, you can apply for a visit visa at the Canadian embassy even though you are visa exempt. At the time you apply for the visa, you will already have answered all the questions and shown all your proof of returning.

Certainly a good idea.