Enter Canada before approved WP + Baby daughter ETA period >6 mths?

[C3K]

Hi,

Hopefully someone can help me with our situation.

I have a job for one year in Vancouver and my wife + daughter (6 months) will join me during this period.
My wife and I applied for a work permit, which is still in process and possibly will not be on time for our flight.

I planned to go to Vancouver 3 three weeks in advance of my job starting date, to arrange housing and so on. However, our work permits will possible be too late....

We are Belgian citizens and the three of us, already have an ETA. We are planning to go to Canada with our ETA's and wait in Canada for our work permits.

Questions:
1. Can my family and I enter Canada with our ETA and wait in Canada for the work permit? So that in the mean time we can find a place to live.

2. What do I say to the board officer when I enter with an ETA... Do I mention that I am still waiting for the work permit? Or do I stress that I will only be visiting?

3. My daughter (6 months) will only have an ETA. Is this enough for her to stay the entire year with us? The IRCC-website shows me that she need an ETA, but another page says that it only allows for a visit of 6 months...

Thank you very much for helping me out!!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi,

Hopefully someone can help me with our situation.

I have a job for one year in Vancouver and my wife + daughter (6 months) will join me during this period.
My wife and I applied for a work permit, which is still in process and possibly will not be on time for our flight.

I planned to go to Vancouver 3 three weeks in advance of my job starting date, to arrange housing and so on. However, our work permits will possible be too late....

We are Belgian citizens and the three of us, already have an ETA. We are planning to go to Canada with our ETA's and wait in Canada for our work permits.

Questions:
1. Can my family and I enter Canada with our ETA and wait in Canada for the work permit? So that in the mean time we can find a place to live.

2. What do I say to the board officer when I enter with an ETA... Do I mention that I am still waiting for the work permit? Or do I stress that I will only be visiting?

3. My daughter (6 months) will only have an ETA. Is this enough for her to stay the entire year with us? The IRCC-website shows me that she need an ETA, but another page says that it only allows for a visit of 6 months...

Thank you very much for helping me out!!

1. You can come as visitors but will need to exit and re-enter Canada in order to activate your work permits.

2. CBSA will be able to see active applications in the system, so no point in lying.

3. No. You will need to apply to extend her stay.

 

[C3K]

Thanks for the great info and swift response!!

Some final questions to be entirely sure what to do:

1. You can come as visitors but will need to exit and re-enter Canada in order to activate your work permits.

--> since we will be in Vancouver, we can easily cross the US-border and re-enter. I guess we will also need arrange an ESTA (beforehand) to enter the USA? Or can we just drive across the border and turn around?

2. CBSA will be able to see active applications in the system, so no point in lying.

--> so I can just demonstrate the officer my job offer and explain that I am still waiting for my work permit, but that I want to enter as a visitor beforehand... also explaining that I will be looking for a place to live. That will not be any problem then?

3. No. You will need to apply to extend her stay.

--> So, an ETA is fine for her IF I apply on time, before the end of the 6 months period, for an extension while we are residing in Vancouver? Because I do not want to fly back home to extend her stay and return....

Again thank you!

 

[babybenz]

Thanks for the great info and swift response!!

Some final questions to be entirely sure what to do:

1. You can come as visitors but will need to exit and re-enter Canada in order to activate your work permits.

--> since we will be in Vancouver, we can easily cross the US-border and re-enter. I guess we will also need arrange an ESTA (beforehand) to enter the USA? Or can we just drive across the border and turn around?

2. CBSA will be able to see active applications in the system, so no point in lying.

--> so I can just demonstrate the officer my job offer and explain that I am still waiting for my work permit, but that I want to enter as a visitor beforehand... also explaining that I will be looking for a place to live. That will not be any problem then?

3. No. You will need to apply to extend her stay.

--> So, an ETA is fine for her IF I apply on time, before the end of the 6 months period, for an extension while we are residing in Vancouver? Because I do not want to fly back home to extend her stay and return....

Again thank you!

Your situation is similar to my friend, except that she is from visa-required country. So yours is even easier.
1/ When you have your work permit visa, you can drive to US border and come back to activate your work permit. And since you do not need visa to enter US (if I remember correctly), then it is OK
2/ You can tell the truth, advise the officer that you were in Canada before hand as visitors and now you are approved for work permit, so you change. You don't have to say that you are here because you want to prepare for your housing, etc...
3/ When you are at the border, ask the officer to give you something called "Visitor record" for your baby, which is required for staying in Canada more than 6 months. The visitor record shall have the same expiry date as your Work permit

One more thing, you can also ask the border officer to issue your wife a Open Work Permit. They may refuse to do that at the border, if that is the case, you can also apply one later in Canada once you are issued WP

Hope this helps

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks for the great info and swift response!!

Some final questions to be entirely sure what to do:

1. You can come as visitors but will need to exit and re-enter Canada in order to activate your work permits.

--> since we will be in Vancouver, we can easily cross the US-border and re-enter. I guess we will also need arrange an ESTA (beforehand) to enter the USA? Or can we just drive across the border and turn around?

2. CBSA will be able to see active applications in the system, so no point in lying.

--> so I can just demonstrate the officer my job offer and explain that I am still waiting for my work permit, but that I want to enter as a visitor beforehand... also explaining that I will be looking for a place to live. That will not be any problem then?

3. No. You will need to apply to extend her stay.

--> So, an ETA is fine for her IF I apply on time, before the end of the 6 months period, for an extension while we are residing in Vancouver? Because I do not want to fly back home to extend her stay and return....

Again thank you!

1. An ESTA isn't needed as you don't need to enter the US. CBP will give you an administrative refusal and turn you back to Canada. You do have to actually leave Canada and interact with US CBP. You can't just u-turn before hitting the US.

2. Should be fine but no one can guarantee it, as it is up to the border officer.

3. You can apply online to extend her visitor status. If you are taking her with you when you flagpole, you could request a Visitor Record for her.

 

[C3K]

Thank you all for helping me out!! Much appreciated.

You all provided me with more useful information than I could find after many hours of online research.

I already wish you all a happy New Year!