Inland vs. Outland Application

[CanadianAlien]

Not really true, many visa-exempt people are able to board flights with just 1-way tickets. It really depends on the airline, some are picky about this and others couldn't care less.

One could try to check-in, and only if the airline really puts up a fuss about it you can then buy a fully refundable onward ticket on the spot and just cancel it right after.

Try doing that from the UK.....I have flown 4 times to Canada with 4 airlines (Air transat, KLM, British Airways, American Airlines) each time the airline had various methods of weeding out those without immigration status holding single tickets, from having agents checking your papers while waiting to check-in, to having to present your papers at the desk with your ticket (and trust me those papers are checked). An open return at that point last minute is the same price as a second-hand car...not many people have that amount available there and then in funds or credit. I dare say a last minute open return from Australia to Canada would cost even more! Before you say they don't stop you flying I actually saw it happening to someone at Manchester airport check-in, unable to prove status they got taken aside and a manager/senior employee told them they couldn't fly as the airline was liable for their return if refused entry.

Again every case is different. While having a return tickets is advised in case CBSA wants to dig further, majority of travelers are never even asked about return tickets

....I must be in the minority then, and I suppose I am, as the majority of travelers are not wishing to settle here rather vacationing or passing through, but if, as the OP stated, you know CBSA are going to be examining you for temporary residence status then having some sort of onward ticket would be beneficial.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Try doing that from the UK

My partner and I came to Canada on one-way tickets from the UK with no issues, with my partner travelling as just a visitor. Transat didn't ask or care. Many others have done it as well.

For visa-exempt people, airlines know that the risk of refusal is very low and that CBSA has no requirement for a return ticket, so they generally aren't too strict about it.

 

[Decoy24601]

My partner and I came to Canada on one-way tickets from the UK with no issues, with my partner travelling as just a visitor. Transat didn't ask or care. Many others have done it as well.

For visa-exempt people, airlines know that the risk of refusal is very low and that CBSA has no requirement for a return ticket, so they generally aren't too strict about it.

Very true. The first time I came to visit my husband (before we were married) I traveled on a one-way ticket. The airline didn't even ask about it and didn't care. CBSA didn't ask about a return ticket either. I had to attend a university in a nearby state 3 months later anyways, so I was planning on just taking the train down at the end of my stay. In my case, not having a return ticket wasn't odd.

 

[CanadianAlien]

I must be the unluckiest SOB then.....won't bother buying lottery tickets...4 flights in a period of 4 years, 3 airports, 4 airlines...and inspections at every one of them. Last one was from heathrow, KLM flight October last year....handy to know transat don't check now, they did 4 years ago (flew with them once...NEVER again!) that may come in handy at some point in the future.
Perhaps it's easier from the UK when your Canadian spouse is beside you presenting a Canadian passport, they just assume as you are together the other (UK) passport holder MUST have status? The incident I described from Manchester was a young lad (mid 20's), a member of staff went down the check-in line asking to see tickets prior to anyone even getting to the desk, all single tickets had to show proof, work permits/Copr/etc etc, he had nothing...he didn't board....and that was Air Transat, Manchester to Calgary in 2012.

If you say that's not the norm...I have no idea, every time I've personally flown, they have inspected...maybe it's me, I just look suspicious?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I must be the unluckiest SOB then.....won't bother buying lottery tickets...4 flights in a period of 4 years, 3 airports, 4 airlines...and inspections at every one of them. Last one was from heathrow, KLM flight October last year....handy to know transat don't check now, they did 4 years ago (flew with them once...NEVER again!) that may come in handy at some point in the future.

Sorry if this makes you fell even unluckier but our flight was actually around the same time as yours, at the end of 2012.

 

[Decoy24601]

I must be the unluckiest SOB then.....won't bother buying lottery tickets...4 flights in a period of 4 years, 3 airports, 4 airlines...and inspections at every one of them. Last one was from heathrow, KLM flight October last year....handy to know transat don't check now, they did 4 years ago (flew with them once...NEVER again!) that may come in handy at some point in the future.

I can't say that I'm the luckiest person either. Every other time I enter Canada I seem to at least get hassled by the CBSA for one thing or another. I was just hassled when I landed for things that ended up being no big deal. It does kind of come down to the luck of the draw and the individual CBSA officers. It could have been that the individual airline you dealt with was very strict when it came to one-way international tickets.

 

[CanadianAlien]

okay so what we have learned today..DONT use British Airways, KLM, or American Airlines...use air transat, you will get on with that one way ticket...just might not get to your destination until a day later.. ;D

 

[Decoy24601]

okay so what we have learned today..DONT use British Airways, KLM, or American Airlines...use air transat, you will get on with that one way ticket...just might not get to your destination until a day later.. ;D

Personally, the only airline I've flown is AlaskaAirlines, so I can't help you when choosing a local airline much , but from what I gather some airlines are less strict than others in general. Coming with a return ticket is generally a better idea anyways for gaining entry into Canada when it comes to CBSA. I've never been asked about return tickets, but it's something that's good to have.

 

[Rob_TO]

An open return at that point last minute is the same price as a second-hand car...not many people have that amount available there and then in funds or credit.

Doesn't have to be return back to same location on same airline. It just has to be onward from Canada. So you can go online and find the cheapest refundable Canada to USA ticket from any random cities, which is probably just a couple hundred dollars.

As to the airline being strict about this, it really depends on not only the airline but also the airport you're in and who happens to be managing the check-in counter at that time. Demanding a return/onward ticket to visa-exempt travelers is NOT a strict rule. It's done seemingly at random, considering the vast number of people who have no problem doing it.

I must be in the minority then, and I suppose I am, as the majority of travelers are not wishing to settle here rather vacationing or passing through, but if, as the OP stated, you know CBSA are going to be examining you for temporary residence status then having some sort of onward ticket would be beneficial.

Nobody knows if CBSA will send you to secondary inspection for any reason. Again, the vast majority of travelers on any given day just breeze through CBSA with no need to show any supporting info like a return ticket. Even in the OPs case, or other cases where people come to Canada as visitors to wait out PR processing, this is most likely what will happen.

However as mentioned, traveling with a return/onward ticket is always recommended since if you're one of the unlucky ones to go to secondary, it will definitely help. But not having it is NOT a reason on its own to deny entry into Canada, as CBSA will look at the entire picture and what other information or explanations you can present them.

 

[CanadianAlien]

Doesn't have to be return back to same location on same airline. It just has to be onward from Canada. So you can go online and find the cheapest refundable Canada to USA ticket from any random cities, which is probably just a couple hundred dollars.

I said this to the OP already, but I'm glad you agree

Purchasing it prior to entering the airport would make sense rather than trying to book it on dodgy wifi in an airport lounge.

Nobody knows if CBSA will send you to secondary inspection for any reason. Again, the vast majority of travelers on any given day just breeze through CBSA with no need to show any supporting info like a return ticket. Even in the OPs case, or other cases where people come to Canada as visitors to wait out PR processing, this is most likely what will happen.

However as mentioned, traveling with a return/onward ticket is always recommended since if you're one of the unlucky ones to go to secondary, it will definitely help. But not having it is NOT a reason on its own to deny entry into Canada, as CBSA will look at the entire picture and what other information or explanations you can present them.

I've got to ask the forum...please be honest.

Has ANYONE just walked up to the CBSA agent in their very first meeting with a Canadian border and said "Hello, I'm here with my spouse and I have just/will be submitting a spousal PR application and staying while it is getting processed, there is nothing of any sort about it on your computer"....and then had the agent say, "no problems, welcome" stamped the passport and waved you through without ANY further examination of any sort? We all can only base things on our own experiences, this is not the only forum on immigration I'm active on, but I'm CERTAINLY no expert, and make a point of stating this, but I've never heard/read a post of this before. (and this is the situation the OP would be in, hence what I'm posting on)

Personally I thought I would be referred when I entered...and I was, straight away. I based this on my own previous dealings with CBSA, of 4 air entry and 38 land crossings (the job I came here to do on a 2 year Work Permit meant I crossed into the USA nearly every fortnight). No one has said a CBSA agent will deny you purely for not having a return, what has been said is airlines might not let you fly to even see that agent. Again personally, I preferred having that ticket in my pocket and showing it to the CBSA as proof of my intentions, trying to weigh the scales heavily on the YES side, and that agent stated "it's good you have a return" at the time. Did I need it for CBSA? Probably not. Did I feel better having it? Yes. Would I have got on a plane with KLM on this occasion with only a single to even speak to the agent..no, my onwards ticket was examined prior to the agent checking me in.

I'm always aware, that anything posted on a forum lives for years, if someone for example searches on a topic like this in a years time, this thread would pop up, while I would never know, I would hate to possibly have steered that person into the wrong impression and cause them all sort of problems, so I always try to post responsibly, base them on personal experience and always err on the side of caution....I would always personally recommend some form of onward travel is procured PRIOR to travel in these circumstances..but that's just me.

 

[Rob_TO]

Has ANYONE just walked up to the CBSA agent in their very first meeting with a Canadian border and said "Hello, I'm here with my spouse and I have just/will be submitting a spousal PR application and staying while it is getting processed, there is nothing of any sort about it on your computer"....and then had the agent say, "no problems, welcome" stamped the passport and waved you through without ANY further examination of any sort?

Yes, tons of visa-exempt applicants have reported exactly this. If you show proof of the PR app already in progress (like fee receipt, sponsor approval, eCAS printout, etc) and tell CBSA you are just waiting out PR processing in Canada and understand/will abide by visitor rules, odds are they will just allow you to enter without referring to secondary. My wife did exactly this while her PR was in process and we traveled out and back to Canada.

It's a bit different if you have not applied at all for PR, and tell CBSA you are entering with the intention of applying for PR/staying permanently. In this case, it's probably better to just state you're entering as a visitor and not mention applying for PR in the future, but if they ask specifically only then would you need to mention it so you aren't lying to them.

 

[CanadianAlien]

It's a bit different if you have not applied at all for PR, and tell CBSA you are entering with the intention of applying for PR/staying permanently. In this case, it's probably better to just state you're entering as a visitor and not mention applying for PR in the future, but if they ask specifically only then would you need to mention it so you aren't lying to them.

If you re-read the OP's first post...thats the exact circumstances here...nothing in the system...that's why I could not understand how you are saying ...yeh they will just let you rock on through, no checks, no visitor record. You can see my confusion.

 

[Rob_TO]

If you re-read the OP's first post...thats the exact circumstances here...nothing in the system...that's why I could not understand how you are saying ...yeh they will just let you rock on through, no checks, no visitor record. You can see my confusion.

As i stated, there is no need to state upfront he intends to apply for PR and stay permanently. Just tell CBSA you are entering as a visitor, period. No need to divulge more info than you need to. In this case, most likely he will simply be allowed entry with 6 months status as a visa-exempt visitor easily and they can then apply for PR later on.

If pushed on the issue or if send to secondary inspection, only then can they explain their plans further if asked specifically about it.