Landing in YVR for 8 hours to “activate” COPR

[CanadianinCali]

Hi all!
My husband received his COPR in July 2021 and we have yet to make our move (the process went much faster than we anticipated). His COPR expires in June, so he’s booked himself a flight to a Vancouver and back (same day) to “activate” his COPR. He will provide my brother’s mailing address in Toronto for the PR card to be mailed to.
What can he expect from the “activation” process while with customs in YVR? We know he’ll need to show settlement funds. Any other hot tips or things we should be prepared for?
Thanks!

 

[keys8014]

what are the settlement funds you are talking about?

 

[scylla]

Hi all!
My husband received his COPR in July 2021 and we have yet to make our move (the process went much faster than we anticipated). His COPR expires in June, so he’s booked himself a flight to a Vancouver and back (same day) to “activate” his COPR. He will provide my brother’s mailing address in Toronto for the PR card to be mailed to.
What can he expect from the “activation” process while with customs in YVR? We know he’ll need to show settlement funds. Any other hot tips or things we should be prepared for?
Thanks!

There's no proof of funds for spousal sponsorship.

The only complication I can see is if he's randomly selected for mandatory arrival testing for COVID. Not sure how that would work.

 

[CanadianinCali]

There's no proof of funds for spousal sponsorship.

The only complication I can see is if he's randomly selected for mandatory arrival testing for COVID. Not sure how that would work.

Thanks for your response. Can you expand on why mandatory COVID testing might be an issue?

 

[scylla]

Thanks for your response. Can you expand on why mandatory COVID testing might be an issue?

Canada has random testing on arrival. If you are randomly selected, it is mandatory that you complete the test (and quarantine if required) or face fines.

If you end up being randomly selected, then I don't know if you'll be allowed to board a plane leaving Canada within the same day. I don't know enough about how the process works to comment on that. Test results seem to be ready within 72 hours. This indicates that if you are selected for a random test, your test results most likely won't be ready by the time you are due to fly out. I don't know if you will be allowed on your flight if the test results are still pending.

 

[armoured]

Canada has random testing on arrival. If you are randomly selected, it is mandatory that you complete the test (and quarantine if required) or face fines.

If you end up being randomly selected, then I don't know if you'll be allowed to board a plane leaving Canada within the same day. I don't know enough about how the process works to comment on that. Test results seem to be ready within 72 hours. This indicates that if you are selected for a random test, your test results most likely won't be ready by the time you are due to fly out. I don't know if you will be allowed on your flight if the test results are still pending.

I'd just add: even if there is no specific mechanism to stop a traveller from boarding a flight, it may still be contrary to law and cause problems down the road later.

Emphasizing: I don't know - but if you're required by law to do certain things after the random test, there may be consequences to not doing those things. Some violations of the covid laws have landed travellers with fines of several thousand dollars (and that's probably not the maximum).

 

[HopefulLegend]

If he flies back without receiving his PR card, the card will have to be mailed out to him abroad. The COPR visa in your passport is only valid for 1 entry, and the COPR document itself is not a travel document.

 

[CanadianinCali]

If he flies back without receiving his PR card, the card will have to be mailed out to him abroad. The COPR visa in your passport is only valid for 1 entry, and the COPR document itself is not a travel document.

We are happy to have it mailed domestic or international, wherever they want to send it (I thought it had to be to a Canadian address, but even better if they can just mail it to our house in Los Angeles)

 

[CanadianinCali]

If he flies back without receiving his PR card, the card will have to be mailed out to him abroad. The COPR visa in your passport is only valid for 1 entry, and the COPR document itself is not a travel document.

I'd just add: even if there is no specific mechanism to stop a traveller from boarding a flight, it may still be contrary to law and cause problems down the road later.

Emphasizing: I don't know - but if you're required by law to do certain things after the random test, there may be consequences to not doing those things. Some violations of the covid laws have landed travellers with fines of several thousand dollars (and that's probably not the maximum).

Ahhhhhhh - I see what you're saying now. Definitely something to take into consideration.

 

[CanadianinCali]

Just wanted to provide an update for anyone who may visit this thread in the future.
My common law husband flew to YVR this morning out of LAX. He arrived at around 10:30 am and was the first in line at customs. He went through the immigration checkpoint (computerized) and was directed to the immigration office.
In the office he answered a few easy questions (marital status, is partner a Canadian citizen, criminal record, dependents, etc) and then the guy took the paperwork, did some computer process, and that was it. My husband then provided a Canadian address for the PR card to be mailed to and he was done.
He then exited immigration (around 11am), checked in for his return flight departing at 7:40pm (we thought the process would take hours so we booked him on a later flight!), went back through security, pre-cleared US customs (which he said grinded him worse than Canadian customs. Lol. Likely because he spent less than 3 hours on the ground), went to the gate of an earlier departing flight (1:40pm), got on that flight, and was home by dinner.
Of note, while he didn’t have to have a negative Covid test to enter Canada, he did need one to return back to the US (which he took the day before)