Leave Canada without PR card
- Thread starter joymonroe
- Start date
As you will find in other posts on this forum, it is absolutely possible to leave without your card and return, however, you need to be from a visa-exempt country or have the previously mentioned PR travel document.
Here is my story from earlier this holiday season. I got my PR confirmation in November, and called CIC to set up my landing interview. I work 5 minutes away from a CIC office, so thought I would just get it out of the way instead of doing it the next time I enter Canada. During the call, I asked whether I would have any trouble traveling while my card was being processed, and they said no.
I go and do my landing process and at the end I was informed that I can't travel unless I have my PR card or apply for a PR travel document while outside of Canada. I was leaving on holiday in two weeks, so a rush order on the card wouldn't work. Fairly frustrated with the whole thing, I call CIC and ask why they would tell me that it was OK to travel. The answer I got, and I'm not joking, was "I think my colleague meant that it's no problem for you to leave, however, coming back is an issue". To me, traveling means the process of leaving and coming back, but enough about that... I then call CBSA to check whether they would allow me to enter Canada with my passport and COPR, which they said wouldn't be a problem. Technically you are allowed to enter Canada by car with your COPR and passport.
Luckily, I'm from a visa-exempt country and the new travel visa rules are not yet in effect, so I decided to go on my holiday and bank on the airline letting me board the flight from Europe as a visitor. I had zero issues checking in, boarding and entering Canada. Just gave them my passport and boarding pass and that was it, no questions asked. As other people have mentioned in other posts, don't mention that you are a PR as they might start asking for your card. At the border, I explained my situation (told them I was a PR, showed my COPR, etc.) and there were no issues.
Hope this helps.
Here is my story from earlier this holiday season. I got my PR confirmation in November, and called CIC to set up my landing interview. I work 5 minutes away from a CIC office, so thought I would just get it out of the way instead of doing it the next time I enter Canada. During the call, I asked whether I would have any trouble traveling while my card was being processed, and they said no.
I go and do my landing process and at the end I was informed that I can't travel unless I have my PR card or apply for a PR travel document while outside of Canada. I was leaving on holiday in two weeks, so a rush order on the card wouldn't work. Fairly frustrated with the whole thing, I call CIC and ask why they would tell me that it was OK to travel. The answer I got, and I'm not joking, was "I think my colleague meant that it's no problem for you to leave, however, coming back is an issue". To me, traveling means the process of leaving and coming back, but enough about that... I then call CBSA to check whether they would allow me to enter Canada with my passport and COPR, which they said wouldn't be a problem. Technically you are allowed to enter Canada by car with your COPR and passport.
Luckily, I'm from a visa-exempt country and the new travel visa rules are not yet in effect, so I decided to go on my holiday and bank on the airline letting me board the flight from Europe as a visitor. I had zero issues checking in, boarding and entering Canada. Just gave them my passport and boarding pass and that was it, no questions asked. As other people have mentioned in other posts, don't mention that you are a PR as they might start asking for your card. At the border, I explained my situation (told them I was a PR, showed my COPR, etc.) and there were no issues.
Hope this helps.
lol'd at your post. It wasn't an issue after all...the officer who assured you "travelling will not be an issue" calculated all possible outcomes. I am joking of course, I hear those stories all the time and pretty much that's the reason I am postponing my vacation.BankingExpressE said:
We're in the same situation with my boyfriend. We landed a few days back, and travelling in 1.5 months.
We are from visa exempt countries, so I gather as long as the airline let us board to Canada with our passports like they would normally, I suppose it should be all right.
CBSA can then check the passports and the PR landing documents in it. It's evident we're PR, also in all their records. They wouldn't send us back to Australia, would they? A
I called CIC and they told me they can't process the first PR card as urgent, and that we'd have to apply for the PR Travel Document, there's no other way ... which seems utterly complicated with 1) needing to apply only once already abroad 2) apply with the embassy outside of Canada. We're only gone for 2 weeks. This scenario would probably leave us without the PR travel document in time to travel back to Canada.
Calling Calgary CBSA tomorrow so they enlighten me. Finally, it's not CIC who will let us back in to Canada, CBSA will be.
Any other suggestions, or experience, do share.
We are from visa exempt countries, so I gather as long as the airline let us board to Canada with our passports like they would normally, I suppose it should be all right.
CBSA can then check the passports and the PR landing documents in it. It's evident we're PR, also in all their records. They wouldn't send us back to Australia, would they? A
I called CIC and they told me they can't process the first PR card as urgent, and that we'd have to apply for the PR Travel Document, there's no other way ... which seems utterly complicated with 1) needing to apply only once already abroad 2) apply with the embassy outside of Canada. We're only gone for 2 weeks. This scenario would probably leave us without the PR travel document in time to travel back to Canada.
Calling Calgary CBSA tomorrow so they enlighten me. Finally, it's not CIC who will let us back in to Canada, CBSA will be.
Any other suggestions, or experience, do share.