No time to apply for travel document and still waiting for PR card, risks...

[sonnenstern]

Hi all,

I've read numerous threads on this but still cannot really estimate how high the risks are of being denied entry back to Canada when travelling without the PR card. My situation is as follows:

- became permanent resident beginning of January 2016
- current PR card processing time is +105 days
- visa-exempt passport
- will HAVE to travel in April (although 2 months away, it is kind of an emergency situation and I HAVE to travel), the PR card will not arrive in time
- will only stay for two business days in visa-exempt country, VISA office is 600 km away
- PR travel document application takes 3-4 weeks, in that time they claim the passport and you are stuck (= not an option, as I'm emplyed and can't just stay away for 4 weeks?!)
- got my last work permit end of august 2015 and still have the physical permit in my passport
- it says on the CIC website that work permits after 01. August 2015 automatically get an ETA (which would technically apply to my old work permit)

How high are my chances of
a) being denied boarding on the flight with the new ETA requirement coming into effect March 16th 2016?
b) being denied entry at the border (YVR)?

Is it better to rebook the flight to Seattle and cross by land border?

I don't know what to do about this situation and I know nobody can guarantee re-entry by giving advice. I guess I'd like to hear some success stories of traveling without PR card by airplane.... I have applied for urgent processing of the PR card and was informed it is NOT possible because this is my first PR card. There is no way for me to delay these travel plans or stay in the visitor country to wait for the travel document to arrive. I'm just so sick of being stuck in Canada....

What to do? What are the risks? Have PRs been denied boarding or denied entry when they were able to show CoPR?

Thanks for any advice or experiences.

 

[scylla]

My husband traveled multiple times on a visa exempt passport after becoming a PR and before getting his card - he had no issues. Having said that, ETA is new and I have no idea what that will mean.

Your old work permit was effectively canceled when you landed and became a PR. So you should assume the last point you listed no longer applies to you since your work permit is technically no longer valid.

 

[sonnenstern]

I tried to apply for an ETA today (the biggest risk that I see is being denied boarding) and I don't know if I will get it. PRs don't need an ETA so I'm not sure if it will be denied. The reason I mentioned the work permit is that accordingly to CIC, ETAs were automatically issued for work permits when these were issued after 01. August 2015. Sa I am hoping that somehow there is an ETA connected to my passport.

At the POE I would then "reveal" that I'm in fact a PR and would present supporting documents (CoPR etc). I wouldn't use the old work permit to enter, because as you say, it is invalid anyways and also: I am a permamnent resident and the fact that I don;'t have the chip card doesn't change my status. So in fact I am more concerned about the airline..