PR card delays and going on vacation

[number1dan]

Hi all,

So I had my landing appointment in November, and all was fine and was told I'd get my card in 6-8 weeks. Awesome.

7 weeks pass (IN WHICH TIME WE BOOK A HOLIDAY TO DISNEY IN BEGINNING OF APRIL because the landing lady had no issues) and I get an email saying the photos are wrong and I need to resend them. I was pretty worried and I called them up and asked if they could tell me what was wrong with them so i wouldnt make the same mistake. The nice lady said that unfortunately they cant see the reason, just that they need to be resent. So I then ask, how does it work with processing now? Do they just continue with my application when they receive it. She said no its order of receipt, so now im bottom of the pile!!!! So it could be another full processing wait, which could take us to mid-march if there are no more delays.

My question is, if the worst happens, is there a way I can still travel without my PR card and be allowed back in the country? We've already paid the deposit and dont want to cancel.

 

[Buletruck]

You can cross the us canadian border by land without your PR card. You won’t be able to board commercial transportation, but you can rent a car, take a taxi or just walk across.

 

[jordo]

As long as you can prove your identity at a land crossing (one or more of COPR papers, passport, provincial photo id/drivers licence) then you shouldn't have any problem getting back into Canada.

An idea I've seen on these forums:
When returning: flying to Detroit, taking Lyft/taxi to Windsor Ontario, and then flying to your final canadian destination.
or Buffalo NY and walking across to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi all,

So I had my landing appointment in November, and all was fine and was told I'd get my card in 6-8 weeks. Awesome.

7 weeks pass (IN WHICH TIME WE BOOK A HOLIDAY TO DISNEY IN BEGINNING OF APRIL because the landing lady had no issues) and I get an email saying the photos are wrong and I need to resend them. I was pretty worried and I called them up and asked if they could tell me what was wrong with them so i wouldnt make the same mistake. The nice lady said that unfortunately they cant see the reason, just that they need to be resent. So I then ask, how does it work with processing now? Do they just continue with my application when they receive it. She said no its order of receipt, so now im bottom of the pile!!!! So it could be another full processing wait, which could take us to mid-march if there are no more delays.

My question is, if the worst happens, is there a way I can still travel without my PR card and be allowed back in the country? We've already paid the deposit and dont want to cancel.

Assuming you don't carry a US passport, you basically only have 2 options:

1. Apply for a PR TD when you arrive in the US. You will need to mail the PR TD and your passport to a Visa Application Centre in the US (I think they're in NY, LA and Washington). When they send the PR TD/passport back to you, then you can use it to board your flight back to Canada.

While PR TDs can be processed urgently within a week in some cases, there is no guarantee of this so if any delays you would be stranded in the US until you got everything delivered back to you. Typically at least 2 weeks in the country is recommended.

2. Fly to a US city close to Canada, and cross into Canada at the land border. Just show your COPR and passport and CBSA should let you in with no issue.

There's a 3rd option, but it's way riskier. If you got an eTA before you became a PR, it may still be active. You can check here: https://onlineservices-servicesenligne.cic.gc.ca/eta/applicationQuery
If the eTA is still active, you could be allowed boarding on the airline with just your passport. Some people have reported they've successfully done this. Big risk is eTA can be cancelled at anytime with no notice.

 

[2pears]

Assuming you don't carry a US passport, you basically only have 2 options:

1. Apply for a PR TD when you arrive in the US. You will need to mail the PR TD and your passport to a Visa Application Centre in the US (I think they're in NY, LA and Washington). When they send the PR TD/passport back to you, then you can use it to board your flight back to Canada.

While PR TDs can be processed urgently within a week in some cases, there is no guarantee of this so if any delays you would be stranded in the US until you got everything delivered back to you. Typically at least 2 weeks in the country is recommended.

2. Fly to a US city close to Canada, and cross into Canada at the land border. Just show your COPR and passport and CBSA should let you in with no issue.

There's a 3rd option, but it's way riskier. If you got an eTA before you became a PR, it may still be active. You can check here: https://onlineservices-servicesenligne.cic.gc.ca/eta/applicationQuery
If the eTA is still active, you could be allowed boarding on the airline with just your passport. Some people have reported they've successfully done this. Big risk is eTA can be cancelled at anytime with no notice.

What if you are a US passport holder?

We don't currently have my PR card yet but my wife and I booked a round trip flight from Toronto to Mexico ages ago, assuming I would either still be coming and going as a visitor, or have PR.

If I have my landing papers (having already landed) and a US passport, but no PR card, may I enter Canada by plane from Mexico?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

What if you are a US passport holder?

We don't currently have my PR card yet but my wife and I booked a round trip flight from Toronto to Mexico ages ago, assuming I would either still be coming and going as a visitor, or have PR.

If I have my landing papers (having already landed) and a US passport, but no PR card, may I enter Canada by plane from Mexico?

Yes, as a US citizen, you can fly without a PR card or PRTD. Don't mention your PR status to the airline.