PR travel question

[Rob_TO]

This whole thing is ridiculous. Why can't a PR get an ETA? Stupid. Has anyone tried to get an ETA with PR? Curious what happens. CIC is so convoluted they might not notice. In our situation, it took 4 bloody months for my spouse to get his card.

The lesson is, if you plan to fly soon after landing as PR, get your ETA before you land!

A question when applying for eTA is something along the lines of if you've ever applied to enter Canada before. Someone who is a PR would legally need to answer "yes" to this question, which would immediately flag it and lead CIC to discover your PR status and deny the eTA. The only way you could get the eTA as a PR is to state "no" to that question which is misrepresentation.

And any eTA you may have got before becoming a PR, will most likely be cancelled as soon as you get PR status.

 

[jmomcc]

Main change is it used to be "may" be able to travel, and now it is "will" be required to travel.

Anyways, this would hardly be the first time CIC has put confusing or vague wording on their website around one of their policies. You can find hundreds of similar instances all over their website and guides.

Back then, they didn't say anything. This was coming back from a trip to Mexico. We just stated she's flying on her visa-exempt passport, and that was it. Although we did the same trip recently, and they seemed much more strict this time. Had a supervisor check her visa and PR card for several minutes. Said it was standard for anyone not flying on a Canadian passport.

Of course every airline is different in terms of exactly how they check in travelers. In your case, if you actually were not a PR then it would be no problem. So as long as you don't mind hiding your PR status from the airline you will be fine.

Thanks RobTO

I actually meant to ask what they said at the Canadian border?

Also, I have a blue stamp in my passport from when I landed with my COPR document number below. The lady at the health card said that should be on the COPR. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be on there instead of the passport or as well as the passport. Could this be a problem if an airline employee sees it? Sorry, I might not have explained myself well.

 

[Rob_TO]

I actually meant to ask what they said at the Canadian border?

It was effortless. Told CBSA we were still waiting for the PR card in the mail, gave them her passport and COPR, and he took just a couple seconds to determine her PR status. So zero issues for us.

Also, I have a blue stamp in my passport from when I landed with my COPR document number below. The lady at the health card said that should be on the COPR. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be on there instead of the passport or as well as the passport. Could this be a problem if an airline employee sees it? Sorry, I might not have explained myself well.

I don't think the airlines usually flip through your passport looking at the stamps, they usually just look at the bio page and visa (for a non-visa exempt traveler).

Really not sure what would happen if an airline employee saw it, or if they would know it represents you're a PR.

 

[fr33z3n]

Thanks RobTO

I actually meant to ask what they said at the Canadian border?

Also, I have a blue stamp in my passport from when I landed with my COPR document number below. The lady at the health card said that should be on the COPR. I'm not sure if this is supposed to be on there instead of the passport or as well as the passport. Could this be a problem if an airline employee sees it? Sorry, I might not have explained myself well.

In my experience most Border control or airlines do rummage through pages of your passports to check when you last entered or exited.

IMO if they see the stamp you mentioned after telling them your a tourist , it will defenitely get you in trouble, you'll essentially be caught in a lie.

 

[jmomcc]

In my experience most Border control or airlines do rummage through pages of your passports to check when you last entered or exited.

IMO if they see the stamp you mentioned after telling them your a tourist , it will defenitely get you in trouble, you'll essentially be caught in a lie.

mmm well the stamp doesn't explicitly PR. It says the date of landing and then below the document number of my COPR is written in pen. I'm not sure if border control would know what that means or not.

edit: also, i'm guessing I wouldn't tell them I'm a tourist. I'll just give them my passport and not say anything.

 

[fr33z3n]

mmm well the stamp doesn't explicitly PR. It says the date of landing and then below the document number of my COPR is written in pen. I'm not sure if border control would know what that means or not.

Border control in Canda will definitely know what it means, Remember your not the first person to have landed in Canada with a visa exempt passport.

Having said that, they might not, up to you to take the risk.

 

[jmomcc]

Border control in Canda will definitely know what it means, Remember your not the first person to have landed in Canada with a visa exempt passport.

Having said that, they might not, up to you to take the risk.

You mean on the way out of the country? On the way in, I'd tell them I'm a PR. If they check and stop you without a PR card on the way out, then I'll cancel the trip.

 

[fr33z3n]

You mean on the way out of the country? On the way in, I'd tell them I'm a PR. If they check and stop you without a PR card on the way out, then I'll cancel the trip.

I don't think there will be an issue leaving, if an issue is to arise it will be on your way back in.

 

[Loulounic]

I landed in Canada on Jan 25 but travelled back to my visa-exempt country. Will be returning April 27 and will not get my PR card by then.

As it takes at least 105 days to receive a Permanent resident card, I called CIC today to inquire if I need to get a Permanent Resident Travel Document and eTA in order to travel back to Canada. They confirmed that I need to get the PRTD, even if I come from a visa-exempt country, but as I am permanent resident won't need to get the eTA.

 

[jmomcc]

I landed in Canada on Jan 25 but travelled back to my visa-exempt country. Will be returning April 27 and will not get my PR card by then.

As it takes at least 105 days to receive a Permanent resident card, I called CIC today to inquire if I need to get a Permanent Resident Travel Document and eTA in order to travel back to Canada. They confirmed that I need to get the PRTD, even if I come from a visa-exempt country, but as I am permanent resident won't need to get the eTA.

What are you going to do then? Get the PRTD or chance it? I'm probably just going to go to Ireland and wait on the doc.

 

[soonihope]

Could anyone point me to the place where the processing time is mentioned for travel documents. I see someone mentioned 2 months, however I could not find the processing time on the cic website or anywhere else.
Thanks.

 

[Loulounic]

Could anyone point me to the place where the processing time is mentioned for travel documents. I see someone mentioned 2 months, however I could not find the processing time on the cic website or anywhere else.
Thanks.

Check application processing times
Why did processing times information change?
What are you applying for? (required)
Is this your first PR card? (required) Get processing time
Permanent Resident cards

New PR card

105 days ?
Does not include document mailing time (up to six weeks).

 

[Loulounic]

What are you going to do then? Get the PRTD or chance it? I'm probably just going to go to Ireland and wait on the doc.

Plan to get PRTD, won't chance it.

 

[soonihope]

Check application processing times
Why did processing times information change?
What are you applying for? (required)
Is this your first PR card? (required) Get processing time
Permanent Resident cards

New PR card

105 days ?
Does not include document mailing time (up to six weeks).

I am asking about travel document processing time not PRcard processing time.

These are 2 different things.

 

[philgoodhusband]

Hi guys, new here but I kind of have a similar problem.

I am currently waiting for my PR to be processed (my wife is a PR and is sponsoring me). We are anticipating the PR to be granted this spring, and I hope to have joined her in Vancouver by April.

I have a cousin getting married in the US in July and we have already booked roundtrip tickets from Vancouver for it. We felt it was a safe bet that I would already be in Vancouver by then based on others' timelines in our VO.

We plan to be in the US for the weekend of the wedding only so applying and waiting for a PRTD from there won't make sense. In case I am in fact based in Vancouver already and don't have my PR card yet (which is looking likely based on stories here), do I have other options to make the wedding and get back to Vancouver right after?

I was wondering if there was anything I could do now while still waiting for my PR. I hold a non-VISA exempt passport and have traveled to Canada to be with my wife several times on a tourist VISA. That VISA just expired. I also hold a valid tourist VISA to the US.