RE: Coming to Canada as a Visitor after receiving VISA

[nmrajan]

Hello;

My husband wants to tie loose ends and visit Canada for a weekend. He has his passport stamped for a temporary visa at the moment. He does not want to land until he gets a job here. So I am wondering, if there would be any problems at the border when he visits me in Canada since he has his passport stamped with the temporary visa. Would the officer force my husband to land at that point?

 

[RobsLuv]

No reason to come as a visitor and delay the landing. He can land, then go back home to tie up loose ends and wait for a job offer, without a problem. He only needs to be able to give them an address in Canada where they can mail his PR card - they won't mail it outside the country. So you'd have to get it to him somehow before he wanted to come back. He should also have a personal inventory form of "Goods to Follow" if he's going to want to import his belongings after his initial landing - when he finally comes to Canada to settle here. He will need to have that with him when he lands, and they'll give him the paper back to include with his shipment when his belongings arrive in Canada.

As long as he does not remain outside Canada, without you, for more than three years immediately after his landing, he retains his PR status. If you stay outside Canada with him, he maintains it no matter how long he's away. But if you are not together, he has to be back in Canada soon enough to be able to reside here for at least two years of the five year period following his landing or he loses his status.

Remember, his COPR and PR visa will have an expiration date. He has to land before that date or he loses it and has to start the whole process over again. Better to get the formality done and get "landed" and then go back to settle his affairs - otherwise he has that expiry date hanging over his head and, to me, that seems like a lot more pressure to get a job and get moved and everything before that date.

 

[nmrajan]

Thanks RobLuv, however there is one part of the form that threw me off guard. On the letter there is a part that said "You shoudl wait until you have your Permanent Resident Card to travel outside of Canada. If no, you will have to apply for a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) before you re-enter Canada."

this is the reason why my husband needed to visit Canada to tie loose ends prior to him officially moving. He currently has a job now in the US and is actively looking to find something in Canada, so there is no point of him quitting, since (I was told) it takes 6 weeks to get the PR card in the mail and he is not allowed to travel outside of Canada after landing and before getting the PR Card.

But based on what your saying, it sounds to me that he can travel back and forth to the U.S. without being locked into Canada. Is that correct?

 

[fprince]

Thanks RobLuv, however there is one part of the form that threw me off guard. On the letter there is a part that said "You shoudl wait until you have your Permanent Resident Card to travel outside of Canada. If no, you will have to apply for a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) before you re-enter Canada."

this is the reason why my husband needed to visit Canada to tie loose ends prior to him officially moving. He currently has a job now in the US and is actively looking to find something in Canada, so there is no point of him quitting, since (I was told) it takes 6 weeks to get the PR card in the mail and he is not allowed to travel outside of Canada after landing and before getting the PR Card.

But based on what your saying, it sounds to me that he can travel back and forth to the U.S. without being locked into Canada. Is that correct?

1. It is hard for him to visit you when he has a PR visa. Once they question him the job offer is not the right answer to avoid landing.
2. If he lands, he can leave Canada to enter the states, obtaining a travel document is not that difficult. Even though they say 6 weeks, usually the card comes within 4 weeks as in my case.

I would pick option 2, less complication and less worry.

FYI - As far as i know once he lands his vistor visa to canada is automatically cancelled and can only re-enter as a PR. They cross all your existing Visa while landing.

 

[fprince]

No reason to come as a visitor and delay the landing. He can land, then go back home to tie up loose ends and wait for a job offer, without a problem. He only needs to be able to give them an address in Canada where they can mail his PR card - they won't mail it outside the country. So you'd have to get it to him somehow before he wanted to come back. He should also have a personal inventory form of "Goods to Follow" if he's going to want to import his belongings after his initial landing - when he finally comes to Canada to settle here. He will need to have that with him when he lands, and they'll give him the paper back to include with his shipment when his belongings arrive in Canada.

As long as he does not remain outside Canada, without you, for more than three years immediately after his landing, he retains his PR status. If you stay outside Canada with him, he maintains it no matter how long he's away. But if you are not together, he has to be back in Canada soon enough to be able to reside here for at least two years of the five year period following his landing or he loses his status.

Remember, his COPR and PR visa will have an expiration date. He has to land before that date or he loses it and has to start the whole process over again. Better to get the formality done and get "landed" and then go back to settle his affairs - otherwise he has that expiry date hanging over his head and, to me, that seems like a lot more pressure to get a job and get moved and everything before that date.

Only if the Wife is a Canadian citizen, clause does not apply if the sponsor is a PR.

 

[nmrajan]

I am a Canadian Citizen. Does that mean that my husband can travel back and forth after having "landed" and before getting the PR card?

What if I cannot accompany him? i.e. I have a job and go to school?

 

[fprince]

I am a Canadian Citizen. Does that mean that my husband can travel back and forth after having "landed" and before getting the PR card?

What if I cannot accompany him? i.e. I have a job and go to school?

You being a Canadian Citizen has nothing to do with him entering Canada. It only applies when you both stay in an other country for say 10 years, he wont loose his PR status provided he was accompanying a Citizen.

Does that mean that my husband can travel back and forth after having "landed" and before getting the PR card? - He needs a PR CARD or a Travel document to enter canada, whether you accompany him or not.


What if I cannot accompany him? i.e. I have a job and go to school? - No issues, he can go by himself..but if he is outside the country for 3 years in any 5 year period he will loose his PR status.

Ask him to land and get a travel document, its easy and hazzle free.

 

[fprince]

When does his PR visa expire?
When he lands they will check all his visa's and as i said the minute you come to the border having your PR visa, your other canadian visa will be cancelled.

I am not sure about this, but when they issued him a PR Visa they could have automatically cancelled his visitor visa in their system.
You will only know about this when they scan your PP in the border or airport..as usually the minute you get an updated visa they cancel the old ones..
So if this is the case he can not visit you unless he is a US Citizen and needs no Visa into Canada.

 

[rjessome]

Hello;

My husband wants to tie loose ends and visit Canada for a weekend. He has his passport stamped for a temporary visa at the moment. He does not want to land until he gets a job here. So I am wondering, if there would be any problems at the border when he visits me in Canada since he has his passport stamped with the temporary visa. Would the officer force my husband to land at that point?

If he's visa exempt he can delay landing one time. He needs to advise the CBSA officer at the point of entry that he wants to postpone landing. He will need to land before the expiry of the PR visa. They may ask him when he intends to land and he should be prepared to answer.

 

[nmrajan]

Thank you all for your responses.
Now, how do I go about getting travel document. what is the procedure?

Any help would be appreciated.

 

[rjessome]

Thank you all for your responses.
Now, how do I go about getting travel document. what is the procedure?

Any help would be appreciated.

Is he visa exempt? You state the processing office is Buffalo. Is he American? He doesn't need a TD if he's visa exempt. See my previous post.

 

[nmrajan]

He is an American Citizen. So, he is able to come in and out of Canada as a visitor once. Is that correct?

 

[rjessome]

He is an American Citizen. So, he is able to come in and out of Canada as a visitor once. Is that correct?

Technically he could postpone it as long as CBSA lets him but they usually only allow it one time.

 

[nmrajan]

Thank you rjessome