re-entering canada without Pr card

[bv]

Hi all,

I do not have my pr card has there is some photo issues- but I am out of the country. I do have a valid multiple entry visa for Canada. Can I use the tourist visa and re-enter Canada after which I reapply for my card.

thanks,

 

[Dejaavu]

Hi. Do you have your landing document?

If you do, you can enter Canada by land from US using the landing papers. Otherwise, you can try using your valid visa to enter Canada but then you will need to explain to the CBSA officer that you are a permanent resident and he/she will send you to secondary screening and tell you can't come to Canada by air without a pr card. The most important thing is for the airlines letting you board. If they do that, as PR you should be able to enter the country if you can prove that you are by showing the CBSA officer the confirmation of permanent residence form ie landing paper.

 

[Dejaavu]

If you are flying from outside of N America or within US, I would fly to the closest US city to where you are planning to go in Canada and then ask someone to pick you up so you can enter Canada by a private vehicle. You can use your landing papers to enter like that. I am not sure if you can do that by taking a bus...

 

[Dejaavu]

My wife is a US citizen and she didn't get her PR card on time and we had to go to US as there was an emergency. On the way back from US to Canada, airlines let her board because she doesn't need a visa to Canada and then once we were clearing passport control, we had to explain to the CBSA officer that her PR card was mailed but we didn't get it and we had an emergency. We also showed her landing papers. The officer just stamped our customs declaration. I would assume that as long as the airlines allow you to board the plane since you have a visa to enter Canada that should be ok to get up to the CBSA port of entry. But then it is up to the CBSA officer to give you a hard time or not...

 

[Msafiri]

Hi all,

I do not have my pr card has there is some photo issues- but I am out of the country. I do have a valid multiple entry visa for Canada. Can I use the tourist visa and re-enter Canada after which I reapply for my card.

thanks,

Fly back to Canada with the presumably multiple entry visitors visa as the airline won't have any issues. Carry your COPR and when you get to the port of entry you will explain your situation at Secondary Inspection. CBSA will check their databases for your records and will likely cancel your visitor visa without prejudice so its not valid for travel.

 

[zardoz]

I was under the impression that as soon as you became a permanent resident, any visa that was previously issued is automatically voided.

 

[Dejaavu]

In principle yes but on always in practice. If the visa looks valid without cancellation stamps, then the airlines will allow boarding the plane. As soon as one arrives in port of entry, most likely the CBSA officer will send to secondary screening where they will cancel the visa and let the person know that he/she can use only pr card as a permanent resident to enter Canada when coming by air.

 

[Msafiri]

This usually happens when PR obtained post visitor visa issuance to Canada. Some PR visa holders want to land almost to the expiry date say to extend the residence obligation time frame so will use their valid visitors visa to enter Canada. Post landing though CBSA can cancel the visa without prejudice. They can also cancel entry stamps without prejudice - this happened to me once when primary decided after stamping to send me to secondary.