Receive your Confirmation of Permanent Residence Document - Vacation after that

[turtelfaz]

Hi there,

My common-law partner received a letter to attend an interview and to receive the Confirmation of Permanent Residence Document. We're excited to have it made that far, but there seems to be more trouble ahead...

I'm a permanent resident and sponsor her. She currently has an open work permit, valid until later this year.

5 days after the interview, we'll be going on a 3 week vacation back to my partner's hometown in Korea. We read all kind of (misleading) information online and try to figure out a few things:
1) Will my partner be able to enter Canada on the way back? We read that the open work permit will be removed from her passport on the day she receives the confirmation of PR document. Is that true?
2) If the above is true, what can we do in order to go on the vacation and enter Canada without problems on the way back?

Any help is greatly appreciated! Thank you!

 

[Rob_TO]

Once she does the landing interview and gets COPR, she is officially a PR. However she won't get the actual PR card in the mail until 2+ months later. And yes all current visas she has will be removed.

In the meantime, it should be ok to travel. Koreans hold visa-exempt passports, so can travel as a visitor/tourist when coming to Canada. My Korean wife also did this, as we travelled to Mexico soon after her landing and before she had PR card. At the Mexico airport returning to Canada she just told the airline employee that she was travelling as a visitor.

Once back in Canada, all you need is passport + COPR and that is enough. Immigration officer will be able to determine PR status on their computer. Just tell them you are still waiting for it in the mail.

I've heard through others though that airline employees in Korean airports are sometimes picky when it comes to boarding their flights. They may ask to see a return ticket even for visa-exempt travelers. This probably won't happen, but as a very worst case scenario you should be prepared to buy a return ticket on the spot. If you get a fully refundable one can just cancel it right after.

 

[scylla]

I've heard through others though that airline employees in Korean airports are sometimes picky when it comes to boarding their flights. They may ask to see a return ticket even for visa-exempt travelers. This probably won't happen, but as a very worst case scenario you should be prepared to buy a return ticket on the spot. If you get a fully refundable one can just cancel it right after.

This was my story and this happened to my husband at Incheon last year. He's an American passport holder (so obviously visa exempt for traveling to Canada). However the Air Korea staff made a big fuss over the fact that his travel was ending in Canada because they thought he had an expired PR card (they misread the date) and were going to refuse him boarding (until we showed them his PR card was still valid). We've flown through Incheon before (it's one of my favourite transit airports because of the great showers and those lounging chairs you can nap on) and my husband didn't have problems with earlier transits. So I'm thinking that most of the time they are fine as long as the person traveling is visa exempt.

 

[turtelfaz]

Thanks for your replies, it takes away some of the stress...

On the way back from Korea, when we arrive at the airport in Canada and pass immigration, will there be a problem because my partner has a full-time job? The immigration officer will see that in her records (the fact that she had an open work permit) and my partner can't say she comes here for vacation or traveling. Also, she won't have a return ticket to Korea.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for your replies, it takes away some of the stress...

On the way back from Korea, when we arrive at the airport in Canada and pass immigration, will there be a problem because my partner has a full-time job? The immigration officer will see that in her records (the fact that she had an open work permit) and my partner can't say she comes here for vacation or traveling. Also, she won't have a return ticket to Korea.

No there is no problem. As i said above, with her passport and COPR the Canadian immigration officer will be able to see she is a PR. So she will enter Canada as a PR.

It's only when boarding the flight in Korea that you may need to travel on visa-exempt passport, when talking to check-in person.

 

[Netkid]

Thanks for the advice, Rob - the call center is strong on that one needs the PR card/the special one time travel document, but logically your point makes more sense - I mean if the land borders allow it, why not the airports!

We will be in a similar situation and it is a bit scary to think of the hassle w the guards.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks for the advice, Rob - the call center is strong on that one needs the PR card/the special one time travel document, but logically your point makes more sense - I mean if the land borders allow it, why not the airports!

We will be in a similar situation and it is a bit scary to think of the hassle w the guards.

Yes, the call centre frequently gets it wrong. When my partner was doing his landing, we asked the CBSA officer what to do in the same situation, as we had a vacation scheduled and were unsure if the PR card would arrive in time. The officer said my partner could travel to Canada on just the strength of his visa-exempt passport and then present himself to immigration as a PR without any issues. His PR card arrived the day before we left. When we came back to Canada, he had it in his hand all ready to show to the officer; she scanned his passport, saw he was a recent PR and waved us on without even asking for his card.

 

[waitingforlife]

Hi All,


I have a similar problem, being given the COPR today. The thing is, I will arrive in Calgary on April 9, 2014 as a first time landed immigrant with a one time immigrant visa, pending my official PR card. But I have a previously booked flight to US from Calgary on April 11-22, 2014. Can I re-enter Calgary just using my passport and COPR? My passport is not visa-exempt. =(

Please advice. Thanks.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for the advice, Rob - the call center is strong on that one needs the PR card/the special one time travel document, but logically your point makes more sense - I mean if the land borders allow it, why not the airports!

We will be in a similar situation and it is a bit scary to think of the hassle w the guards.

Just be cautious what you say to the airline staff in Korea. If she states she's a PR, they may demand to see a PR card, and may not accept an explanation that you are waiting for it in the mail. They may also not accept the COPR as a replacement since they are often ONLY trained to accept PR card and nothing else.

So in this sense, it might be easier to not even mention the PR upfront, and simply mention she is travelling to Canada as visa-exempt visitor.

Hi All,


I have a similar problem, being given the COPR today. The thing is, I will arrive in Calgary on April 9, 2014 as a first time landed immigrant with a one time immigrant visa, pending my official PR card. But I have a previously booked flight to US from Calgary on April 11-22, 2014. Can I re-enter Calgary just using my passport and COPR? My passport is not visa-exempt. =(

Please advice. Thanks.

If flying, you need a special travel document, arranged with a local visa office in USA: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp
You will not even be allowed on the airplane back to Canada if you are not visa-exempt and don't have either PR card or this travel document.

Else you need to drive across the border. In this case you don't need the document as Canadian officer will simply see you are a PR. If you can't get the travel document, you could look at flying to a city close to the border then driving the remainder of the way (if feasible).

 

[waitingforlife]

Just be cautious what you say to the airline staff in Korea. If she states she's a PR, they may demand to see a PR card, and may not accept an explanation that you are waiting for it in the mail. They may also not accept the COPR as a replacement since they are often ONLY trained to accept PR card and nothing else.

So in this sense, it might be easier to not even mention the PR upfront, and simply mention she is travelling to Canada as visa-exempt visitor.

If flying, you need a special travel document, arranged with a local visa office in USA: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp
You will not even be allowed on the airplane back to Canada if you are not visa-exempt and don't have either PR card or this travel document.

Else you need to drive across the border. In this case you don't need the document as Canadian officer will simply see you are a PR. If you can't get the travel document, you could look at flying to a city close to the border then driving the remainder of the way (if feasible).

Thanks so much Rob. Everything is messed up because we booked everything before I got the spousal visa, as I have a TRV. Anyways, thanks so much for your advise.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks so much Rob. Everything is messed up because we booked everything before I got the spousal visa, as I have a TRV. Anyways, thanks so much for your advise.

Why don't you just wait until you return to Canada on April 22 to land as PR? Just fly to USA directly from where you are now, instead of going to Canada first on April 9.

 

[waitingforlife]

Why don't you just wait until you return to Canada on April 22 to land as PR? Just fly to USA directly from where you are now, instead of going to Canada first on April 9.

Because my ticket is also pre-booked. This is really weird. Im at lost now.

 

[Rob_TO]

Because my ticket is also pre-booked. This is really weird. Im at lost now.

When you arrive in Canada on the 9th, you can always just explain and ask the immigration officer if you can postpone official PR landing until you return on the 22nd. Perhaps they can instead give you a temporary 2-day visitor status until you leave to USA on the 11th, and then just fly back to Canada with your PR visa and do PR landing on the 22nd.

 

[waitingforlife]

Thanks so much for all the advices! I have to think this through with my husband. We appreciate all your advices. =)