Travel outside Canada while waiting for PR card

[johnnybulldog]

Hello,

My wife did her landing process 8 weeks ago. We were expecting to have received her PR card by this time already, but we didn’t.

Happens that she needs to travel outside Canada for a week next week (by plane) and I know that as a permanent resident she will need a PR card to board the plane when coming back.

Is it possible to return using an ETA (she doesn’t have one yet)? Or is there any other option?

Thanks

 

[scylla]

Hello,

My wife did her landing process 8 weeks ago. We were expecting to have received her PR card by this time already, but we didn’t.

Happens that she needs to travel outside Canada for a week next week (by plane) and I know that as a permanent resident she will need a PR card to board the plane when coming back.

Is it possible to return using an ETA (she doesn’t have one yet)? Or is there any other option?

Thanks

Not possible to use an eTA. She doesn't qualify for one as a PR.

To return to Canada by air, she needs either a valid PR card or PR Travel Document. The PR Travel Document is something she can only apply for once she is outside of Canada. How feasible this is will depend on the length of her trip.

The other option is to fly to the US instead and re-enter Canada through a land border.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Hello,

My wife did her landing process 8 weeks ago. We were expecting to have received her PR card by this time already, but we didn’t.

Happens that she needs to travel outside Canada for a week next week (by plane) and I know that as a permanent resident she will need a PR card to board the plane when coming back.

Is it possible to return using an ETA (she doesn’t have one yet)? Or is there any other option?

Thanks

As you seem to know, it is easy for her to leave Canada, but without EITHER a PR Card or a PRTD, she will not be allowed to board a plane going back to Canada. The ETA is normally cancelled as part of the PR Card process. She cannot apply for a new ETA as she is now a permanent resident and PR's can't have an ETA.

Your alternatives are:

1. Apply for a PRTD in the Canadian embassy of the country she will be visiting (can take days or a couple of weeks and needs supporting documents, fees etc.

2. Fly back to the USA and have someone pick her up and drive back over the Canadian border, CBSA can see her copy stamped CoPR and check their computer etc.

3. Wait and hope the PR Card gets delivered and courier it to her (bad idea IMHO as no certainty when it will arrive and current Canada Post strike).

That's it I am afraid!

 

[johnnybulldog]

Thank you for your responses!

Do you happen to know if there's any date limit to cross the border using the CoPR? Or no matter how long it takes to get the PR card, she can always cross the border on a private vehicle using the CoPR?

Also, is there anyway to know if the PR card was mailed already?

Thanks again

Not possible to use an eTA. She doesn't qualify for one as a PR.

To return to Canada by air, she needs either a valid PR card or PR Travel Document. The PR Travel Document is something she can only apply for once she is outside of Canada. How feasible this is will depend on the length of her trip.

The other option is to fly to the US instead and re-enter Canada through a land border.

As you seem to know, it is easy for her to leave Canada, but without EITHER a PR Card or a PRTD, she will not be allowed to board a plane going back to Canada. The ETA is normally cancelled as part of the PR Card process. She cannot apply for a new ETA as she is now a permanent resident and PR's can't have an ETA.

Your alternatives are:

1. Apply for a PRTD in the Canadian embassy of the country she will be visiting (can take days or a couple of weeks and needs supporting documents, fees etc.

2. Fly back to the USA and have someone pick her up and drive back over the Canadian border, CBSA can see her copy stamped CoPR and check their computer etc.

3. Wait and hope the PR Card gets delivered and courier it to her (bad idea IMHO as no certainty when it will arrive and current Canada Post strike).

That's it I am afraid!

 

[Hurlabrick]

Do you happen to know if there's any date limit to cross the border using the CoPR? Or no matter how long it takes to get the PR card, she can always cross the border on a private vehicle using the CoPR?

Yes - but if you try to do that indefinitely, they may get a bit fed up! Also it has been reported that if you want to cross into the US by car, the US border guys sometimes ask for your PR Card before admitting you to the US as they want to be sure you have legal status in Canada and won't get ;stuck' in the US. She will of course need a US ESTA or Visa (depending on which country the passport is) to be allowed to board a plane to the US.

Also, is there anyway to know if the PR card was mailed already?

You should be able to track progress on MyCIC (I think). It will tell you when they issued the card. It may then however take weeks to actually arrive (ours took 3 weeks after they said it was issued to arrive and that was without Canada Post strikes!). I really would not count on a PR Card arriving while she is away!​

 

[dml717]

Yes - but if you try to do that indefinitely, they may get a bit fed up! Also it has been reported that if you want to cross into the US by car, the US border guys sometimes ask for your PR Card before admitting you to the US as they want to be sure you have legal status in Canada and won't get ;stuck' in the US. She will of course need a US ESTA or Visa (depending on which country the passport is) to be allowed to board a plane to the US.

You should be able to track progress on MyCIC (I think). It will tell you when they issued the card. It may then however take weeks to actually arrive (ours took 3 weeks after they said it was issued to arrive and that was without Canada Post strikes!). I really would not count on a PR Card arriving while she is away!​

Hi,

My wife and I are also waiting for her PR Card so we can travel home to visit family, however with the strike going on, everything just seem to be very confusing. I was also wondering where on my CIC that we can see if the card has been issued? The only thing that I see is the entry on the CORP under the PR application that is it. Can you advise?