Travelling without PRTD - Urgent!

[Canyon76]

Morning All,

I would really appreciate some assistance.

We are a family of four Visa-exempt passport holders travelling to Canada in a few days. 3 of us are also PR (holding only COPR documents). Our daughter was born after, so she just has passport.

So here is the quick version.

Have been Working in Brasil. Three of us landed in Canada to start PR last year. Daughter born end last year. I rang Canadian VAC in Rio 2 months ago to find out what docs required if any, to re enter Canada. Visa office advised only ETAs required for daughter, rest of family don't need ETAs but you can get if you like.

1 week ago I started the ETA process. For daughter it was approved, surprise surprise for the rest of us it was withdrawn because of us having PR status.

I contacted visa office again to see if we can get the PRTDs quickly and were told no. Though I had to explain. To them what PRTDs were as they still insisted we get ETAs.

So here is the situation, we are very frustrated, worried. We have holiday booked, changing flights would wreck that and buying flights to US to cross border would be v expensive. I would like to understand what our chances are of boarding without PR cards/PRTD or obvious withdrawn ETAs. We will have COPR and passports.

When do airlines check ETA, PR status?. Is it at checkin or boarding?. We have an indirect flight. Will we potentially be stopped at checkin, boarding first or both flights?.

All help much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[scylla]

It absolutely makes sense that your ETA applications were withdrawn. You don't qualify for ETAs as PRs. Only your daughter qualifies for an ETA.

Do you have your PR cards? If not, are they with someone in Canada?

 

[Canyon76]

Unfortunately not, apparently the cards were sent out to the address we gave in Canada but they never arrived. I rang CIC and they said they would not resend till we settled in Canada. That was over 180days ago, so I understand we have to reapply for the cards which we were planning on doing when (or if) we get in to Canada.

So right now, we have only COPR. The thing I am hoping is that it is pretty clear we are still PR as we only got the PR in Feb last year, so we have at least another yr before we would even be close to not making obligatory residence.

We were hoping the airline may understand this.

Any other options?

 

[zardoz]

Unfortunately not, apparently the cards were sent out to the address we gave in Canada but they never arrived. I rang CIC and they said they would not resend till we settled in Canada. That was over 180days ago, so I understand we have to reapply for the cards which we were planning on doing when (or if) we get in to Canada.

So right now, we have only COPR. The thing I am hoping is that it is pretty clear we are still PR as we only got the PR in Feb last year, so we have at least another yr before we would even be close to not making obligatory residence.

We were hoping the airline may understand this.

Any other options?

The airline that processes your tickets with a destination of Canada will refuse to check you in if you don't have a PR card or a PRTD. You are not eligible for either an eTA or a visa, which are the alternatives for a non-PR. The COPR is not a travel document and will be ignored.

 

[Canyon76]

Thanks for the feedback.

So just to clarify, if we are flying indirectly to Canada via another Brazilian city, but our bags are checked all the way through, the visas/ETA etc will be checked at initial checkin, which is where we would be turned away, or they would be checked before boarding Canada bound flight.?

If it is the latter, ie for some reason checkin staff allow us to checkin, would we then not be allowed to board Canada bound flight and our baggage removed?.

Any ideas?. The reason I ask is because we are flying from Brasil. The visa application centre here knew little about the travel document so I was wondering if ground crew would know.

 

[zardoz]

Thanks for the feedback.

So just to clarify, if we are flying indirectly to Canada via another Brazilian city, but our bags are checked all the way through, the visas/ETA etc will be checked at initial checkin, which is where we would be turned away, or they would be checked before boarding Canada bound flight.?

If it is the latter, ie for some reason checkin staff allow us to checkin, would we then not be allowed to board Canada bound flight and our baggage removed?.

Any ideas?. The reason I ask is because we are flying from Brasil. The visa application centre here knew little about the travel document so I was wondering if ground crew would know.

If your bags are checked all the way to Canada, it is at that initial check-in point that your travel documents are examined. It's possible that they may be checked again in the transit airport if you need to check-in a second time to obtain next hop boarding passes.
Basically, however you try to spin this, no PR card / PRTD = no fly.

 

[Canyon76]

Thanks again.

Not trying to spin anything, as already highlighted we are in a pretty desperate situation. We have flights and holiday booked and no time to get these PRTDs. If Visa office had correctly informed me they were required when I asked with plenty of time, we would have them. My fault for trusting a resource that deals professionally in Canadian visa processes. Lesson learnt.

All options = thousands of dollars, so we have no option but to try.

Thanks again for your helpful response

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks again.

Not trying to spin anything, as already highlighted we are in a pretty desperate situation. We have flights and holiday booked and no time to get these PRTDs. If Visa office had correctly informed me they were required when I asked with plenty of time, we would have them. My fault for trusting a resource that deals professionally in Canadian visa processes. Lesson learnt.

All options = thousands of dollars, so we have no option but to try.

Thanks again for your helpful response

Here are your only 2 options:
1. Apply for PR Travel Docs, and delay your flight until PR Travel Docs arrive. If you are close to a visa office that you can go in person, I've heard the process can be quicker vs if you have to mail your passports
2. With no Travel Docs, re-route your flights to end up in a US city close to the border. Then just rent a car and drive across the border into Canada. For this all you will need are passports/COPRs, no PR card or Travel Doc is necessary

 

[Canyon76]

Thanks for the feedback, we are going to visa office tomorrow in person to see what is possible.

Regarding the flight reroute, we can't even transit through Canada correct?

So not even Toronto via Seattle for instance.

This is what I understood, though still don't get why.

 

[Rigly68]

Thanks for the feedback, we are going to visa office tomorrow in person to see what is possible.

Regarding the flight reroute, we can't even transit through Canada correct?

So not even Toronto via Seattle for instance.

This is what I understood, though still don't get why.

You are correct...you can't transit through Canada via air. You can drive across border via private car with your COPR but not fly.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for the feedback, we are going to visa office tomorrow in person to see what is possible.

Regarding the flight reroute, we can't even transit through Canada correct?

So not even Toronto via Seattle for instance.

This is what I understood, though still don't get why.

The reason is no airline will allow you to board a flight ending in Canada without either an eTA (which you don't qualify for), a valid PR card, or a PR Travel Document.

 

[Canyon76]

Sure I understand the 'ending' in Canada part, It is just irritating that you cannot transit through Canada and end journey in US. I guess though the airline has no way of knowing if you will attempt entry in Canada anyway if you are visa exempt

Anyway I'm sure this process will transition in to something else in the near future

 

[bellaluna]

It is just irritating that you cannot transit through Canada and end journey in US.

Only a few nationalities can do this, under specific conditions.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/twov/travellers.asp

 

[COPRQuestion]

Are PRTD's and ETA's reviewed at check in, I thought they just verbally checked and it was at Canada immigration that the physical check was performed.

If someone could clarify for me I'd be grateful.

The reason I ask is because when I flew to Canada in September they asked me if I had a ETA, Visa etc and I said I had a COPR but they didn't check. In fact I actually had an ETA and COPR because I'd applied for an ETA before my PR was approved. The check in person didn't seem to be able to verify either just from their system.

 

[scylla]

The reason I ask is because when I flew to Canada in September they asked me if I had a ETA, Visa etc and I said I had a COPR but they didn't check. In fact I actually had an ETA and COPR because I'd applied for an ETA before my PR was approved. The check in person didn't seem to be able to verify either just from their system.

ETA only officially went into effect on November 10th. It wasn't mandatory when you flew in September.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/eta-start.asp