u.s. citizen, without pr card, and questions about travel document

[seren8]

Hello,
My husband is a u.s. citizen and I am Canadian, sponsoring my husband to move back to Canada. We both are currently living in the states. My husband will be landing in Feb, 2012, but most likely we will be returning to u.s. to finish things up and also give him some time to look for a job in Canada.
We are a bit confused about the travel document and would like to know if other U.S. citizen who have landed and who were in similar situation as us, where they have returned to the states immediately after landing in Canada, whether they have gotten the travel document or not.

Since we will be landing in two months time, we have decided to have my husband's PR card sent to my relatives in Canada. Once they have received it, they will forward it to us. The travel document takes about 60 days to process (this is the suggested time frame that the Canadian Embassy in NY recommends), so, essentially it is the same amount of time it takes to get the PR card. My main concern is that, if my husband has to go to a job interview during those 60 days, can he go as an U.S. citizen, since from my understanding, there is an agreement between the U.S. and Canada to travel "freely". The email response that the Canadian Embassy is vague about this point, and it seems that they suggests to have the travel document ready.

Has anyone who is a U.S. citizen travel to Canada after they have landed without the PR card and without the travel document? If so, what is your experience like?
Also, if you are a U.S. citizen and has applied for travel document after you have landed, how long did it take you to receive the travel document?
Also, if we have the landing papers now, but not the PR card, can we apply for the travel document now before we land?
Does anyone know if the travel document is a one-time entry or a multiple entry/ exit with an expiration date? (The email from the Canadian Embassy didn't response to this question at all.)


Thank you so much for everyone's input and suggestions. Happy Holidays!

Seren8

 

[scylla]

I honestly wouldn't bother with a travel document.

My husband is American. He traveled by both car and air between Canada and the US between the time he landed and the time he got his PR card. No one ever cared that he didn't have his PR card yet. Airlines just wanted to see his US passport. As for Canadian immigration - he told them he was a newly landed immigrant and was just waiting for his PR card and they didn't seem fussed at all. I (the Canadian) was not traveling with him during any of these trips.

And for the record, since obtaining his PR card over a year ago - my husband has yet to be asked to show it while traveling (and he travels a great deal).

 

[seren8]

I honestly wouldn't bother with a travel document.

My husband is American. He traveled by both car and air between Canada and the US between the time he landed and the time he got his PR card. No one ever cared that he didn't have his PR card yet. Airlines just wanted to see his US passport. As for Canadian immigration - he told them he was a newly landed immigrant and was just waiting for his PR card and they didn't seem fussed at all. I (the Canadian) was not traveling with him during any of these trips.

And for the record, since obtaining his PR card over a year ago - my husband has yet to be asked to show it while traveling (and he travels a great deal).

Great! Thank you so much for sharing you and your husband's experience. Much appreciated.

 

[keesio]

I honestly wouldn't bother with a travel document.

My husband is American. He traveled by both car and air between Canada and the US between the time he landed and the time he got his PR card. No one ever cared that he didn't have his PR card yet. Airlines just wanted to see his US passport. As for Canadian immigration - he told them he was a newly landed immigrant and was just waiting for his PR card and they didn't seem fussed at all. I (the Canadian) was not traveling with him during any of these trips.

And for the record, since obtaining his PR card over a year ago - my husband has yet to be asked to show it while traveling (and he travels a great deal).

Sorry to dig up this old thread but I am curious... seren8 - how did it go? My wife is in a similar situation.

scylla - my wife's particular issue is that she will be flying back from Europe. Do you think that would raise any more eyebrows than just coming back from the US?

Thanks and sorry to resurrect this old thread.

 

[Rob_TO]

Sorry to dig up this old thread but I am curious... seren8 - how did it go? My wife is in a similar situation.

scylla - my wife's particular issue is that she will be flying back from Europe. Do you think that would raise any more eyebrows than just coming back from the US?

Thanks and sorry to resurrect this old thread.

If your wife is not visa-exempt (requires a special TRV to visit Canada), then you MUST get a travel document.

However if she's visa-exempt, then she should be able to just travel as a tourist to Canada like any other European would.

My wife is a (visa exempt) Korean citizen. After she landed but before she got PR card, we flew to Mexico for a vacation. Returning back to Canada, at the Mexico airport they asked her status, and we just said she is flying as a visa-exempt tourist. So no problems boarding. Upon returning to Canada, we just showed the immigration officer her COPR and passport and told him we were still waiting for PR card in the mail. They did a quick check on the computer and matched up her landing date with passport stamp... and we were let through in barely 2 minutes.

The potential problems i've seen happen are:
- the airport in Europe demands to see a return ticket before they let you board (though this is rare. Worst case you have to buy a refundable return ticket on the spot, but can cancel it after)
- the immigration officer upon landing in Canada is a jerk, and sends her to secondary inspection because she doesn't have a PR card (again this is rare, and eventually as long as you have COPR they can easily see she's a PR in their computer system so eventually it's fine)

 

[keesio]

Thanks Rob!!

I was also thinking of the airport in Europe (Frankfurt - flying Air Canada). If the gate agent asks why no return ticket, we'd like to say we will spend time in Toronto as a tourist and then rent a car and drive down to see Niagara Falls and then cross over to the US from there via car (we are both US citizens).

 

[keesio]

btw - what do you think is better to present? COPR or record of landing? or both?

 

[Rob_TO]

If the gate agent asks why no return ticket, we'd like to say we will spend time in Toronto as a tourist and then rent a car and drive down to see Niagara Falls and then cross over to the US from there via car (we are both US citizens).

You could definitely try saying that... but really the vast majority of times they don't ask. It should be the job of Canada immigration to determine if a visa-exempt traveler is acceptable to visit... not the airlines. Airlines should be more concerned with weeding out people who need special travel visas in advance since if they let one through, they are fined heavily by Canada.

btw - what do you think is better to present? COPR or record of landing? or both?

We only ever had 1 document, and that was the COPR. During landing interview the landing officer takes one copy of COPR, and you keep the other one that they fill in with your landing date. So I dont see how you could have 2 documents?

 

[keesio]

You could definitely try saying that... but really the vast majority of times they don't ask. It should be the job of Canada immigration to determine if a visa-exempt traveler is acceptable to visit... not the airlines. Airlines should be more concerned with weeding out people who need special travel visas in advance since if they let one through, they are fined heavily by Canada.

We only ever had 1 document, and that was the COPR. During landing interview the landing officer takes one copy of COPR, and you keep the other one that they fill in with your landing date. So I dont see how you could have 2 documents?

Oops, sorry. I read about some IMM 1000 document but that is an old doc that has been replaced by COPR in 2002. Sorry for the confusion.

I had no idea airlines get fined for that. wow! No wonder they will check if you have a visa to travel to your destination!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

scylla - my wife's particular issue is that she will be flying back from Europe. Do you think that would raise any more eyebrows than just coming back from the US?

As said above, the only issue could be the airline but that is very rare. My partner (visa-exempt) and I also went to Mexico shortly after he landed. I knew there was a chance that his card wouldn't arrive before we left the country, so when he landed, I asked his landing officer what to do if he didn't have it. The officer said it wouldn't be a problem, my partner could re-enter Canada using just his passport and they would be able to find all his PR details in the computer. He didn't say anything about needing to take the COPR in place of the card; in fact, he said to lock the COPR up as soon as we got home .

My partner ended up getting his card the day before we left. He wasn't even asked about his status when we left Mexico and when we re-entered Canada, the border officer didn't ask for his card. She swiped his passport, saw his PR details on the computer and waved us through.

 

[keesio]

Thanks canuck_in_uk! Hopefully our experience is as smooth as yours!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks canuck_in_uk! Hopefully our experience is as smooth as yours!

I'm sure it will. Good luck!