Urgent: Return to Canada from USA with PGWP and expired study visa

[Virtually]

Hello,

I will be returning to Canada from a visit to USA through air. I have a valid PGWP with me and study visa that expired in Nov 2022 on IND passport. The Canadian website mentions the exception of not requiring visa if you return directly from USA or St. Pierre and Miquelon. Since I was not available to check-in for my flight tomorrow online, I want to confirm if anyone was in a similar situation and had any trouble at airport.
Canada website link:
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=208&top=22
Please let me know if I should post it somewhere else.

 

[Naturgrl]

Hello,

I will be returning to Canada from a visit to USA through air. I have a valid PGWP with me and study visa that expired in Nov 2022 on IND passport. The Canadian website mentions the exception of not requiring visa if you return directly from USA or St. Pierre and Miquelon. Since I was not available to check-in for my flight tomorrow online, I want to confirm if anyone was in a similar situation and had any trouble at airport.
Canada website link:
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=208&top=22
Please let me know if I should post it somewhere else.

So you don’t have a valid TRV? You don’t need a TRV if you only travelled to the US and back, not transiting through a US airport. You need a TRV if transiting.

 

[Virtually]

So you don’t have a valid TRV? You don’t need a TRV if you only travelled to the US and back, not transiting through a US airport. You need a TRV if transiting.

Thank, yes no valid TRV but a valid work permit. Only direct visit to USA last month and now flying back. The official Canada websites says it should not be a problem but called the Air Canada and they were reluctant. First they simply denied and says can try at the airport. When I pressed them to check online, they checked and admitted should not be an issue at the airport but repeated that next time get a TRV.

 

[Naturgrl]

Thank, yes no valid TRV but a valid work permit. Only direct visit to USA last month and now flying back. The official Canada websites says it should not be a problem but called the Air Canada and they were reluctant. First they simply denied and says can try at the airport. When I pressed them to check online, they checked and admitted should not be an issue at the airport but repeated that next time get a TRV.

CBSA may deport you if you are allowed to board and enter Canada as you don’t have a TRV. Where does the official website say it is not a problem? A work permit only allows you to work not enter Canada.

 

[Copingwithlife]

Thank, yes no valid TRV but a valid work permit. Only direct visit to USA last month and now flying back. The official Canada websites says it should not be a problem but called the Air Canada and they were reluctant. First they simply denied and says can try at the airport. When I pressed them to check online, they checked and admitted should not be an issue at the airport but repeated that next time get a TRV.

As a former airline agent I’d give you a 50/50 odds of getting on the plane . Agents are trained to look for valid visas, not going online and deciphering a website . Note , some agents don’t have access to the internet . Just ti-matic.
The agent makes the call (A) if you get on the airplane , the CBSA makes the call (B) to allow you into the country .
A comes before B.

 

[Virtually]

CBSA may deport you if you are allowed to board and enter Canada as you don’t have a TRV. Where does the official website say it is not a problem? A work permit only allows you to work not enter Canada.

This link that I posted in the post: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=208&top=22

If you have an expired visitor visa

• You can ask to come back to Canada on your originaltemporary resident (visitor) visa, even if it’s expired, if:
  • you’ll only visit the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon, and
  • you’ll return to Canada before the end of your approved stay in Canada.

 

[Naturgrl]

This link that I posted in the post: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=208&top=22

If you have an expired visitor visa

• You can ask to come back to Canada on your originaltemporary resident (visitor) visa, even if it’s expired, if:
  • you’ll only visit the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon, and
  • you’ll return to Canada before the end of your approved stay in Canada.

So you only visited the US. Only is in bold. You didn’t go to another country and then transit through the US. This refers to people who cross the border and come back but don’t go on to another country.

 

[Virtually]

As a former airline agent I’d give you a 50/50 odds of getting on the plane . Agents are trained to look for valid visas, not going online and deciphering a website . Note , some agents don’t have access to the internet . Just ti-matic.
The agent makes the call (A) if you get on the airplane , the CBSA makes the call (B) to allow you into the country .
A comes before B.

Thanks, Yeah A is what I am worried for the same reason.

 

[Virtually]

So you only visited the US. Only is in bold. You didn’t go to another country and then transit through the US. This refers to people who cross the border and come back but don’t go on to another country.

Yeah I only came to US last month and now going back to Canada. There is no other country visited in between.

 

[Naturgrl]

Yeah I only came to US last month and now going back to Canada. There is no other country visited in between.

You will not know until you board and if then, get through CBSA. Airlines don’t want to take a chance because they are on the hook for paying your airfare back to the US. If denied, you have a better chance at a land border.