Urgent Travel with expired PR card, help please!

[Cdnborn]

Thank you for reading. I've received mixed advice on our situation and am hoping for some clarification.

Situation: I am a Canadian citizen and my wife is a PR with a UK passport. Her PR card just expired and we are flying to Dominican Republic for a week on April 17 via Sunwing Airline. We applied last week for urgent PR renewal, even mailed it to NS by courier, though it is highly unlikely that we will receive it next week before we leave.

I've heard she can just show her passport and not mention that she is a PR, and may get through just fine if they assume she is a visitor. Though since it is the return leg of the trip, they likely will ask if she is a PR, in which case she should most certainly not deny being a PR right?

Q1 - In the likely event that we don't receive it before we leave, or even shortly after in which case family could courier it to us, how likely is she to be denied boarding on our flight back to Canada? We will have a copy of her renewal application and marriage certificate etc.

Q2 - Assuming she is denied boarding to Canada, we are thinking of booking a flight to the US and having family pick us up and drive over the boarder. Would she have issues boarding a flight to from D.R. to US as a visitor without a return ticket to UK?

Any advice would be much appreciated.

Thank you!

 

[Msafiri]

1. Call Sunwing and ask for their view - try get something in writing.

2. She may have to purchase a ticket out of Canada if Sunwing insist they can't carry her. This covers Sunwing in case she gets bounced at the Canadian POE (airlines get fined if their non PR/ Citizen passenger shows up on a 1 way ticket and gets bounced by CBSA) as she has already paid for her exit. Of course she won't get bounced but Sunwing don't know that.

3. Carrying any paperwork in relation to the renewal is spot on.

4. For US entry she has to qualify and apply for ESTA. Even if she does then as an 'alien' seeking entry under the VWP she is expected to have a return or onward ticket to a country outside a strict geographical limit...the limit includes Canada unless you are a long term resident as evidenced by valid visa which for PRs would be a PR Card. So CBP can bounce her too. Go with this route as a last resort!

 

[Cdnborn]

Thanks for the quick response Msafiri. We contacted Sunwing and they said as long as she has her passport and proof of identity she will be fine. Very relieved...

 

[lpc19800]

Thanks for the quick response Msafiri. We contacted Sunwing and they said as long as she has her passport and proof of identity she will be fine. Very relieved...

So I travelled back from Mexico (not with Sunwing) earlier this year, before I did my PR landing (I was landing coming off that flight). I was questioned at check-in on my status and was allowed to board based on carrying my Confirmation of Permanent Residence. I would carry that with you as while CBSA know that that isn't a travel document, the guys at checkin in Mexico were satisfied. In fact they preferred it over my work permit (which of course was subsequently removed by CBSA when I did my landing!)

 

[Leon]

The airline should be fine if she has a visa exempt passport. However, when she enters Canada, she should go in the PR line and show her expired PR card. She will say that she meets the residency requirements but had to make an emergency travel before she could renew her card. It should not be a big deal.

 

[Cdnborn]

Thanks for the advice Leon. I will follow up when we return and let you know if we had any problems.

 

[Cdnborn]

Just thought I would follow up and share our experience. While checking in at the Ottawa airport for departure, she was asked to show her PR card. She explained it was expired and the renewed card hadn’t arrived on time. They called their manager over, who said unfortunately they could not let her board the flight with an expired card… After a few minutes of arguing, the manager decided to go and check with immigration, who confirmed her PR status and also said she was fine either way since she had a UK passport. We had a little bit of trouble coming back, had a few more managers called over (check in and at security) who gave us the ok, didn’t even care to see supporting documentation, landed in Canada and were sent to immigration which only took a few minutes. We got through before our luggage was ready. A few scares but we made it home!