US/Canadian dual citizen, entering Canada by land, WITHOUT passport OR certificate?

[couture]

My citizenship certificate is being held for me in Canada and I'd like to drive across to get it in a couple weeks. Problem being is that I need to cross over without my certificate (and also without a passport which I'm waiting to apply for with the certificate). My oath and tracker are complete. I know I need a Special Authorization to enter like this by air, but what about by land? Do I run a risk of being denied entry without having these documents, or can I be reasonably sure that they'll have a way to "look me up" if I bring my provincial ID, UCI, etc? Is it even worth trying?

 

[armoured]

My citizenship certificate is being held for me in Canada and I'd like to drive across to get it in a couple weeks. Problem being is that I need to cross over without my certificate (and also without a passport which I'm waiting to apply for with the certificate). My oath and tracker are complete. I know I need a Special Authorization to enter like this by air, but what about by land? Do I run a risk of being denied entry without having these documents, or can I be reasonably sure that they'll have a way to "look me up" if I bring my provincial ID, UCI, etc? Is it even worth trying?

I don't understand why you don't just have your certificate mailed to you.

But your own link says you don't need both passports - the US one will be sufficient by air or land.

Easiest way to show your Cdn citizenship at border - have a photocopy (printed scan) of the citizenship certificate, as well as other routine ID (UCI provincial ID etc).

 

[couture]

I don't understand why you don't just have your certificate mailed to you.

But your own link says you don't need both passports - the US one will be sufficient by air or land.

Easiest way to show your Cdn citizenship at border - have a photocopy (printed scan) of the citizenship certificate, as well as other routine ID (UCI provincial ID etc).

I'm going to have it shipped if I have to, but I understand that it's illegal to ship a document like a citizenship certificate internationally and I'd like to not take the chance of it being seized, even if it's unlikely. Happened to my wife when shipping a drivers license across the border. I'd like to take the opportunity to easily meet up with a guarantor and apply for my passport at an office rather than by mail from the US.

Also in that link it states the kinds of supporting documents that you need to establish your citizenship along with your US passport. The only thing I have still is a provincial driver's license, I'm not sure if it's enhanced though.

 

[steaky]

My citizenship certificate is being held for me in Canada and I'd like to drive across to get it in a couple weeks. Problem being is that I need to cross over without my certificate (and also without a passport which I'm waiting to apply for with the certificate). My oath and tracker are complete. I know I need a Special Authorization to enter like this by air, but what about by land? Do I run a risk of being denied entry without having these documents, or can I be reasonably sure that they'll have a way to "look me up" if I bring my provincial ID, UCI, etc? Is it even worth trying?

Carry your provincial issued driver license and they should let you return (after some lecture). You can also show your US passport.

 

[steaky]

I'm going to have it shipped if I have to, but I understand that it's illegal to ship a document like a citizenship certificate internationally and I'd like to not take the chance of it being seized, even if it's unlikely. Happened to my wife when shipping a drivers license across the border. I'd like to take the opportunity to easily meet up with a guarantor and apply for my passport at an office rather than by mail from the US.

Also in that link it states the kinds of supporting documents that you need to establish your citizenship along with your US passport. The only thing I have still is a provincial driver's license, I'm not sure if it's enhanced though.

Illegal to ship citizenship certificate internationally? Source?

 

[armoured]

I'm going to have it shipped if I have to, but I understand that it's illegal to ship a document like a citizenship certificate internationally

Nonsense. But at any rate, have it scanned and carry a printed copy with you. Just explain you haven't had a chance to get it physically and obtain a passport yet, and that's what your'e going to do.

Also in that link it states the kinds of supporting documents that you need to establish your citizenship along with your US passport.

It also says, extremely clearly: "Even though you only need one of your passports to enter Canada, you should travel with both. Having both passports makes travel between Canada and the United States easier."

Having both makes it easier. But you only need one to enter Canada.

As another poster put it, you might get a little lecture about how important it is to have a passport, but that's about it.

 

[trumprefugee]

Easiest way to show your Cdn citizenship at border - have a photocopy (printed scan) of the citizenship certificate, as well as other routine ID (UCI provincial ID etc).

Is a photocopy of the citizenship certificate really sufficient? How about just a scanned copy on my phone that I can show? I was thinking that we would need to carry the original certificate with us if we did not have Canadian passport and needed to enter with just US passport.

 

[armoured]

Is a photocopy of the citizenship certificate really sufficient? How about just a scanned copy on my phone that I can show? I was thinking that we would need to carry the original certificate with us if we did not have Canadian passport and needed to enter with just US passport.

See the text from the Canadian government site: you only need one of your passports to enter Canada (eg USA or Canadian passport). This pretty much explicitly says that they will admit you 'as an American' if they can't establish you are a Canadian citizen (but actually they can find out you are a Cdn).

Becau=se: the law is broader. CBSA "shall" (legal for 'must') admit you if they are satisfied you are a Canadian citizen. Having identification and copy of citizenship record (phone or paper) is almost certainly enough. Having your name, date of birth, etc IS enough - they have databases. Your UCI and other ID should also be enough.

Now, they can make it mildly unpleasant if they don't like your ID. They can say their computers are down. They can hold you for a while while they 'double-check.'

But the truth is, if you say you are a Canadian, have ID to prove who you are, and they can find you in the system (and 99% they can), they will let you in.

 

[trumprefugee]

See the text from the Canadian government site: you only need one of your passports to enter Canada (eg USA or Canadian passport). This pretty much explicitly says that they will admit you 'as an American' if they can't establish you are a Canadian citizen (but actually they can find out you are a Cdn).

Becau=se: the law is broader. CBSA "shall" (legal for 'must') admit you if they are satisfied you are a Canadian citizen. Having identification and copy of citizenship record (phone or paper) is almost certainly enough. Having your name, date of birth, etc IS enough - they have databases. Your UCI and other ID should also be enough.

Now, they can make it mildly unpleasant if they don't like your ID. They can say their computers are down. They can hold you for a while while they 'double-check.'

But the truth is, if you say you are a Canadian, have ID to prove who you are, and they can find you in the system (and 99% they can), they will let you in.

Actually I find this page a bit unclear
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/dual-citizenship
Exception: If you are an American-Canadian dual citizen with a valid U.S. passport, you don’t need a Canadian passport to fly to Canada. However, you still need to carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada.

The link regarding "proper identification" is
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html
and says If you do not have a passport, and are returning to Canada, the following documents can denote identity and citizenship:
Certificate of Canadian citizenship (issued from 1954 to present)

doesn't say that a copy of the certificate (rather than the original) is enough, so I was reading it as needing to carry the original certificate.

But as you mentioned, they do have databases at the border, and it seems they actually can pull up our information pretty quickly, so it does make sense that even a copy of the citizenship certificate should be fine. I actually had to travel back to the US by bus shortly after I landed as a PR and before receiving my PR card. When coming back to Canada, they already knew that I was a PR and said that they did not even need to see my COPR, even though normally they say that a PR returning to Canada at a land border without a PR card should show COPR.

 

[armoured]

Actually I find this page a bit unclear
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/documents/dual-citizenship
Exception: If you are an American-Canadian dual citizen with a valid U.S. passport, you don’t need a Canadian passport to fly to Canada. However, you still need to carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada.

The link regarding "proper identification" is
https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html
and says If you do not have a passport, and are returning to Canada, the following documents can denote identity and citizenship:
Certificate of Canadian citizenship (issued from 1954 to present)

doesn't say that a copy of the certificate (rather than the original) is enough, so I was reading it as needing to carry the original certificate.

Look, it's pretty simple: the government REALLY doesn't want Canadians travelling without the "approved" Canadian citizen travel document, called a passport. So they're never going to say "hey just roll up to the border with what you got on you, we'll probably figure it out."

But that does not mean it won't happen that way.

As I said, the law is quite unambiguous: they SHALL admit Canadian citizens. If you can convince them you are, they'll admit you.

But as you mentioned, they do have databases at the border, and it seems they actually can pull up our information pretty quickly, so it does make sense that even a copy of the citizenship certificate should be fine. I actually had to travel back to the US by bus shortly after I landed as a PR and before receiving my PR card. When coming back to Canada, they already knew that I was a PR and said that they did not even need to see my COPR, even though normally they say that a PR returning to Canada at a land border without a PR card should show COPR.

And as I've been saying, in practice, they won't say in advance they will accept this, but if your docs are good, your case plausible, and they know you-are-you and can find you in the database, you will be admitted.

Also for US citizens they'd be let in anyway.

(Okay stuff happens it is possible something happens. But that's true with a passport as well).

Now note: I'd still STRONGLY recommend eveyrone travel with their Canadian passport. If you happen to arrive at a border when there's some terrorism scare or some other issue (computers down?), you might waste more time than you'd bargained for.

But those are long-tail possibilities, and if you can't travel with Cdn passport, well,s ee above, I've said my peace.