Travel Document
Mar 29th 2012, 12:58 pm
#1
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Travel Document
Please can anyone advise on on whether or not I need a travel document for the following situation?
My partner and I are landing in June 2012. He has a 1 way ticket as he's staying permanently but i'm returning to the UK with my return ticket after 9 days. Myself and my 3 children then fly to Canada on 1 way tickets to stay permanently on the 8th July. I won't have PR cards and so am worried the airline won't let me and the children board on 1 way tickets. Will our COPR forms suffice the airline's requirements or should we get travel documents?
I'm also confused about the travel documents as on the application form it asks "when did you become a permanent resident" so I assume we can't even apply for travel documents until after we've landed??!!
Melsa
My partner and I are landing in June 2012. He has a 1 way ticket as he's staying permanently but i'm returning to the UK with my return ticket after 9 days. Myself and my 3 children then fly to Canada on 1 way tickets to stay permanently on the 8th July. I won't have PR cards and so am worried the airline won't let me and the children board on 1 way tickets. Will our COPR forms suffice the airline's requirements or should we get travel documents?
I'm also confused about the travel documents as on the application form it asks "when did you become a permanent resident" so I assume we can't even apply for travel documents until after we've landed??!!
Melsa
Mar 29th 2012, 1:07 pm
#2
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Travel Document
The travel document is a hoary old chestnut on this forum, and is covered in the wiki.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Perman...ithout_PR_card
You cant apply for a travel doc unless you are a PR. If your kids are travelling in order to land then they are covered by their paperwork. (Its unclear from your post if the kids will have landed yet or whether they will land when they travel with you. )
The Travel Document exists basically so that people who would normally need a visa in order to visit canada due to their nationality can board a flight should they not have their PR card for some reason. Its there, like the PR card, to demonstrate TO THE AIRLINE that they are entitled to enter Canada. The immigration officers have plenty of other tools at their disposal should they need them.
As a UK passport holder you dont need a visa, so SHOULD be OK without PR card or TD.
BUT, airlines are sometimes stupid, and a one way ticket will raise flags. Some airlines are more anal than others. Air Canada for example openly states that you are fine with visa waiver passport and no travel doc/ PR card. Who are you travelling with? Its probably worth clarifying with them what they accept.
The bottom line is that no one has yet reported here being refused entry to a flight to Canada on a UK passport under these circumstances, but people are occasionally given some hassle by airline and immigration people who (IMO) should know better.
The question is I guess, is it more hassle to go to the expense and hassle of getting a travel doc than it is to deal with airport hassle should it happen.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Perman...ithout_PR_card
You cant apply for a travel doc unless you are a PR. If your kids are travelling in order to land then they are covered by their paperwork. (Its unclear from your post if the kids will have landed yet or whether they will land when they travel with you. )
The Travel Document exists basically so that people who would normally need a visa in order to visit canada due to their nationality can board a flight should they not have their PR card for some reason. Its there, like the PR card, to demonstrate TO THE AIRLINE that they are entitled to enter Canada. The immigration officers have plenty of other tools at their disposal should they need them.
As a UK passport holder you dont need a visa, so SHOULD be OK without PR card or TD.
BUT, airlines are sometimes stupid, and a one way ticket will raise flags. Some airlines are more anal than others. Air Canada for example openly states that you are fine with visa waiver passport and no travel doc/ PR card. Who are you travelling with? Its probably worth clarifying with them what they accept.
The bottom line is that no one has yet reported here being refused entry to a flight to Canada on a UK passport under these circumstances, but people are occasionally given some hassle by airline and immigration people who (IMO) should know better.
The question is I guess, is it more hassle to go to the expense and hassle of getting a travel doc than it is to deal with airport hassle should it happen.
Last edited by iaink; Mar 29th 2012 at 1:12 pm.
Mar 29th 2012, 1:13 pm
#3
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Thread Starter
Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Lancashire Lass living in Kingston, Ontario
Posts: 144
Re: Travel Document
The travel document is a hoary old chestnut on this forum, and is covered in the wiki.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Perman...ithout_PR_card
Its basically there so that people who would normally need a visa in order to visit canada due to their nationality can board a flight should they not have their PR card for some reason to demonstrate TO THE AIRLINE that they are entitled to enter Canada.
As a UK passport holder you dont need a visa, so SHOULD be OK without PR card and TD.
BUT, airlines are sometimes stupid, and a one way ticket will raise flags. Some airlines are more anal than others. Air Canada for example openly states that you are fine with visa waiver passport and no travel doc/ PR card. Who are you travelling with? Its probably worth clarifying with them what they accept.
Its unclear from your post if the kids will have landed yet or whether they will land when they travel with you.
The bottom line is that no one has yet reported here being refused entry to a flight to Canada on a UK passport under these circumstances, but people are occasionally given some hassle by airline and immigration people who (IMO) should know better.
The question is I guess, is it more hassle to go to the expense and hassle of getting the travel doc than it is to deal with airport hassle should it happen.
http://britishexpats.com/wiki/Perman...ithout_PR_card
Its basically there so that people who would normally need a visa in order to visit canada due to their nationality can board a flight should they not have their PR card for some reason to demonstrate TO THE AIRLINE that they are entitled to enter Canada.
As a UK passport holder you dont need a visa, so SHOULD be OK without PR card and TD.
BUT, airlines are sometimes stupid, and a one way ticket will raise flags. Some airlines are more anal than others. Air Canada for example openly states that you are fine with visa waiver passport and no travel doc/ PR card. Who are you travelling with? Its probably worth clarifying with them what they accept.
Its unclear from your post if the kids will have landed yet or whether they will land when they travel with you.
The bottom line is that no one has yet reported here being refused entry to a flight to Canada on a UK passport under these circumstances, but people are occasionally given some hassle by airline and immigration people who (IMO) should know better.
The question is I guess, is it more hassle to go to the expense and hassle of getting the travel doc than it is to deal with airport hassle should it happen.
Melsa
Mar 29th 2012, 1:29 pm
#4
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Joined: Sep 2003
Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Travel Document
thank you for your reply. The kids will be landing on the 8th July when they travel with me. I'm flying with Canadian Affair and I phoned them up but the woman I spoke to couldn't give me a definate answer as to whether or not I would need a travel document. Also can you only apply for the travel document once you've landed? If this is the case I don't know what i'm going to do as I won't be able to apply for one.
Melsa
Melsa
If it were me, I wouldnt bother. Who's going to argue with you that you cant travel when you have kids with you with valid travel documents in hand to go land, and a recently dated COPR in your passport?
Mar 29th 2012, 1:37 pm
#5
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Re: Travel Document
You can, but you would have to go in person to the CHC in London once back in the UK at a guess. Its a hassle.
If it were me, I wouldnt bother. Who's going to argue with you that you cant travel when you have kids with you with valid travel documents in hand to go land, and a recently dated COPR in your passport?
If it were me, I wouldnt bother. Who's going to argue with you that you cant travel when you have kids with you with valid travel documents in hand to go land, and a recently dated COPR in your passport?
Also when I land do I get to keep the COPR forms? I thought the Immigration officer might keep them.
Melsa
Mar 29th 2012, 1:42 pm
#6
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Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Travel Document
Your kids landing paperwork is all the documentation they need. As they are not PRs till they land, you cant get a travel document for them.
When you land they staple the COPR or ROLF form in your passport. At least they did back in my day...
Mar 29th 2012, 1:50 pm
#7
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Location: Lancashire Lass living in Kingston, Ontario
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Re: Travel Document
Correct, but the CHC people might think it a bit odd, generally they issue TDs to people from non visa waiver countries.
Your kids landing paperwork is all the documentation they need. As they are not PRs till they land, you cant get a travel document for them.
When you land they staple the COPR or ROLF form in your passport. At least they did back in my day...
Your kids landing paperwork is all the documentation they need. As they are not PRs till they land, you cant get a travel document for them.
When you land they staple the COPR or ROLF form in your passport. At least they did back in my day...
Just hope we don't have any problems when landing with the kids without their dad!!!
Melsa
Mar 29th 2012, 1:55 pm
#8
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Location: Upstate South Carolina
Posts: 30,768
Re: Travel Document
thanks so much Iaink! I feel a little less worried about the situation. I will forget about the travel documents. So I can rest assured Canadian Affair will let us board with one way tickets, our COPR forms and British Passports.
Just hope we don't have any problems when landing with the kids without their dad!!!
Melsa
Just hope we don't have any problems when landing with the kids without their dad!!!
Melsa
Dont forget, you should get some sort of consent document from their father to say its OK to travel with the kids...
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_...nsentement-eng
Mar 29th 2012, 2:01 pm
#9
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Joined: Nov 2009
Location: Lancashire Lass living in Kingston, Ontario
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Re: Travel Document
There are no guarantees, but Id say the odds are on your side...
Dont forget, you should get some sort of consent document from their father to say its OK to travel with the kids...
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_...nsentement-eng
Dont forget, you should get some sort of consent document from their father to say its OK to travel with the kids...
http://www.voyage.gc.ca/preparation_...nsentement-eng
Melsa
