Hi there,

I recieved my visa in my passport and confirmation of permanant residence status (skilled worker class) and am waiting here int he UK until I find a job before I make the move to Canada.

I want to go to Canada for 2 weeks in April to have a few interviews with prospective employers etc BUT I am worried that when I arrive in Montreal airport that the immigration people will see my visa and activate it. This I do not want as it's only a 2 week fact finding trip and I will not be ready to go the whole hog and immigrate at this stage.

Is it possible to make such a trip to Canbada when you have a visa in your passport? Is there anyway I can ensure they do not activate my visa and start treating me as a landed immigrant?

Advice GRATEFULLY recieved!

Thanks

Q of Q

What's wrong with them activating it? You will need to be out there within a year of receiving the visa anyway.

[QUOTE=Platty]What's wrong with them activating it? You will need to be out there within a year of receiving the visa anyway.[/QUOTE
]
Thanks for your reply.

The problem is . . . if it is activated then when I return to the UK 2 weeks later I will be a resident in 2 countries - surely this isn't allowed?

It would also mean that once I was officially a landed immigrant I wouldnt be able to complete all of the processes like getting a social security no etc.

Also, isn't there some regulation about not leaving Canada for a certain period following your immigration? It's my intention to return to the Uk following these 2 weeks and work here until the end of July

Q of Q

Hi,
Just apply for a second UK passport,
I had one for about 4/5 years, don't need it now.
It lets you travel abroad whilst your own passport is away getting stamped for visas at embassies etc...
and it also could be used , In places like cyprus when crossing from south to north, if the passport was stamped on the north side , you couldn't re enter the south, but having a clean un stamped one let you back in.
Should work in your situation.
I used to have fun crossing the channel , using one on the way out, the other on the way home,
And when cashing cheques using the same bank, but swapping passports every other visit.
small things amuse small minds
Cheers
Jerry

I wondered where the reply I sent to you went.........LOL!! I replied on your other post in Immigration:

You can leave Canada but you will have to give an address in Canada for Immigration to send your PR card to you.

I think you will find that they will land you though, so you will need to have your List of Goods to Follow ready to be stamped.

We only came in on Study Permits and an attached long Visitors Visa for me and they landed us - thankfully we had completed our List and got it stamped by Customs.

I don't think you need to initiate your SIN etc on your trip though - this can wait until you finally move.

The suggestion of a second passport is probably your best bet if you really don't want to be landed on your 2 week trip.

You don't have to use the visa just because it is in your passport. The visa just proves to customs/immigration that you have been given permission to enter Canada and process the final stages of your PR application. When you enter Canada they have to decide on what basis to allow you entry. They can't let you in as a PR because you haven't landed yet and for all they know you might be refused PR when you are landing for some reason. The visa just allows them to let you through passport control and into the immigration office without having to give you any other status.

All you need to do when you get to the customs guys checking the passport is explain you have your visa but are not ready to land yet and you are just on a preliminary visit to check some stuff out and then you intend to land later befire the visa expires. They can then admit you as a visitor. In fact it's probably the easiest call for them to believe you are just visiting because if you planned to remain indefinately you'd just use your visa and go land.

Just because you have the visa doesn't mean you have to use it. You might have decided you don't want to be a PR anymore but that doesn't mean you can't visit Canada again until the visa expires otherwise you will be forced to land. I've read lots of posts of people who have visited before landing. Just search the archives.

Drew

1. This is the residence obligation for permanent residents:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/newcomer/res-oblig.html

2. To return to Canada on a commercial carrier after you have landed you 'technically' need a PR Card or Travel Document.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/pr-card/index.html

However Air Canada at least seem to say on their website that PRs with visa waiver passports (eg British citizens) can still travel using just an IMM1000 and British passport. Check the Air Canada website for the latest details and if flying with another airline - check directly, preferably in writing.

It seems that when CIC brought in this rule, they didn't think about the many PRs with visa waiver passports (British citizens, US, Australians etc)

3. Unless you have a CSQ (ie, you are Quebec selected) then you should not try to land in Montreal. You may be able to if you can prove you have a ticket for onward travel to somewhere else outside Quebec, but to make things simple, land in Toronto or Ottawa or another Canadian city.

The opposite is true if you have a CSQ - you need to land in Quebec not somewhere else.

This rule does not apply for subsequent trips into and out of Canada.


4. Going to job interviews and having 'tourist' status does not mix well in the eyes of Immigration so you may want to 'land' first time.

Jeremy