Hi Guys,

Just a heads up, we flew into vancouver from manila yesterday (had been in Hong Kong for a week). My boyfriend was removed from the flight during boarding in manila and was told he could not fly......then taken to the other side of the airport after being told that his 2year work visa (attached to his passport) did not allow him entry to canada (you couldn't make this kind of stupidity up) and he should have done an ETA. We tried to reason with the staff and also showed them the CBSA website that clearly states he didn't need one, luckily he got access to the internet and was forced to get an ETA or he wouldn't be allowed to fly.


Fun & Games, luckily we got home

What made you think he didn't need to apply for an eTA?

Because he has a valid 2yr Canadian visa. It states on the cbsa website tha eta is not required if you have a visa or are a citizen. This was confirmed by cbsa in Vancouver airport when we landed

What you mean he has a TRV (visa counterfoil in passport) because he is not a visa exempt citizen?

Or he is a visa exempt citizen (i.e. British) but has a work permit?

If the latter, he does need an eTA:

I already have a study or work permit, do I need to apply for an eTA?

A work permit is not the same thing as a visa. A visa allows you to travel to Canada and is needed by visa required nationalities (e.g. Indian citizens). An eTA is required by those travelling by air who are visa exempt (like UK citizens) except if you're a US citizen. A permit (study permit; work permit) allows you to remain in Canada (for a period of time e.g. 1 year; 2 years). In other words, whether or not you have a work permit, you still need either a visa or an eTA to travel to Canada by air (unless you're a US citizen).

S

he has a current 2yr work visa. it states on the website that if you have a valid visa you don't need an eta. Also as stated above it was confirmed by the CBSA in vancouver that he didn't need an eta.

He has a two year Work Permit. Look very closely at the document and you will see it is called a Work Permit.
I'm afraid there's no such thing as a Work Visa.
And as such if he's a Brit he needs an eTA to return to Canada by air.
S

ok permit. either way not required. As of August 1, 2015, individuals who are issued an initial study or work permit will automatically be issued an eTA along with their permit.

ok well i guess the CBSA in vancouver airport are wrong then......apologies if I've confused anyone reading this post. I just assumed that a vancouver immigration officer would know who needs one and who doesn't

Not an unreasonable assumption but sadly not typically true. Permanent residents cannot get ETAs but are repeatedly told they have to get one! We have to carry our PR cards with us when traveling, more than once we have had this issue

The cbsa website does actually state that eta is part of work permits after August 2015, the cbsa officer pointed that out and we did check.

Where does it say it on the CBSA website, can you post a link? That's really bad if it does say that!

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1051&top=16

Few paragraphs down the page, we were also told previously that eta is part of work permits. This was the case when my boyfriend was issued his permit

I would ignore whatever you were told, unfortunately as you've learned CBSA officers do get it wrong, as do the CIC call centre workers etc, a lot just don't know about the rules, particularly when they are new.

But if it's written on a government website then that's really not good - although I still can't see which bit of the page you've linked to would mean he'd not need an ETA? You've linked to the CIC website though, whereas above you mention the CBSA website, so is it definitely the page you were looking at originally?

More than one immigration officer spoke to us at the airport and said that etas are built into permits, Its not the exact page they showed us. The one they showed us also highlighted that they have been built into permits from August 2015. Actually the airline was dragged into the conversation at the airport (as they are sending a memo to their Manila staff so it didn't happen again) and agreed with the cbsa after looking at his documents he shouldn't have been forced to get an eta.

Has he got an IEC or a 'proper' work permit?