diswell

Hi. Situation is that after 2+ years of going through the Ontario Nominee Program we have just been granted PR - have the letter - and are going to our local office for the interview final piece on Friday this week. I have been told that the first PR card takes 2-3 months to arrive. I have also been told that on Friday my work permit (valid until March 2019) will be removed.

I need to travel in exactly 6 weeks for work - 2 short trips, one to the US, and then return to Canada, before travelling to Europe a couple of days later. So can I leave and get back into Canada with no PR card and no work permit? I will have the letter (COPR?) and a photocopy of my work permit. I assume the immigration officer will be able to see our 3 year history of living in Canada, and that I am in that period between PR acceptance and actually getting the card.

So my questions are:
1. I am told that entering by a land border would be fine in this situation. Please can someone explain why that is?
2. I can see that a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) is something that is mentioned to get in these cases. Trouble is it looks like I can only apply once I have left Canada (is that right?) and I am literally in both the US and Europe for just 3 days each time and I do not know how I could get to a visa office and get this issued...
3. My flights have to be booked through work which means they cover only leaving from Pearson, Toronto rather than a US airport anyway...so the land border option is difficult..

Does anyone have any advice or experience about whether it would be possible to have immigration at Pearson accept my current situation, my COPR letter and copy of work permit? Common sense says that it would be clear where I am up to in the PR process. But I am concerned about the lack of the PRTD and if I don't have that am I immediately refused entry? For information I have a British passport and I do have an eTA

Apols for the long post and thanks for any advice

DigitalGhost

The answer to this is simple. It's an airline requirement. As a foreign national you need an eTA, a TRV, a PRTD or a PR card to board an international flight to Canada. If you drive over the US border in a private vehicle then that requirement no longer exists so long as you can prove your status (e.g. passport and signed COPR).

Similarly you would need an ESTA to fly to the US from Canada right now but can drive or take a bus there with no online pre-authorisation almost as you see fit. It's just how it works.

Immigration at YYZ would not reject you. You're a PR and enter Canada by right so long as your terms of residence aren't breached. Your problem is actually flying into YYZ without a PR card or PRTD in the first place. Your eTA was voided when you landed as a PR.

You're right that you can't get a PRTD on Canadian soil and 3 days is unlikely to be enough time to secure one on either continent. Rent a car and that trip to America could be do-able but your European plans are pretty much out of the question.
​​​​​

Jerseygirl

We had problems boarding an Air Canada flight from the UK whilst waiting for our PR cards. The airline would not accept the signed confirmation letter...stating that our PR status had been approved. Fortunately we had our US passports with us...US citizens do not need ETA to enter Canada.

Former Lancastrian

Have you actually been to a Port Of Entry or an Inland IRCC office and formally landed by presenting the COPR form issued to you. If you haven't then you are not a PR. When does the COPR expire? If its still valid after all of your travelling then you could activate the COPR and do the landing on your return. If you land before travelling then you need the PR card or PRTD to fly back to Canada.

diswell

I have not landed yet and could do this on my return from Europe. But I have a further question - I am the lead applicant for PR for my husband and two children. They have no plans to leave the country, and so were planning to land on Friday at the local IRCC office. Can they do this for the three of them on Friday, and can mine wait until I finish travel in November? Or do we all have to land as a family at the same time?

Thanks

Former Lancastrian

As you are the Principal Applicant you need to land either before family members or at the same time. So you have a choice try to reschedule after your trip or all do the landing on Friday then you would require a PRTD if flying back to Canada. You still have the option of landing but returning via a US airport and then driving across the border.
IMHO if you NEED to travel then reschedule the appointment with IRCC for after you return.

diswell

Thanks for your thoughts. One further question - can I pass through Pearson without officially landing if I choose not to? I will be returning from the US and then need to leave for a further work meeting just two days later. It is from the second trip that I could land if needed (or preferably, still not land at that point, but instead go with my family to our local office and do it all together after these two trips of mine are done..)

A work colleague mentioned that they felt you had to declare you had PR and the COPR letter when re-entering Canada and so I would have to land at the end of my first trip - which would not work for me..

Thanks once again for your valuable advice.

Siouxie

They are not 'thoughts' Please take heed of what you are being told. Former Lancastrian is a CBSA Officer.

christmasoompa

https://britishexpats.com/wiki/Landi..._.22landing.22

HTH.

diswell

Yes - thank you - that information helps! Much appreciated.

diswell

'Thoughts' = My turn of phrase - but I agree that the advice is sound and we will be following it! Not optional 'thoughts'!!

Former Lancastrian

Unfortunately in your situation you either have to land with your family as a group or you can land before them. If they went on Friday to land and you were not present or have done your landing then IRCC would not land them so thats why I suggested rescheduling the date so you can all land or you could land after the 2nd trip and then arrange the rest of the family to land after.