First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
Jul 24th 2012, 12:50 pm
#16
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Joined: Nov 2011
Location: Somewhere between Vancouver & St Johns
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Re: First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
Former Lancastrian, I would love to do 'the right thing' and apply for a Travel Document, but practicalities are getting in the way.
The CBSA officer who processed me told me to drive to Detroit to get one (as Buffalo has closed). Unfortunately that's now also no longer an option, they stopped taking in-person applications as of June.
I'm actually flying out to Amsterdam for 10 days. The nearest visa office is in London, but there's this pesky thing called 'La Manche' in between which makes travel expensive and time-consuming. The next best location is Paris, over 300 miles away. The office accepts applications in person from 8.30am to 11am, with likely a queue forming from about 7am onwards. I don't know how I would get to central London or central Paris (from Amsterdam) that early in the morning without an expensive hotel stay. It all gets a bit impractical given that we'll only be out of Canada for 10 days.
By the way, in April I flew from Gatwick to Toronto on a one-way ticket on nothing but my passport and TWP. Would I be right in assuming that passport+COPR is nearly the same? COPR and TWP both not visas and not valid for travel? I know of course that I was just lucky back then and that there is no guarantee...
The CBSA officer who processed me told me to drive to Detroit to get one (as Buffalo has closed). Unfortunately that's now also no longer an option, they stopped taking in-person applications as of June.
I'm actually flying out to Amsterdam for 10 days. The nearest visa office is in London, but there's this pesky thing called 'La Manche' in between which makes travel expensive and time-consuming. The next best location is Paris, over 300 miles away. The office accepts applications in person from 8.30am to 11am, with likely a queue forming from about 7am onwards. I don't know how I would get to central London or central Paris (from Amsterdam) that early in the morning without an expensive hotel stay. It all gets a bit impractical given that we'll only be out of Canada for 10 days.
By the way, in April I flew from Gatwick to Toronto on a one-way ticket on nothing but my passport and TWP. Would I be right in assuming that passport+COPR is nearly the same? COPR and TWP both not visas and not valid for travel? I know of course that I was just lucky back then and that there is no guarantee...
The COPR is accepted at a POE as proof of PR status along with a valid passport in these cases but the airlines dont accept the COPR as proof as they want to see that PR card.
In most cases the airlines just normally ask for the passport and NOT what your status in Canada is. Therefore if not asked the PR card is not an issue.
If they did ask then your decision to tell them or not.
Im assuming you will be flying back on the return portion of the ticket so that will not raise any flags. Its when flying on the one way ticket that was booked overseas that will raise flags i.e they wouldnt know that you had left Canada on a return ticket.
Many have travelled back without the PR card and never been refused boarding though it could happen. Percentage wise Id say it would be very low.
Jul 24th 2012, 12:56 pm
#17
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Joined: May 2011
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Re: First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
Thanks for the info. I'll just risk it 
Jul 26th 2012, 6:55 pm
#18
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2
Re: First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
My wife and I landed on 30 April. I received my PR card on 6 July, while wife has not received it yet though 67 business days have lapsed. We called CIC several times and every time we are told that the card would be sent in the next one or two weeks. Today we called again and the agent said the card might take another 3-4 weeks... Its quite annoying and frustrating. Is there any way that we could speed up the process? We are a bit worried as we have already bought our flight tickets back to UK on 30 September...
Jul 27th 2012, 12:35 am
#19
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Re: First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
1. Just risk it with the COPR stapled in your passport, which carries the risk of not being allowed to board the plane (although there have been no reports of British Citizens actually being denied boarding)
2. Apply for a visa. I believe the visa office in London accepts same-day applications.
Jul 27th 2012, 2:55 pm
#20
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Joined: Jul 2012
Posts: 2
Re: First PR Card - urgent procedure ?
Apparently not. If you still haven't got your PR card when you fly out, you have at least 2 options:
1. Just risk it with the COPR stapled in your passport, which carries the risk of not being allowed to board the plane (although there have been no reports of British Citizens actually being denied boarding)
2. Apply for a visa. I believe the visa office in London accepts same-day applications.
1. Just risk it with the COPR stapled in your passport, which carries the risk of not being allowed to board the plane (although there have been no reports of British Citizens actually being denied boarding)
2. Apply for a visa. I believe the visa office in London accepts same-day applications.
