Can my friend enter the USA on the first day she arrives in Canada?

[mariab]

Hello...my friend will be arriving in Canada as an immigrant and is told she has to wait 6 weeks for a Permanent Resident Card before she can enter the USA. Is this true?...I live in the USA and was hoping I could pick her up at the airport and bring her to my house to stay until she gets settled. Thank you in advance for your reply!

[PMM]

Hi

Hello...my friend will be arriving in Canada as an immigrant and is told she has to wait 6 weeks for a Permanent Resident Card before she can enter the USA. Is this true?...I live in the USA and was hoping I could pick her up at the airport and bring her to my house to stay until she gets settled. Thank you in advance for your reply!

What is her citizenship?  Is she from a visa exempt country?  It is up to the US to admit her.  There is not set time as to how long you have to be a PR of Canada before the US will admit you, but they may question her attachment to Canada after being "landed" less than a day.



PMM

[mariab]

Thank you for your reply PMM. She is from the Philippines. I also need to know if she will be able to reenter Canada if she does not have her PRCard, assuming she will be able to enter the US. I guess I am asking if she can go back and forth while she is waiting to receive her PRC, and if she will need any particular forms or documentation to do so. Thank you.

[tanginang_yan]

Hi,
Unless she has a US green card or temporary resident card, your friend will need to apply for a tourist visa to enter the US.

To re-enter Canada without the PR, a "Travel Document" needs to be obtained.  This document is available at a Canadian Embassy.  I am not sure tho if this applies when re-entering Canada from the USA.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/travel.html

[PMM]

Hi

Hi,
Unless she has a US green card or temporary resident card, your friend will need to apply for a tourist visa to enter the US.

To re-enter Canada without the PR, a "Travel Document" needs to be obtained.  This document is available at a Canadian Embassy.  I am not sure tho if this applies when re-entering Canada from the USA.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/travel.html

You only require the PR card if you are entering Canada by Commercial transportation, not a private car.  As the OP friend is a citizen of the Philippines, she would require a US visitor visa as well.

PMM

[mariab]

Thank you for your replies. By what you have said, I guess my conclusion is that without the PRC, which takes 6 weeks (is there any way to speed that up?), or a visitor visa, she cannot enter the US and return to Canada. I guess she will have to find housing in Canada right away. Thank you for your help.

[PMM]

Hi

Thank you for your replies. By what you have said, I guess my conclusion is that without the PRC, which takes 6 weeks (is there any way to speed that up?), or a visitor visa, she cannot enter the US and return to Canada. I guess she will have to find housing in Canada right away. Thank you for your help.

1.  No it can't be sped up, takes 30 days and she needs a Canadian address for it to be delivered.
2.  Even with the PR card, she still will need a US visitor visa to enter the US.

PMM

[mariab]

Thank you for your reply PMM. Well, this is news!...she will also need a US visitor visa...do you have any idea how long that would take and perhaps a link to the requirements and fees?...(I will search around if that is asking too much)...She was told at her conference at the Philippine Canadian embassy that she just needed the card, so this is new information...Perhaps they were just referring to getting back into Canada. Do you know why the US visa is required if she has the PR Card?. Thank you!

[tanginang_yan]

Hello,
Even tho your friend has or will have a PR card, techinically she is still a citizen of the Philippines, which is not one of the visa-exempt countries, thus a visa is required (unlike Philippine citizens who are US green card holders, they may enter Canada without a Canadian visa).    She can apply for a US visitor visa in Manila. 

After 3 years residency in Canada your friend will be eligible for Canadian citizenship after which she will be able to enter the USA without a visa.

Thanks and Happy Holidays

HarryYan

[tryingtohelp]

Hello...my friend will be arriving in Canada as an immigrant and is told she has to wait 6 weeks for a Permanent Resident Card before she can enter the USA. Is this true?...I live in the USA and was hoping I could pick her up at the airport and bring her to my house to stay until she gets settled. Thank you in advance for your reply!

Confused how do get settled into Canada by living in the USA???