hey, this is not true. you need your PR card to reenter Canada. COPR is not a valid travel document. in fact after your landing interview and they issue you your COPR, they will advise you NOT to travel until you receive your PR card.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=064&top=10
Hi all,
I thought I'd update on this from last week having had my interview on the Thursday at the Montreal office. I had collected together some supporting information to try to get urgent processing of my PR card, including a letter from my employer saying I needed to go to the conference.
The first question I was asked at the interview was "are you planning to travel outside Canada in the next 8 weeks?". I explained my situation and asked if I could request urgent processing. I was told that they do not provide urgent processing for landed PRs for their 1st card (this is so stupid as that is the group of people who need them the most surely). She gave me three options:
1) They could cut short the 'interview' there and reschedule until after my conference.
I said no to this as it's been such a long journey, I just wanted it over with - I'll deal with the conference another way.
2) If I flew out of Canada and intended to fly back, I could apply to the consulate in the country I am travelling to, to get the Permanent Resident Travel Document.
This wouldn't work as I'm in the US for just 4 days so would not get processed in time.
3) I can drive across the border to a nearby US airport, fly from there to the conference then back to the US airport. Then I drive back across the Canada border from the US with just my passport. I don't need my PR card to drive back. The stipulation being that I have to be in a private vehicle when I cross back into Canada.
This is the option I've gone for - it's cost me a little bit to change flights but some will be covered by my work and the rest is worth it to not have to delay the interview and still get to the conference.
Other notes about the interview - it really did take less than 10mins - we didn't even sit down (it was just at a counter in the Montreal office). Most of that time was covering the travel stuff above.
They asked me where the first and last entry points into Canada were (note they aren't bothered about any as a visitor).
They asked if I'd ever been convicted or arrested.
They asked my sponsor if she was still happy to sponsor me.
She stamped the Confirmation of Permanent Resident form, got me to verify the info on it and sign it...
...and that was that!