How does travel document with COPR work?

[kanadskazena]

Hi all,

My husband received his DM on Oct. 21 following inland spousal sponsorship. The landing interview will be in Montreal and although we have not been given a date yet, I believe that it is possible that the date will be before Dec. 25, when we would like to travel to Europe (London and Vienna visa office regions) for a total of ten days. If at that point he has indeed received his COPR, he will not have received his PR card.

Am I right in thinking that he would be able to use a Travel Document (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp) to return to Canada?

If I am correct, how can we find out how long the processing time for the Travel Document is?

Or is the whole idea of leaving the country stupid, particularly given that it will be Christmas/New Year's and no visa office will be working?

Thank you very much for your help.

kanadskazena

 

[truesmile]

Yes, in theory that's how it works, BUT you can only apply for a travel document once you are abroad. Travelling for only 10 days?? You make a valid point about 'who works during the holidays'. I know it's no excuse, but IMHO it's a disaster waiting to happen. Sorry, I don't know where to find processing timelines for a 'travel document'.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi all,

My husband received his DM on Oct. 21 following inland spousal sponsorship. The landing interview will be in Montreal and although we have not been given a date yet, I believe that it is possible that the date will be before Dec. 25, when we would like to travel to Europe (London and Vienna visa office regions) for a total of ten days. If at that point he has indeed received his COPR, he will not have received his PR card.

Am I right in thinking that he would be able to use a Travel Document (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp) to return to Canada?

If I am correct, how can we find out how long the processing time for the Travel Document is?

Or is the whole idea of leaving the country stupid, particularly given that it will be Christmas/New Year's and no visa office will be working?

Thank you very much for your help.

kanadskazena

If your husband is visa-exempt, then he doesn't really need a travel document. He could just fly back to Canada as a visitor/tourist from Europe. When you get to Canada, all you need is passport + COPR and Canada immigration officer can look up his PR status on their computer system.

Only people requiring a TRV to visit Canada, really need a travel document if they don't have PR card.

 

[kanadskazena]

If your husband is visa-exempt, then he doesn't really need a travel document. He could just fly back to Canada as a visitor/tourist from Europe. When you get to Canada, all you need is passport + COPR and Canada immigration officer can look up his PR status on their computer system.

Only people requiring a TRV to visit Canada, really need a travel document if they don't have PR card.

Thanks, Rob_TO. I didn't realize that it worked that way if you were visa exempt, though it makes sense. He is visa-exempt, although his country has only been visa exempt for a couple of years and the airline companies don't always realize that he is visa-exempt, so I guess then that the problem is that the airlines might still not let him on if he had a flight back (effectively a one-way flight) to Canada. I am a dual citizen of the US and Canada and once tried to fly to Canada from Europe with my US passport. United Airlines questioned me until I remembered that I should show them my Canadian passport.

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks, Rob_TO. I didn't realize that it worked that way if you were visa exempt, though it makes sense. He is visa-exempt, although his country has only been visa exempt for a couple of years and the airline companies don't always realize that he is visa-exempt, so I guess then that the problem is that the airlines might still not let him on if he had a flight back (effectively a one-way flight) to Canada. I am a dual citizen of the US and Canada and once tried to fly to Canada from Europe with my US passport. United Airlines questioned me until I remembered that I should show them my Canadian passport.

When checking-in, you should always make a point that you're travelling on a visa-exempt passport. Technically there is NO rule that says an airline should refuse boarding if a visa-exempt applicant doesn't have a return ticket, as a return ticket is not mandatory when entering as a visitor/tourist in Canada. One could be intending to drive across the border into the USA as their exit from Canada.

However you're right that in rare cases the airlines do make a fuss about this. I've heard some airlines in certain airports are worse than others. So if travelling as visa-exempt on a 1-way ticket with no PR card, I would just be prepared to purchase a return ticket on the spot, in case they refuse to let you board without one. Just make sure its a fully refundable ticket and cancel it right after. Although the chances of this happening is very low.

Plus, how do they figure people fly to Canada to do their landing? People from visa-exempt countries don't get a passport visa, and they aren't expected to have a return ticket as the whole point of landing as a PR is to stay in Canada. Yet I've never heard of a single person being denied boarding in this case!

 

[keesio]

When you get to Canada, all you need is passport + COPR and Canada immigration officer can look up his PR status on their computer system.

Hi Rob,
Does Canada Immigration explicitly ask for the COPR or did you wife simply just present it to them first?

Thanks

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi Rob,
Does Canada Immigration explicitly ask for the COPR or did you wife simply just present it to them first?

My wife just presented the Canadian immigration officer with her COPR and passport, and told him we were still waiting for PR card in the mail. The officer checked her PR status on computer, and then matched up the date of landing on COPR with the stamp in her passport. He didn't care at all about not having the PR card. Whole process took less than 5 minutes.

 

[kanadskazena]

Thanks again, Rob_TO.

kanadskazena

 

[keesio]

My wife just presented the Canadian immigration officer with her COPR and passport, and told him we were still waiting for PR card in the mail. The officer checked her PR status on computer, and then matched up the date of landing on COPR with the stamp in her passport. He didn't care at all about not having the PR card. Whole process took less than 5 minutes.

Thanks Rob. Sounds like it is definitely best to have your COPR with you.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks Rob. Sounds like it is definitely best to have your COPR with you.

It isn't necessary to have the COPR with you. We had a trip to Mexico planned and weren't sure whether we would have his card in time. When my partner was doing his landing, I actually asked the landing officer what we should do in that situation and he said it wasn't a problem, my partner only needed his passport and they could see all his PR details from that. His words about the COPR were something like "Lock it up safe and don't let it out until you apply for citizenship" .

His PR card arrived the day before we left for Mexico. When we came back to Canada, he had it all ready to show the officer but she didn't even ask for it. She swiped his passport, saw he was a recent PR and waved us on through.

 

[kanadskazena]

That's very helpful to know, canuck_in_uk. One thing is for sure, I can't wait to be able to walk through the Canadians/PR only line at YUL with him!

 

[keesio]

Rob, Canuck in UK,
Some of the airports have a separate line for Canadian citizens and PR holders. Do you know if you need a PR card for those lines? Do they check for one? Or is passport + COPR good for those? I know they are expedited. But I can't remember if they look for a PR card or not. If I recall, you fill out the form at a kiosk and show the printout to an official standing in the middle - not by a computer (so they can't easily check the system).

Thanks

 

[Rob_TO]

Rob, Canuck in UK,
Some of the airports have a separate line for Canadian citizens and PR holders. Do you know if you need a PR card for those lines? Do they check for one? Or is passport + COPR good for those? I know they are expedited. But I can't remember if they look for a PR card or not. If I recall, you fill out the form at a kiosk and show the printout to an official standing in the middle - not by a computer (so they can't easily check the system).

Thanks

You can just go to the line for Canadians.

 

[keesio]

Sweet, thanks!

 

[Rob_TO]

It isn't necessary to have the COPR with you. We had a trip to Mexico planned and weren't sure whether we would have his card in time. When my partner was doing his landing, I actually asked the landing officer what we should do in that situation and he said it wasn't a problem, my partner only needed his passport and they could see all his PR details from that. His words about the COPR were something like "Lock it up safe and don't let it out until you apply for citizenship" .

That's interesting, as in our experience the immigration officer was really interested in the COPR and insisted on matching up the landing date on COPR to the landing stamp in the passport.

If travelling without PR card I would still recommend to bring the COPR. Like in most things with CIC, you often get different answers to the same questions depending who you ask. Officer A may not care about the COPR, but officer B may insist on it or give you a hard time. Always good to bring as much proof or docs as possible.