Travel Document in place of PR Card

[mom23]

Hi - my husband is a permanent resident with a valid British passport. We have applied for urgent renewal of his PR card as we plan to travel to the Dominican in December. We are concerned we may not receive his PR card in time. If that happens, he will likely not travel. I have been reading about possibly obtaining a travel document but I am not clear on this process. Can we only apply for one at the Canadian embassy in the Dominican after we arrive, or can we send our application to them now knowing that boarding the return flight might be an issue without his PR card?

To make it even more confusing, I found the following on Air Canada's website:


Only Canadian permanent residents from non visa-waiver countries travelling outside Canada are required to carry a valid Canadian permanent resident (PR) card or a valid visa, in addition to a valid passport, to return to Canada by commercial carrier. The PR card provides proof of your immigration status. Without it, you will not be allowed to board the carrier back to Canada. Canadian citizens and Canadian permanent residents from visa-waiver countries do not need a PR card.

Our carrier is not Air Canada, but is this exemption specific to Air Canada or in general for passport holders from visa exempt countries?

Any thoughts would be appreciated.

[smokijoe]

Mon23

Surely your husband is a national of a visa-waiver country (UK). Therefore he should be allowed to board the flight back to Canada. Your problem may be when he arrives in Canada.

[PMM]

Hi

Mon23

Surely your husband is a national of a visa-waiver country (UK). Therefore he should be allowed to board the flight back to Canada. Your problem may be when he arrives in Canada.

1.  No, his problem will be boarding the plane to return.  It is quite easy for CBSA to determine his PR status once he arrives.
2.  The airline may have a problem boarding him without proof that he would be admitted to Canada.  The OP should contact the airline and see what their policy is.

[Leon]

With a UK passport, it is unlikely that they would refuse him to board the plane.

[mom23]

Thank you all.

PMM, I've sent an email to our carrier to ask what their policy is in this situation.

Can travel documents be applied for in advance of travel out of Canada knowing there may be an issue with boarding a flight back to Canada due to lack of a PR card (we sent the expired card back with the renewal app), and does it need to be issued from the CIC office of the country we're visiting? I'm confused because I have read posts about people obtaining travel documents from Buffalo, although it's not always clear if they're visiting and/or travelling from the US (one person was visiting Mexico).

[scylla]

For whatever it's worth, my husband (American citizen, now Canadian PR) flew in and out of Canada many many times on Air Canada (sometimes to the US, sometimes to other international destinations) while he was waiting for his PR card to be issued - and since receiving his PR card last year. He has never been asked to show his PR card by Air Canada (or any other airline). All they seem to care about is his US passport.

[mom23]

Thanks scylla - this has been his experience as well when he went to Germany and the US a few years ago - he was never asked for his PR card when boarding to return to Canada. However, our return date is Dec 23rd and we don't want to risk him missing Christmas and Boxing Day, so I am trying to find out what alternatives we have to the PR card.

If anyone has any experience with travel documents while their PR card was being renewed, I would like to hear your story.

[Leon]

You can not get a travel document in Canada before you leave.  You must apply for it at a Canadian embassy or consular office in the country you find yourself in.  Some embassies, I have heard for example Seattle, can process a travel document in a day but I have heard of others doing it in 2 - 6 weeks. 

[mom23]

Thank you Leon - I had interpreted the travel document option correctly after all, I was really hoping that I was missing something! The turnaround time for the Dominican office is 10 business days and we will only be there for a week, so that option is out.

[Millu]

Leon,

i am kind of same situation. cannot apply new pr card (with new name) cause new OHIP card seems to take forever (dont have drivers license).
im travelling end of January, so i have still time.
But incase i don't get new pr card on time, do you think the following would be enough proof;
-passport with new name
-copy of old passport (don't have it anymore, embassy took it)
-pr card with old last name
-marriage certificate
-copy of receipts that new pr card is payed and sent
-copy of new and old OHIP

I know you cannot say for sure. I am just want your opinion.

My trip is only 8 days and i hold EU passport.

[scylla]

Leon,

i am kind of same situation. cannot apply new pr card (with new name) cause new OHIP card seems to take forever (dont have drivers license).
im travelling end of January, so i have still time.
But incase i don't get new pr card on time, do you think the following would be enough proof;
-passport with new name
-copy of old passport (don't have it anymore, embassy took it)
-pr card with old last name
-marriage certificate
-copy of receipts that new pr card is payed and sent
-copy of new and old OHIP

I know you cannot say for sure. I am just want your opinion.

My trip is only 8 days and i hold EU passport.

I think you'll be absolutely fine - especially given that you hold an EU passport.

[mom23]

Just to update: we've returned from the Dominican Republic and my husband was asked for his PR card by a Dominican customs official prior to boarding our return flight to Canada, despite having already handed her his British passport first. No idea what would've happened if he didn't have it, but thought I'd follow up by mentioning that he was asked for it (thankfully our urgent processing request came through prior to leaving so he was travelling with a valid card).