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COPR and coronavirus

canadaxyls

Newbie
Oct 30, 2020
8
0
The downside of internet forum is everyone has an opinion - and mine might not be the popular one, nor the one you enjoy reading! So please take it with a grain of salt. :)

Depending on what has a higher priority for you and your family - managing the health risk or immigration - you would choose to:
  • Either travel (which has guaranteed positive PR immigration outcome but health risk).
  • Or apply for extension - which as is evident is in quite a limbo for most. But avoids travel. Your local physical environment in India would determine safety against COVID when not travelling vs in a flight.
No amount of comments here can give you even 99% assurance that your decision is the correct one. Because we have no idea of your physical environment, family's health and above all:
...what give you confidence! Mentally!

Seeking extension is fine - likely you will receive it as well. How soon is unpredictable - but one expects to get it sooner or later. 2 final things:

  • July 2021 or anytime in future is obviously UNKNOWN in terms of safety during flight from COVID 19 risks.
  • We cannot seek extensions indefinitely

Other members might chime in with different opinions and I strongly hope you get the strength to take a decision that gives you relative peace and high confidence!

Oh and if it you felt I am leaning towards stating - try level best to TRAVEL before CoPR expires - you would be spot on. :)

Best wishes!
I have a question please. If i have my passeport stamped with the visa, can I travel now to Canada despite the travel restrictions?
 

SKAZ

Newbie
Feb 12, 2019
8
1
The downside of internet forum is everyone has an opinion - and mine might not be the popular one, nor the one you enjoy reading! So please take it with a grain of salt. :)

Depending on what has a higher priority for you and your family - managing the health risk or immigration - you would choose to:
  • Either travel (which has guaranteed positive PR immigration outcome but health risk).
  • Or apply for extension - which as is evident is in quite a limbo for most. But avoids travel. Your local physical environment in India would determine safety against COVID when not travelling vs in a flight.
No amount of comments here can give you even 99% assurance that your decision is the correct one. Because we have no idea of your physical environment, family's health and above all:
...what give you confidence! Mentally!

Seeking extension is fine - likely you will receive it as well. How soon is unpredictable - but one expects to get it sooner or later. 2 final things:

  • July 2021 or anytime in future is obviously UNKNOWN in terms of safety during flight from COVID 19 risks.
  • We cannot seek extensions indefinitely

Other members might chime in with different opinions and I strongly hope you get the strength to take a decision that gives you relative peace and high confidence!

Oh and if it you felt I am leaning towards stating - try level best to TRAVEL before CoPR expires - you would be spot on. :)

Best wishes!
Thank you for your much appreciated feedback. Your argument is valid and above all the safest. Many reasons are behind the fact that I am not comfortable leaving in December:
- Not wanting to risk a shock for my child with a change in the middle of the school year.
- Risk of finding oureself in an unstable situation for a family of 4 people given the difficult economic situation in Canada
- Inability to disengage by selling my apartment, furniture etc. in my country Tunisia given the economic crisis which needs more time
 
  • Like
Reactions: hinavin

legalfalcon

VIP Member
Sep 21, 2015
19,040
9,897
Montréal, Quebec, Canada
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
4112
App. Filed.......
03-09-2015
Doc's Request.
01-10-2015
AOR Received.
03-09-2015
Med's Done....
17-08-2015
Passport Req..
05-04-2016
VISA ISSUED...
12-04-2016
LANDED..........
05-05-2016
Absolutely furious, devastated and could just sit and cry!

We received our COPR last week and after calling CBSA I was told because i'm an essential worker (Registered Nurse) and I have a job offer and licensure that i'd be able to travel. So I gave my employer a start date, we've rented a furnished property and put down a deposit on a car ready to finalize after we quarantine.

I just rang CBSA again to check whether I needed any specific paperwork to show an exemption to be told that no I don't have an exemption and i'm unable to travel on my COPR, but I could apply for a work permit and travel on that as I would have an exemption with a work permit as an essential worker.

Seriously WTF!!!

I've never known such a stupid situation. We put our house up for sale yesterday and now we're just going to have to cancel everything, we'll have lost nearly $3000 and i'll likely now lose my job because my employer is sick of waiting for me.

Yeah, welcome to Canada!!

Do you have any words of advice @legalfalcon??
No need to be jump to conclusion. If you have a COPR, what you need to do is get an authorisation letter to travel which will depend on the country of residence.
 

hinavin

Hero Member
Dec 2, 2010
386
256
Canada
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Mississauga, Ontario Canada
I have a question please. If i have my passeport stamped with the visa, can I travel now to Canada despite the travel restrictions?
If the visa is a visitors visa, travel is not allowed. Exemptions exist for visitors who have direct blood relatives or are health care practitioners or other support workers etc plus few other exemptions. Please check on IRCC and Government of Canada websites under travel exemptions:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html#enter

If it is a CoPR related (Permanent Residence) Visa stamped on your passport, then the exemption is for CoPRs issued on or before 18 March 2020. Issued after will need to have exemptions in another category, for travel.

There are detailed rules for US road travel vs air travel as well. All there on the government websites.
 

hinavin

Hero Member
Dec 2, 2010
386
256
Canada
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Mississauga, Ontario Canada
So wish some of these messages could better translate into the attention to transparency, planning and communication with at least existing, registered applicants & clients.

 

canadaxyls

Newbie
Oct 30, 2020
8
0
If the visa is a visitors visa, travel is not allowed. Exemptions exist for visitors who have direct blood relatives or are health care practitioners or other support workers etc plus few other exemptions. Please check on IRCC and Government of Canada websites under travel exemptions:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/travel-restrictions-exemptions.html#enter

If it is a CoPR related (Permanent Residence) Visa stamped on your passport, then the exemption is for CoPRs issued on or before 18 March 2020. Issued after will need to have exemptions in another category, for travel.

There are detailed rules for US road travel vs air travel as well. All there on the government websites.
Thank you very much. So what's the point of giving us now COPR if we can't travel to Canada?
 

SidM

Member
Oct 22, 2020
18
42
Travel Experience with Letter of Authorization on 28th Oct

Travelled from my hometown to Toronto via Delhi on Air India. While checking in at the airport, i was told that they would check me in till Delhi as the visa and Letter of Authorization (AL) would have to be verified at Delhi. I reached Delhi 4 hours prior to the Toronto flight departure. Had to pick up the bags from the domestic baggage belt and go to the 2nd floor Departures in T3 for recheck in. I was directed to the E Aisle of ticketing. There was a special line at the front where the travel documents were being verified by the airline staff. They took pictures of the Visa, CoPR and AL and sent them for verification to IRCC or the Embassy (Not sure which one). Average time of response was 10-15 mins. Was also asked to sign an indemnity form for any deportation or quarantine issues. Once they got a response, the staff wrote “OK TO BOARD” with some confirmation number on the back of the indemnity form. After that I was directed to the ticketing counter where the bags were checked in and the person checking in took photographs of Visa, CoPR and AL again. Once the boarding passes were issues, had to go through immigration. I was asked a lot of questions and after that they put the departure stamp on my passport. The whole process took 2.5 hours, and I reached the gate barely half an hour before boarding started. The 14.5 hours flight to Toronto was torturous with the mask and face shield on all the time except for eating or drinking water. Once we landed in Toronto, the immigration and the customs processes were quick and hassle free. The only things asked were the address to which the PR card had to be sent and if I had more than 10K CAD money in hand.

Overall, it was a long and exhausting journey but had to be done for completing the landing process before Oct 31. I really hope IRCC takes a more sensible approach for all the expired CoPRs instead of this mess which has left everyone deflated and confused.
 

canadaxyls

Newbie
Oct 30, 2020
8
0
Travel Experience with Letter of Authorization on 28th Oct

Travelled from my hometown to Toronto via Delhi on Air India. While checking in at the airport, i was told that they would check me in till Delhi as the visa and Letter of Authorization (AL) would have to be verified at Delhi. I reached Delhi 4 hours prior to the Toronto flight departure. Had to pick up the bags from the domestic baggage belt and go to the 2nd floor Departures in T3 for recheck in. I was directed to the E Aisle of ticketing. There was a special line at the front where the travel documents were being verified by the airline staff. They took pictures of the Visa, CoPR and AL and sent them for verification to IRCC or the Embassy (Not sure which one). Average time of response was 10-15 mins. Was also asked to sign an indemnity form for any deportation or quarantine issues. Once they got a response, the staff wrote “OK TO BOARD” with some confirmation number on the back of the indemnity form. After that I was directed to the ticketing counter where the bags were checked in and the person checking in took photographs of Visa, CoPR and AL again. Once the boarding passes were issues, had to go through immigration. I was asked a lot of questions and after that they put the departure stamp on my passport. The whole process took 2.5 hours, and I reached the gate barely half an hour before boarding started. The 14.5 hours flight to Toronto was torturous with the mask and face shield on all the time except for eating or drinking water. Once we landed in Toronto, the immigration and the customs processes were quick and hassle free. The only things asked were the address to which the PR card had to be sent and if I had more than 10K CAD money in hand.

Overall, it was a long and exhausting journey but had to be done for completing the landing process before Oct 31. I really hope IRCC takes a more sensible approach for all the expired CoPRs instead of this mess which has left everyone deflated and confused.
Did you really had really 10k CAD with you? in bills, I mean.
 

SidM

Member
Oct 22, 2020
18
42
Thank you for the reply. Do you have any idea what's the minimum amount of money I must have with me when I land?
Just whatever you showed as proof of funds in your application. They want to make sure you have access to those funds. There is no minimum requirement of cash or anything like that.
 

canadaxyls

Newbie
Oct 30, 2020
8
0
Just whatever you showed as proof of funds in your application. They want to make sure you have access to those funds. There is no minimum requirement of cash or anything like that.
Thank you. How can I ask for a letter of authorization and how much time it takes to have it (I had already the 'ready for visa' email)?
 

Nimz10

Star Member
Jan 21, 2020
119
85
The downside of internet forum is everyone has an opinion - and mine might not be the popular one, nor the one you enjoy reading! So please take it with a grain of salt. :)

Depending on what has a higher priority for you and your family - managing the health risk or immigration - you would choose to:
  • Either travel (which has guaranteed positive PR immigration outcome but health risk).
  • Or apply for extension - which as is evident is in quite a limbo for most. But avoids travel. Your local physical environment in India would determine safety against COVID when not travelling vs in a flight.
No amount of comments here can give you even 99% assurance that your decision is the correct one. Because we have no idea of your physical environment, family's health and above all:
...what give you confidence! Mentally!

Seeking extension is fine - likely you will receive it as well. How soon is unpredictable - but one expects to get it sooner or later. 2 final things:

  • July 2021 or anytime in future is obviously UNKNOWN in terms of safety during flight from COVID 19 risks.
  • We cannot seek extensions indefinitely

Other members might chime in with different opinions and I strongly hope you get the strength to take a decision that gives you relative peace and high confidence!

Oh and if it you felt I am leaning towards stating - try level best to TRAVEL before CoPR expires - you would be spot on. :)

Best wishes!
Thank you for your much appreciated feedback. Your argument is valid and above all the safest. Many reasons are behind the fact that I am not comfortable leaving in December:
- Not wanting to risk a shock for my child with a change in the middle of the school year.
- Risk of finding oureself in an unstable situation for a family of 4 people given the difficult economic situation in Canada
- Inability to disengage by selling my apartment, furniture etc. in my country Tunisia given the economic crisis which needs more time
@
Thank you for your much appreciated feedback. Your argument is valid and above all the safest. Many reasons are behind the fact that I am not comfortable leaving in December:
- Not wanting to risk a shock for my child with a change in the middle of the school year.
- Risk of finding oureself in an unstable situation for a family of 4 people given the difficult economic situation in Canada
- Inability to disengage by selling my apartment, furniture etc. in my country Tunisia given the economic crisis which needs more time
@SKAZ @hinavin
As per current trevel restrictions how can you travel now? It’s only allowed for the people who got the PR on or before 18th March right? So in that case how could you travel even if your COPR get expired? Please advise!
 

SKAZ

Newbie
Feb 12, 2019
8
1
@

@SKAZ @hinavin
As per current trevel restrictions how can you travel now? It’s only allowed for the people who got the PR on or before 18th March right? So in that case how could you travel even if your COPR get expired? Please advise!
To be honest, I thought I was allowed to travel because I have a valid Visa and COPR (even though the documents were issued on September 17th). Maybe I didn't quite understand.
If anyone can enlighten us it will be very much appreciated.