Applying for eTA for a PR (not renounced yet)

[ditm]

So we have a situation: my cousin had a PR 4 years ago, the PR card has expired already, and he moved back to his home country. Now, he is planning to visit me and has applied for an eTA. After a day, he received an email from CIC that he cannot apply for eTA because he is still a PR. He did not know that he needed to cancel his PR when he left years ago. His flight is next Friday. CIC gave him two options, first, to apply for PRTD but this will not work as he doesn't live in Canada anymore and just wants to enter as a visitor, second, renounce his PR but this takes time. What should he do?

This is what I found at CIC:
Note: Until September 29, 2016, travellers who do not have an eTA can board their flight, as long as they have appropriate travel documents, such as a valid passport. During this leniency period, border services officers can let travellers arriving without an eTA into the country, as long as they meet the other requirements to enter Canada.

The problem that he has already applied for eTA. Can the immigration at the airport see the application of eTA?

Thanks~

 

[Rob_TO]

The problem that he has already applied for eTA. Can the immigration at the airport see the application of eTA?

Probably not. He should be able to fly using just his visa-exempt passport, posing as a visitor/foreign national to the airline and NOT mentioning his PR status.

He was not actually rejected for an eTA, he was determined ineligible to even apply for an eTA. So I doubt an airline will be able to see this, and since eTA is not yet mandatory until Sept 29 he should be ok.

Of course this is just an assumption. The information shared by Canada and airlines while the eTA process is slowly coming into force is still evolving so there is no guarantee what will happen at the airport. The only way to know for sure is to try and board his flight and see what happens.

 

[Bs65]

Probably not. He should be able to fly using just his visa-exempt passport, posing as a visitor/foreign national to the airline and NOT mentioning his PR status.

He was not actually rejected for an eTA, he was determined ineligible to even apply for an eTA. So I doubt an airline will be able to see this, and since eTA is not yet mandatory until Sept 29 he should be ok.

Of course this is just an assumption. The information shared by Canada and airlines while the eTA process is slowly coming into force is still evolving so there is no guarantee what will happen at the airport. The only way to know for sure is to try and board his flight and see what happens.

Landing in Canada the CBSA officer will be aware of the PR status so may ask additional questions but at least as still showing PR on the system should not be an issue entering Canada and is a different department handling the renouncing of PR even if there is a chance CBSA may flag the status.

Renouncing PR online uploading the form and a color scan of passport info page does not take long to process but unlikely within a week. This will need to be done by September 29 th if any future trips to Canada are planned but in any case the current ETA application will i believe expire 10 days from the letter being sent.

PR never gets cancelled automatically and there have been people here with PR from 35-40 years ago who never met residence but still show as PR.