Enter Canada Via US Land Border with Expired COPR

[VOBuckeye]

Hello,

I'm currently in the US waiting for my PR card to be delivered to my friend's Canadian address. I'd like to start looking at apartments in Windsor and I'm wondering if I'll be able to drive over with an expired COPR before I receive my card.

Thanks!

 

[rish888]

Expired CoPR? CoPR doesn't expire, only PR cards expire.

Yes, you can cross with an expired PR card. (I'm assuming you meet the residency obligation?)

 

[VOBuckeye]

Expired CoPR? CoPR doesn't expire, only PR cards expire.

Yes, you can cross with an expired PR card. (I'm assuming you meet the residency obligation?)

The landing deadline on my COPR is Nov 15th, but I already landed 2 weeks ago and came back to US. I'm waiting for my 1st PR card.
I was assuming I couldn't use my COPR to travel via land border after Nov 15th because it says "not valid for travel". Could this just be for commercial travel like on airlines and such?

 

[rish888]

The landing deadline on my COPR is Nov 15th, but I already landed 2 weeks ago and came back to US. I'm waiting for my 1st PR card.
I was assuming I couldn't use my COPR to travel via land border after Nov 15th because it says "not valid for travel". Could this just be for commercial travel like on airlines and such?

Not Valid for travel means it is not a travel document. (Like a passport.)

You need both your passport and your CoPR to enter Canada. You passport is the travel document, your CoPR is your proof of immigration status.

While it has a landing deadline on it, it doesn't expire on that date. (Assuming you land) After you land it is valid for life.

Basically you can enter Canada with your CoPR and passport issue free.

 

[VOBuckeye]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the clarification ☺

 

[alexross]

Awesome! Thanks so much for the clarification ☺

Hi VoBuckeye,

Could you please share if you were able to travel with your "Expired" CoPR? Thank you!

 

[VOBuckeye]

Hi VoBuckeye,

Could you please share if you were able to travel with your "Expired" CoPR? Thank you!

Yes. Technically the COPR doesn't expire after you've completed your landing. I was able to use my CoPR to enter Canada by private car and bus several times before I received my card.

 

[andy1011]

Yes. Technically the COPR doesn't expire after you've completed your landing. I was able to use my CoPR to enter Canada by private car and bus several times before I received my card.

Hello VOBuckeye,

Thanks for the info. I don't have my PR card yet, I'm in Seattle and plan to rent a car (Alamo) to drive cross the border with my COPR and passport to enter back to Canada, would that be any issue? I understand we can use a private car but not sure if a rental car is considered a "commercial vehicle". Did you drive your own car? Did they request any paperwork of your own car (inspection report, title, etc.) when you drove crossing the border?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

 

[VOBuckeye]

Hello VOBuckeye,

Thanks for the info. I don't have my PR card yet, I'm in Seattle and plan to rent a car (Alamo) to drive cross the border with my COPR and passport to enter back to Canada, would that be any issue? I understand we can use a private car but not sure if a rental car is considered a "commercial vehicle". Did you drive your own car? Did they request any paperwork of your own car (inspection report, title, etc.) when you drove crossing the border?

Thanks in advance for your feedback!

Hi Andy,
I used a rental car a couple of times when crossing. They will ask you about it and may even request to see the rental agreement. Some rental agencies will even put a stamp that says good for border crossing.
I did not drive my own car across because I had not finished the import process. I didn't want to risk being asked to turn around. Once I completed the process while waiting to get Canadian plates, they would ask for the import documents just to verify I had indeed imported the car.
Hope that helps.