Hi Harry3048, I was wondering if you were able to travel? I am in a similar situation, and had a conversation about the documents with the airline (Air Canada) as well as CBSA phone agent. Both of them mentioned that I will be able to travel and enter Canada by showing a copy of my wife's work permit. However, reading Elijah120293's post, I'm worried if the ground reality is different from what the agents mentioned.
Family reunion: Do we need written authorization or not?
- Thread starter Elijah120293
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Hi Harry3048, I was wondering if you were able to travel? I am in a similar situation, and had a conversation about the documents with the airline (Air Canada) as well as CBSA phone agent. Both of them mentioned that I will be able to travel and enter Canada by showing a copy of my wife's work permit. However, reading Elijah120293's post, I'm worried if the ground reality is different from what the agents mentioned.
HI Abhishek, I am planning to travel on 20th Dec. Yes I am also wondering by seeing Elijah120293 post. I will update once I travel.
When are you planing ?
Also please provide more info if you get regarding this from other sources. Could you please share CBSA contact number so that I can also check with them.
I am travelling on 17th December. You can contact CBSA at 1-800-461-9999. The instructions to get to an agent using this number are at the link: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/contact/bis-sif-eng.html
My wife just had another conversation with the airline and CBSA. Apparently, CBSA is completely OK with my travel, and they twice confirmed that my visit will be considered a part of 'Family Reunification' because I will be travelling from the US. It does not matter to them that my wife is not a Canadian citizen or PR.
The airline, however, is a different story: they are just not sure. The phone agent mentioned that everything depends on the airport agent and may ask for an authorization from CBSA or IRCC. When we asked CBSA about it, their phone agent refused to give any written authorization/confirmation since there's none required, but they are ready to talk to the airport agent if he/she denies me a boarding pass.
I checked with CBSA agent and I also get same answer that we can travel. She said if airline have any query you just ask them to content CBSA office as they have direct contact number to check with CBSA for any case.
She just ask me to bring your documents like: Marriage proof , Spouse work permit .
As you are traveling before me please take printout of this as in this its clearly mention we can travel even if spouse is on temporary work permit and we dont need authorization.:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/visitors/immediate-family.html
Even I sent e-mail to IRCC around September and they replied to travel from US to Canada authorization is not required. I hope everything will be fine with your travel and please update once you are in Canada
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Do you have status in the US? You'll need to show your quarantine plan in an airbnb or separate location in a home like a basement.
I am a student on F-1 visa.
Yes, I have also added the details of my quarantine plan on the ArriveCAN app.
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It will up to the airline to determine if your travel is considered non-discretionary. There is no way to guarantee your travel. In general travel is not recommended unless it is for emergency reasons.
If all you have is a copy of her work permit, you'll still need proof of non-discretionary travel (Were you married? In 2017 she was your girlfriend. The airline may also be demanding a written authorization). You may still require written authorization as your wife is a temporary resident:
@k.h.p. thank you for your response. It is correct that a written authorization is need as I was denied boarding today even after showing them my wife's work permit and our marriage certificate. Additionally, I am worried that I face a more serious problem now:
When the airport agent called up CBSA, the CBSA person mentioned that I have applied for Canadian citizenship and became a PR in 2017, which I have never done. To counter this, I showed my current visitor visa (also issue in 2017) and Canadian entry stamps from CBSA (I have visited Canada multiple times in the past 3 years, and sometimes I got my passport stamped). The airline agent also verified that my visitor visa is valid. At this point, I’m pretty sure that I am neither a Canadian citizen nor a PR (although my wife has applied for PR through the EE program in June 2020, and I am an accompanying dependent). However, I am worried that somewhere someone messed something up. Neither my wife nor I have misrepresented anything in our Canadian visitor, work, or EE applications.
I’d really appreciate any advice regarding this.
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You do need written authorization as I understand it.
For your second issues, that's very unusual / unique. I don't think any of us here are going to be able to help you. I would contact CBSA.
I had written a long response to your initial post on this and you deleted the thread, so my post was lost. If I can remember what I wrote, I'll re-post it.
I apologize. Somehow, the original thread disappeared and later reappeared just when I tried creating a new one.