LANDING - flagpoling the wrong way...

[antz21]

Hello all,

I have a slightly strange question, but I am hoping someone has had experience with this.

I must land before May 16th, however my current job in the USA goes until May 19th and then they pay for my airfare home to Canada. I am close to the Detroit/Windsor border in a couple of weeks and was hoping to cross over, land as a PR, and then return to the USA complete the last few weeks of my job before heading to Canada for good.

Has anyone had any experience with landing in Canada as a PR and then leaving for a short while and then returning? Are there any problems with doing this?

Thanks

 

[mickeyindia]

Hello all,

I have a slightly strange question, but I am hoping someone has had experience with this.

I must land before May 16th, however my current job in the USA goes until May 19th and then they pay for my airfare home to Canada. I am close to the Detroit/Windsor border in a couple of weeks and was hoping to cross over, land as a PR, and then return to the USA complete the last few weeks of my job before heading to Canada for good.

Has anyone had any experience with landing in Canada as a PR and then leaving for a short while and then returning? Are there any problems with doing this?

Thanks

You are good with that.
There is no problem what so ever.
As soon as you land in Canada , you are a PR.
You can go anywhere you wish.
You will be a PR as long as you stay for 2 years in the 5 yr term once you have been deemed as a resident.
All is well

 

[Rob_TO]

Has anyone had any experience with landing in Canada as a PR and then leaving for a short while and then returning? Are there any problems with doing this?

Landing in Canada is fine, as well as going back to USA.

However keep in mind you will be a PR of Canada, but you will NOT have the actual PR card yet. So the only issue you may possibly run into is when returning to Canada by plane from USA, they will ask for your status in Canada. If you tell them you're a PR, the airline may demand you show your PR card which you won't have. And many airlines don't accept the COPR document as proof of anything.

But if you are on a visa-exempt passport, you can just state you're travelling as a tourist and it shouldnt be a problem.

Also keep in mind when "landing" in Canada, you will need to provide a Canadian address where they will send your PR card (takes over a month). This can be a friend or families address if you haven't set up your own residence yet.

 

[ghatot201]

I live in Windsor, let me know if you need any help.

 

[antz21]

Landing in Canada is fine, as well as going back to USA.

However keep in mind you will be a PR of Canada, but you will NOT have the actual PR card yet. So the only issue you may possibly run into is when returning to Canada by plane from USA, they will ask for your status in Canada. If you tell them you're a PR, the airline may demand you show your PR card which you won't have. And many airlines don't accept the COPR document as proof of anything.

But if you are on a visa-exempt passport, you can just state you're travelling as a tourist and it shouldnt be a problem.

Also keep in mind when "landing" in Canada, you will need to provide a Canadian address where they will send your PR card (takes over a month). This can be a friend or families address if you haven't set up your own residence yet.

I'm British so I am visa exempt, I will just use my husbands address for the PR card.

Hmm I didn't think about not having the PR card and re-entering, hopefully it will be fine, I have flown in and out of Canada before and the airlines have never asked me for anything. Surely customs/immigration on the Canadian end will understand/have something on file with regards to landing/my PR status???

I live in Windsor, let me know if you need any help.

Thanks ghatot201 - are the immigration officers friendly at Windsor?!! lol

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I'm British so I am visa exempt, I will just use my husbands address for the PR card.

Hmm I didn't think about not having the PR card and re-entering, hopefully it will be fine, I have flown in and out of Canada before and the airlines have never asked me for anything. Surely customs/immigration on the Canadian end will understand/have something on file with regards to landing/my PR status???

Thanks ghatot201 - are the immigration officers friendly at Windsor?!! lol

Hey Antz21

You should call CIC and ask about re-entering without the PR card.

I'm not sure how it would go without the card. I don't know if Immigration would accept your PR status in the computer without having the actual card. I believe **not 100% sure, if anyone else knows, correct me** that once you have entered Canada with the COPR and it is processed, you cannot enter the country again using just your copy of the COPR in place of the PR card.

CIC is saying 35 calendar days to process a PR card (looking at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-card.asp). So if you flagpole in a few weeks (1st week of April?), your PR card should arrive at your husband's address before you are due to fly (I'm guessing you'll fly a few days after May 19th?). If that's the case, your husband can mail it to you in US before you fly.

If not, maybe delay your flight a week or two until the card does arrive?

But if you are on a visa-exempt passport, you can just state you're travelling as a tourist and it shouldnt be a problem.

Even if she states she is travelling as a tourist, they would be able to see her PR status when she goes through Immigration; would they let her enter as only a tourist in that situation? Technically, her legal status would be both as a tourist (has to leave in 6 months) and as a PR....

 

[antz21]

Hey Antz21

You should call CIC and ask about re-entering without the PR card.

I'm not sure how it would go without the card. I don't know if Immigration would accept your PR status in the computer without having the actual card. I believe **not 100% sure, if anyone else knows, correct me** that once you have entered Canada with the COPR and it is processed, you cannot enter the country again using just your copy of the COPR in place of the PR card.

CIC is saying 35 calendar days to process a PR card (looking at http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-card.asp). So if you flagpole in a few weeks (1st week of April?), your PR card should arrive at your husband's address before you are due to fly (I'm guessing you'll fly a few days after May 19th?). If that's the case, your husband can mail it to you in US before you fly.

If not, maybe delay your flight a week or two until the card does arrive?

Even if she states she is travelling as a tourist, they would be able to see her PR status when she goes through Immigration; would they let her enter as only a tourist in that situation? Technically, her legal status would be both as a tourist (has to leave in 6 months) and as a PR....

So here's the next quesion - Do I apply for a PR card whilst landing at the border? Or do I have to apply for it as a seperate thing on my own?
If I can do it whilst landing then it should arrive to my husbands address before May 19th as I am planning on landing on April 1st so he will be able to send it to me.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hmm I didn't think about not having the PR card and re-entering, hopefully it will be fine, I have flown in and out of Canada before and the airlines have never asked me for anything. Surely customs/immigration on the Canadian end will understand/have something on file with regards to landing/my PR status???

The issue is not with Canada, it's when you check into the flight in the USA. Often the airline employees will ask for your status in Canada and if you say you're a PR but don't have the actual PR card, it could lead to difficulty. Airline employees in other countries are trained to recognize/accept a PR card only, and might not know what a COPR is. That is why when checking into the flight, it might just be easier to say your a tourist travelling on your visa-exempt passport, and don't even mention the PR.

Once you get back to Canada, the COPR paper is fine. Canadian immigration officer will see you have the COPR, check your status on the computer, and verify it with your passport. My fiancee and I both re-entered Canada with only her COPR, and had no problems at all.

So here's the next quesion - Do I apply for a PR card whilst landing at the border? Or do I have to apply for it as a seperate thing on my own?

When you first "land" in Canada, the immigration officer will automatically make the application for your PR card. This is why you need to give a current Canadian address, so they know where to send it to. You should have 2 copies of your COPR. 1 they will send away for PR card, and 1 you keep forever.

Keep in mind its not always the best idea to mail a PR card in the mail. One it could get lost. And two, i've heard the post office is not legally supposed to mail PR cards so could have it returned to sender (though not sure how this is enforced unless you state its a PR card on the envelope).

 

[parker24]

Keep in mind its not always the best idea to mail a PR card in the mail. One it could get lost. And two, i've heard the post office is not legally supposed to mail PR cards so could have it returned to sender (though not sure how this is enforced unless you state its a PR card on the envelope).

It's from CIC, and it will go to the address that it is on. Doesn't say anything like "PR Card" on it. It's totally normal to send this in the mail, they send driver's licences in the mail, health cards and PR cards. I'm not sure what the heck you are trying to say, but you're making it seem like OP can just get one at the border. She cannot. It must be mailed.

 

[Rob_TO]

It's from CIC, and it will go to the address that it is on. Doesn't say anything like "PR Card" on it. It's totally normal to send this in the mail, they send driver's licences in the mail, health cards and PR cards. I'm not sure what the heck you are trying to say, but you're making it seem like OP can just get one at the border. She cannot. It must be mailed.

No, i'm saying the OP should be careful having someone receive the PR card in Canada, and then mail it to them in the USA.

 

[antz21]

It's from CIC, and it will go to the address that it is on. Doesn't say anything like "PR Card" on it. It's totally normal to send this in the mail, they send driver's licences in the mail, health cards and PR cards. I'm not sure what the heck you are trying to say, but you're making it seem like OP can just get one at the border. She cannot. It must be mailed.

I think he means mailing it outside of Canada. I understand that it gets mailed to my husbands address about 4 weeks after I land.

The issue is not with Canada, it's when you check into the flight in the USA. Often the airline employees will ask for your status in Canada and if you say you're a PR but don't have the actual PR card, it could lead to difficulty. Airline employees in other countries are trained to recognize/accept a PR card only, and might not know what a COPR is. That is why when checking into the flight, it might just be easier to say your a tourist travelling on your visa-exempt passport, and don't even mention the PR.

Once you get back to Canada, the COPR paper is fine. Canadian immigration officer will see you have the COPR, check your status on the computer, and verify it with your passport. My fiancee and I both re-entered Canada with only her COPR, and had no problems at all.

When you first "land" in Canada, the immigration officer will automatically make the application for your PR card. This is why you need to give a current Canadian address, so they know where to send it to. You should have 2 copies of your COPR. 1 they will send away for PR card, and 1 you keep forever.

Keep in mind its not always the best idea to mail a PR card in the mail. One it could get lost. And two, i've heard the post office is not legally supposed to mail PR cards so could have it returned to sender (though not sure how this is enforced unless you state its a PR card on the envelope).

I have flown into Canada many many times and I have never had a problem with the airlines (mind you there's always a first for everything). They never normally even ask me about my trip, all of those questions normally come at customs/immigration.

Rob_TO - when you and your fiancee entered with just the COPR had you already landed previously to that?

 

[Sweden]

I think he means mailing it outside of Canada. I understand that it gets mailed to my husbands address about 4 weeks after I land.

I have flown into Canada many many times and I have never had a problem with the airlines (mind you there's always a first for everything). They never normally even ask me about my trip, all of those questions normally come at customs/immigration.

Rob_TO - when you and your fiancee entered with just the COPR had you already landed previously to that?

Don't worry about it - it's fine. It would be a problem if you were not visa-exempt, but as it is, you're OK. AS Rob_to stated, the problem is mostly if you're boarding a plane - the staff doesn't want to see you turned back at the border, as the airline will have to pay themselves for it. So you need either a visa, a PR card, or your passport visa-exempt. Just don't say anything - you're british, they will know that you're visa-exempt. Once at the border, tell the IO that you are a PR but not have the card, and have the COPR. They can check the details on the computer.
If you're traveling by land, CIC states that it's OK to travel without the PR card (as you can get all the way to the border, and the IOs are used to it, but not the airline staff). see here http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?q=64&t=10
happy landing!
Sweden

 

[Rob_TO]

Rob_TO - when you and your fiancee entered with just the COPR had you already landed previously to that?

Yes, we already lived in Canada so we did a flagpole landing at Niagara Falls. Then a few weeks later we went on vacation to Mexico, and had to return to Canada with only the COPR. When arriving back in Canada, there was no problem at all. Whole process took just a few minutes as the COPR and passport is fine (and you explain to them you're waiting for PR card in the mail).

 

[antz21]

Thanks Sweden and Rob_TO, that's reassuring to hear. I have been reading on the CIC site and it's not super clear. I'm thinking it might just get a bit confusing...

Anyway I'm hoping to land in 2 weeks time, cross over at Windsor and then come back. Hoping nothing to crazy happens!!!