Landing soon, want to visit Buffalo for the day.

[kenaness]

Hi guys,

My wife is doing her Landing soon in Toronto (I'm Canadian). We will stay there but want to visit her cousin in Buffalo (she has a USA Visa) for the day.

Are we able to do that without her PR card? (only landing papers?) This is for us to get back into Canada in the evening.

Thanks.

 

[scylla]

Yes - as long as you are going to be traveling in a private vehicle and not by public transportation (e.g. bus).

 

[kenaness]

Thanks for the reply, we will be renting a car and going across the border for the day. Is there ANY risk that they won't let her in?

 

[truesmile]

Sounds like you should be fine with the visa but it's ALWAYS their call. If you showed up at the border with 4 suitcases for example, yes there IS risk they won't let her in.

 

[kenaness]

Is it safe to ask the officer at the airport while doing the landing?

Why would bringing in 4 suitcases matter? I'm confused with that.

 

[truesmile]

They will say it looks like you're moving there, not just visiting for the day. A friend of ours showed up at the U.S. border going to "visit" her fiancé for a few weeks (with 4 suitcases) . . . That caught the officer's eye and she was not only denied entry, but was now flagged in their system.

Ask him what exactly? Your landing procedures are with Canadian customs, they can't speak on behalf of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, nor their admission policies.

 

[scylla]

They will say it looks like you're moving there, not just visiting for the day. A friend of ours showed up at the U.S. border going to "visit" her fiancé for a few weeks (with 4 suitcases) . . . That caught the officer's eye and she was not only denied entry, but was now flagged in their system.

Ask him what exactly? Your landing procedures are with Canadian customs, they can't speak on behalf of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency, nor their admission policies.

The person in question will already be a PR when they attempt to re-enter Canada from the US. The question is: can that person safely visit the US as a Canadian permanent resident but before they have their PR card (i.e. use their COPR to re-enter Canada via private vehicle). I think the answer you are giving is for individuals who are not yet PRs. That's obviously a different story.

 

[ayrazar]

Oh is worried about being allowed back into Canada and truesmile thinks they meant being allowed into the US. I think that's what's happening here.

From what I've gathered, OP, you're fine coming back into Canada by car with a COPR

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thanks for the reply, we will be renting a car and going across the border for the day. Is there ANY risk that they won't let her in?

No, there is no risk. She doesn't even need to have the COPR; as soon as CBSA swipes her passport, they will see her PR status in the system.

 

[truesmile]

No, there is no risk. She doesn't even need to have the COPR; as soon as CBSA swipes her passport, they will see her PR status in the system.

We had a different real life experience. Upon only the passport swipe the CBSA officer said "all this says to me is that she is illegal". We produced her PR card.

 

[kenaness]

My lawyer did NOT advise me to go to Buffalo for the day so I think we will not risk it.

Thanks.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

My lawyer did NOT advise me to go to Buffalo for the day so I think we will not risk it.

Thanks.

There is no risk, so if your lawyer is saying that there is, s/he has no idea what they are talking about. You can confirm this with CBSA when landing.

 

[kenaness]

Alright I'll ask the CBSA upon our arrival to Toronto Airport. Thanks for the advice.