Need Help: is there a way to take a cruise trip without PR Card after landing

[xbwa]

Hello y'all,

I need your expertise to help me sort out a complicated issue. I am from a visa NON-exempt country, currently working in the US. I have received my PPR and plan to do landing at the end of the May. After that I will immediately go back to US. It might takes me three, four months to wrap up everything in US and then move to Canada. My knowledge is that CIC will mail the PR card to my wife' address in Canada. Since I am not from a visa-exempted country, I need to get the PR card before being able to go back Canada again (I have a Multi-entry TRV, however, I think it was cancelled after my immigration visa was approved).

Anyways, here is the issue. Originally we plan to go to an Alaska cruise at the first week of July. I just realized that all the cruise lines have either the starting point or the finish point in Vancouver. Since there is a high probability that at the time I will not have my PR card, is there a way for me to get into Canada without my PR Card? Another complication is that in US I don't live close to any part of Canada, so it is not feasible to drive my car to Canada.

It is kinda funny that if I was not PR, I would never need to worry about getting into Canada because I have my multi-entry TRV. Now I will be a legal PR, to my best knowledge, I will not be able to get back to Canada without a PR card.

I really appreciate if you know any ways I can get around this problem. Otherwise, I should start to plan something else such as yellowstone or New York. But we really want to go to Alaska in summer... ???

Thank you!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi

Normally, you could just apply for a travel document (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp) that would allow you to enter but the issue is that both LA and NY (the 2 offices in the US that issue these documents) say that processing time is a minimum of 30 days. So if you land at the end of May and apply straightaway, considering mailing time on top of the processing time, there could still be the chance that the document won't arrive by the beginning of July. Maybe schedule your cruise a bit later in July?

 

[xbwa]

Thanks for the suggestion, Canuck! I am not able to change my vacation time. If I cannot think of a way in the next few weeks, I might change my plan, and start to plan something in the US or a cruise to Carribean. But going to Alaska in summer may be the best cruise option

Hi

Normally, you could just apply for a travel document (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp) that would allow you to enter but the issue is that both LA and NY (the 2 offices in the US that issue these documents) say that processing time is a minimum of 30 days. So if you land at the end of May and apply straightaway, considering mailing time on top of the processing time, there could still be the chance that the document won't arrive by the beginning of July. Maybe schedule your cruise a bit later in July?

 

[PMM]

Hi

Thanks for the suggestion, Canuck! I am not able to change my vacation time. If I cannot think of a way in the next few weeks, I might change my plan, and start to plan something in the US or a cruise to Carribean. But going to Alaska in summer may be the best cruise option

You could fly to Bellingham and make your way to the border from there. It isn't far.

 

[Rob_TO]

So you're intending to land end of May... and fly from US to Canada first week of July?

Based on timing of 30-45 days to get PR card in the mail, there's a chance your wife in Canada could receive PR card before you need to go to Vancouver. She could then overnight Fedex the card to you in the US. However... this is cutting it very close and no guarantee the card comes before you need it!

You will definitely need the PR Card or a visa to fly to Canada, else you won't even be allowed on the plane from the US. So if you don't have the card, you need to look at expediting a travel document from your closest visa office in the US. You can start here for that... http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

Else you will need to drive across the border. Canada will have your record of being a PR in their computer system, so all you would need is COPR and passport.

 

[Steph C]

There are always roundtrip Seattle Alaska cruises. However, by law (Jones Act) they have to stop in one Canadian port in that particular circumstance. The cruise line will need your documentation before you can board. You won't need to show anything to go ashore in Canada other then a ship's pass but the real issue is the entire ship being cleared by Canadian Immigration in the morning which is a lengthy process in itself. You can contact the cruise lines and ask them. Don't even think about disembarking in a US port before the ship hits Canada.. it's not allowed.

Alternately, take a cruise on a US flagged vessel - which rules out every major cruise line. They are allowed to start and end in a US port while not going to a foreign port of call.

http://www.un-cruise.com/
http://www.sikumi.com/
http://seawolfadventures.net/schedule/2013/index.html

 

[xbwa]

Thank y'all for your informative replies!