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New PR - PR Card not received but has to travel

steaky

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Nov 11, 2008
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may I know how can I rent and pick up a Canadian license plate car in USA (Detroit or Buffalo)? Which car rental company offer that?

Besides, I would like to ask one thing. My PR application is attached to a non-visa exempted passport and I have already short land with that but leave Canada without receiving my PR card yet. I do have another visa-exempted passport from another country myself. Can I use that passport to apply a ETA and use that to get into Canada by plane?

my wife and my child have applied ETA before landing using their visa exempted passport. Can they present that ETA and passport to get into Canada now even without PR card? Thanks.
1) why rent a Canadian plated car?
2) you can try and see what happens
 

PMM

VIP Member
Jun 30, 2005
25,494
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Hi


may I know how can I rent and pick up a Canadian license plate car in USA (Detroit or Buffalo)? Which car rental company offer that?

Besides, I would like to ask one thing. My PR application is attached to a non-visa exempted passport and I have already short land with that but leave Canada without receiving my PR card yet. I do have another visa-exempted passport from another country myself. Can I use that passport to apply a ETA and use that to get into Canada by plane?

my wife and my child have applied ETA before landing using their visa exempted passport. Can they present that ETA and passport to get into Canada now even without PR card? Thanks.
1. No, the system will show that you have PR status when you apply for an ETA and refuse to issue.
2. The ETA should be cancelled in the system for spouse and child when they "landed"
 

spyfy

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May 8, 2015
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Unlike the land border, you were probably given a form by the air hostess to complete upon arrival at the US border control at the airport. Recently, I flew and had a day trip so in the form I did not write any US address I would be staying and the border control lady kept on asking me questions until she stamped on my Canadian passport.
I think the difference is that since I have a Visa Waiver Passport (Canada is not a Visa Waiver passport. They have a special arrangement with the US), I have to apply for an ESTA (the American version of the eTA) before I can board a flight. So they have the info on there.
 

Tommy22shoes

Full Member
Jun 14, 2017
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I'm facing a similar situation but am curious as to how the airlines know about your PR status unless you tell them. I'm recently got my PR
 

spyfy

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May 8, 2015
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I'm facing a similar situation but am curious as to how the airlines know about your PR status unless you tell them. I'm recently got my PR
They don't. That's why you have to show them a PR card or a PRTD.

The airlines, however, can see if you have an eTA or not. If you happen to have had an eTA before, it was cancelled when you became a PR. Or at least it should have been. you can double check the status I guess.

How do you plan to show the gate agent that you are allowed to fly to Canada?!
 

Tommy22shoes

Full Member
Jun 14, 2017
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I thought my eta was still valid as when I checked on CIC website it showed my passport still had a approved and valid eta until 2021. Also the border officer who processed my PR on landing suggested I keep my work permit in case I have an issue.
 

spyfy

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May 8, 2015
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I thought my eta was still valid as when I checked on CIC website it showed my passport still had a approved and valid eta until 2021. Also the border officer who processed my PR on landing suggested I keep my work permit in case I have an issue.
If you want, you can gamble with that, hope that the eta remains valid and try to board. It's a risk I wouldn't want to take, but you do you.
 

snowface0214

Full Member
Nov 21, 2016
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toronto
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Ottawa
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06/06/2017
So Expedia/delta considered my situation was a special case and changed the flight to end in Buffalo.
What a relief for me - but just wanted to check with the experts - when I cross border in private vehicle from Buffalo to Niagara, do I just need to bring my passport and COPR? Is there any other document I should bring?
I checked this website (http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html) but not sure if i will be asked to provide anything else.
 

spyfy

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May 8, 2015
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So Expedia/delta considered my situation was a special case and changed the flight to end in Buffalo.
What a relief for me - but just wanted to check with the experts - when I cross border in private vehicle from Buffalo to Niagara, do I just need to bring my passport and COPR? Is there any other document I should bring?
I checked this website (http://www.cbsa.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html) but not sure if i will be asked to provide anything else.
That's great news regarding the flight change. Convenient indeed!

Regarding documents: Your case is straightforward because you became a PR merely months ago. If your original landing date is less than three years from the date you enter Canada, it is theoretically impossible for you to be in breach of your residency obligation. So the only thing they will need to check is if you are in their database as a PR and that your landing date was some months ago.

So you should indeed be totally fine with just your passport and your CoPR. When you are at the border and show them your documents just tell them that you are a new PR and haven't received your card yet.

Most likely they will just wave you through. In the worst case the border officer is having a grumpy day and will ask you inside to double check the info which shouldn't take long and then you are good to go. But even if they ask you to come inside, there is nothing to fear, you are doing everything the right way!
 

crewbunk

Star Member
May 6, 2014
88
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1) why rent a Canadian plated car?
2) you can try and see what happens
i thought we must use a "a car with a Canadian car plate" to get into Canada border (treat as a private vehicle) when we do not have a ETA on hand...
 

Rob_TO

VIP Member
Nov 7, 2012
11,427
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30-10-2012
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16-11-2012
i thought we must use a "a car with a Canadian car plate" to get into Canada border (treat as a private vehicle) when we do not have a ETA on hand...
No, the car you're driving or where it's from/plated is completely irrelevant.
And when crossing by land, whether or not you have an eTA is also completely irrelevant.

I thought my eta was still valid as when I checked on CIC website it showed my passport still had a approved and valid eta until 2021. Also the border officer who processed my PR on landing suggested I keep my work permit in case I have an issue.
Some people have used an eTA obtained prior to becoming PR, to board a flight after becoming a PR with no PR card.
Others have stated their eTAs were cancelled sometime after doing PR landing.
I have no idea what the process is on revoking eTAs in this case, and why some would see it and others don't. Perhaps it's up to individual CBSA officer doing the landing to initiate it, who knows.

One can always continue checking eTA status on the CIC website right up until their flight, and hope for the best. Just need to prepare for worst case scenario that it's cancelled before the flight back to Canada, so have to change the flight.
 

snowface0214

Full Member
Nov 21, 2016
25
2
toronto
Visa Office......
Ottawa
NOC Code......
2282
AOR Received.
02/02/2017
Med's Request
Upfront
Med's Done....
01/03/2017
Passport Req..
06/06/2017
That's great news regarding the flight change. Convenient indeed!

Regarding documents: Your case is straightforward because you became a PR merely months ago. If your original landing date is less than three years from the date you enter Canada, it is theoretically impossible for you to be in breach of your residency obligation. So the only thing they will need to check is if you are in their database as a PR and that your landing date was some months ago.

So you should indeed be totally fine with just your passport and your CoPR. When you are at the border and show them your documents just tell them that you are a new PR and haven't received your card yet.

Most likely they will just wave you through. In the worst case the border officer is having a grumpy day and will ask you inside to double check the info which shouldn't take long and then you are good to go. But even if they ask you to come inside, there is nothing to fear, you are doing everything the right way!
Perfect - thank you :)