No answer on work permit before flying to Canada

[CastorFR]

Hi all, so I am flying out to Canada on the 26th, but my work permit has still not been issued. Will I be allowed into the country should it still not be accepted? I was thinking of applying for an eTA just to be on the safe side, but am getting kind of worried.

Thanks in advance.

 

[scylla]

Hi all, so I am flying out to Canada on the 26th, but my work permit has still not been issued. Will I be allowed into the country should it still not be accepted? I was thinking of applying for an eTA just to be on the safe side, but am getting kind of worried.

Thanks in advance.

Where are you from? Are you supposed to fly on the 26th of August?

Flying on an eTA may not be possible depending on the details. Without an approved work permit, you would be coming as a tourist. Tourist aren't allowed to come to Canada until September 7th.

 

[CastorFR]

From France, and my partner from Latvia. And yes, tickets are booked for the 26th, I submitted my application in early July (as soon as it was possible).

*I should add I have a contract that is supposed to start early September.

 

[scylla]

From France, and my partner from Latvia. And yes, tickets are booked for the 26th, I submitted my application in early July (as soon as it was possible).

The work permit needs to be approved in order for you to be allowed to board the plane on August 26th. Otherwise you won't be allowed to travel on that date.

You can travel September 7th or later on an eTA as long as you are fully vaccinated.

 

[CastorFR]

Not even if my contract starts on September 1st? I was hoping to get my vaccine in Canada as soon as my quarantine ended.

 

[scylla]

Not even if my contract starts on September 1st? I was hoping to get my vaccine in Canada as soon as my quarantine ended.

If your work permit is approved by August 26th, then you can fly to Canada. Otherwise you will not be able to board the plane due to the current travel restrictions in place. The fact your contract starts September 1st is irrelevant - this doesn't allow you to travel. You need to get the work permit approved if you want to travel anytime before September 7th.

As of September 7th the travel restrictions are changing. From September 7th forward, you can travel on an eTA but ONLY if you are fully vaccinated. If you are not fully vaccinated, then you need to wait for the work permit to be approved before you will be able to travel to Canada.

If you are not yet fully vaccinated, I would fix that asap. The rules in Canada are evolving quickly. It's possible that at some point soon those who hold work permits may also need to be fully vaccinated to travel to Canada. Also, many workplaces (e.g. schools / universities, banks, government, etc.) are also now starting to implement vaccine mandates for their staff.

EDIT: As of now, processing times for work permits from France are estimated at six weeks. So that will give you a rough idea of what timeline to expect.

 

[canuck78]

Not even if my contract starts on September 1st? I was hoping to get my vaccine in Canada as soon as my quarantine ended.

Why don’t you get vaccinated in France? Not being vaccinated is likely going to be an issue if you are working for many employers in Canada.