Once you get CoPR - Find out if you can enter Canada

[LotusLeodis]

Hi, there,

Just checking I understand this right under 'Find out if you can enter Canada', it would seem the only way my UK Citizen spouse can enter Canada with CoPR, as it currently stands, is that he may be allowed entry if I enter first set our life up in Canada, maybe if I go with him to activate PR and even then, in both situations, it's discretionary.

If that's the case, what / where is the policy on how long CoPR is valid for in the COVID climate exactly? Anyone have verified links?

Thanks in advance.

LL

 

[armoured]

You are a citizen?

 

[armoured]

Hi, there,

Just checking I understand this right under 'Find out if you can enter Canada', it would seem the only way my UK Citizen spouse can enter Canada with CoPR, as it currently stands, is that he may be allowed entry if I enter first set our life up in Canada, maybe if I go with him to activate PR and even then, in both situations, it's discretionary.

Entry of any foreign national (which here includes someone not yet a PR) is always discretionary. It's standard language, it doesn't mean that they routinely refuse - and for someone entering with a valid document/reason to enter and qualifying under covid exemption, usually they are allowed entry.

I see no requirement that the PR or Canadian citzen must arrive before to 'set up life in Canada' - although you could argue it's implied by the 'reuniting' language, I don't know / haven't heard that they routinely ask about this. Certainly someone with a COPR and arriving with their spouse would be very unlikely to be refused on the reuniting basis. (I rather doubt they'd make a big deal of it if the citizen/PR was arriving on a different flight a few days later, but only a guess).

But if you're trying to do some more complex thing like coming just with a COPR and the citizen/PR is not already in Canada, arriving with, or arriving soon - no idea what they'd do. They definitely do not want new PRs arriving just for a few weeks, but I don't know if they are actively looking out for this. (And they don't have a lot of mechanisms to outright forbid a PR, even a new PR, from subsequently travelling; but who knows, they might object)

What is it you want to do, anyway? Just travel to Canada together to stay; very unlikely to have issues if arriving together.

 

[LotusLeodis]

You are a citizen?

Yes, I am British / Canadian Citizen.

What is it you want to do, anyway? Just travel to Canada together to stay; very unlikely to have issues if arriving together.

To be honest, we don't know. The first question is would the UK Citizen with CoPR be refused entry.

In normal times, we might consider a soft landing and come back to tie things off here.

It's seeming with COVID that it would be a hard landing together is the only viable option.

 

[canadan_]

Yes, I am British / Citizen.



To be honest, we don't know. The first question is would the UK Citizen with CoPR be refused entry.

In normal times, we might consider a soft landing and come back to tie things off here.

It's seeming with COVID that it would be a hard landing together is the only viable option.

As @armoured said, entry for foreign nationals is always discretionary but a spouse of a Canadian is currently exempt from the travel restrictions. Whilst the exact phrasing is that you should be ‘reuniting’, it seems pretty unlikely if you travel together they’ll deny the foreign national entry on that technicality, particularly with COPR in hand and from a visa-waiver country (assume they have a eta).

That being said, there’s never any absolute guarantees on border entry, even in normal times, but I’m sure there’s many users on this forum with at least anecdotal evidence of having done the same thing you intend to do.

 

[LotusLeodis]

As @armoured said, entry for foreign nationals is always discretionary but a spouse of a Canadian is currently exempt from the travel restrictions. Whilst the exact phrasing is that you should be ‘reuniting’, it seems pretty unlikely if you travel together they’ll deny the foreign national entry on that technicality, particularly with COPR in hand and from a visa-waiver country (assume they have a eta).

That being said, there’s never any absolute guarantees on border entry, even in normal times, but I’m sure there’s many users on this forum with at least anecdotal evidence of having done the same thing you intend to do.

But I thought if one had CoPR, no need for a eTA?

 

[canadan_]

But I thought if one had CoPR, no need for a eTA?

Sorry for the confusion, I shouldn’t have added that line, you’re right https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1184&top=16 although I have read that occasionally airlines can be funny about accepting the COPR in lieu of eTA, so for the sake of a few $/£ it might be worth it just in case.

 

[armoured]

To be honest, we don't know. The first question is would the UK Citizen with CoPR be refused entry.

All we can say is very unlikely even if they leave themselves that discretionary language.

In normal times, we might consider a soft landing and come back to tie things off here.

It's seeming with COVID that it would be a hard landing together is the only viable option.

Well, yes, not normal times. Certainly anything like a soft landing much more difficult with multiple quarantines etc.

You can attempt to get an extension on COPR but exactly what will be required (more medicals?) and for how long they will extend - i.e. how much extra time it will gain - and how long it might take to get it processed is unknowable.

 

[LotusLeodis]

To be honest, it looks like if CoPR is issued after March 2020, one cannot travel BUT if reuniting with Canadian family member, one can, so conflicting. Sigh. And whether an eTA would be needed, as back up, who knows?

 

[armoured]

To be honest, it looks like if CoPR is issued after March 2020, one cannot travel BUT if reuniting with Canadian family member, one can, so conflicting. Sigh. And whether an eTA would be needed, as back up, who knows?

They are not contradictory. Copr itself insufficient, reuniting is the exemption.

 

[LotusLeodis]

They are not contradictory. Copr itself insufficient, reuniting is the exemption.

Would eTA be required as back up?

 

[canadan_]

Would eTA be required as back up?

As I said, eTA isn’t required if you have COPR: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=1184&top=16

It might just be a good shout to get one just in case as I’ve read that airline staff don’t always understand what a COPR is or the rule as stated above and it might just make things less hassle to have that in place too given it’s pretty inexpensive.

 

[armoured]

Would eTA be required as back up?

I'd suggest you check with the airline. Or as the other poster suggested, get eta if you can, don't know how that works.

It's pretty clear that cbsa should let you in, but you have to get there first.

Note also the other covid requirements (hotel, isolation plan, and covid test,etc.) there is also the arrivecan app.

 

[canadan_]

Would eTA be required as back up?

Out of curiosity, have you received COPR yet or are you just planning ahead?

If it helps we have a very similar situation (Canadian citizen living in the UK sponsoring UK citizen). Our application isn’t complete yet but if you haven’t already gotten as far as COPR then if ours is completed sooner (we haven’t even got pre-arrival yet) I’d be happy to check back in here and let you know how things go. Unfortunately my partner (the sponsor) has to return to Canada as her UK visa expires May 17th, so I’ll be travelling to ‘reunite’.

 

[LotusLeodis]

Out of curiosity, have you received COPR yet or are you just planning ahead?

If it helps we have a very similar situation (Canadian citizen living in the UK sponsoring UK citizen). Our application isn’t complete yet but if you haven’t already gotten as far as COPR then if ours is completed sooner (we haven’t even got pre-arrival yet) I’d be happy to check back in here and let you know how things go. Unfortunately my partner (the sponsor) has to return to Canada as her UK visa expires May 17th, so I’ll be travelling to ‘reunite’.

No, we haven't got CoPR - just trying to plan ahead how to do all of this in COVID times. Hopefully, we will be fully vaccinated soon, but that seems to make no difference with the restrictions, which is fair enough. I don't want to make my fellow Canadians sick and vice versa, if we can limit that.

Where are you in the process? We don't even have a named visa office.