PR Travel Document

[RyanBeelders]

Hi all,

Some advice required please?

My son and I are about to activate our Permanent Residency at the end of May 17 (we have COPR and wife in Canadian). We do wish to return to the UK so that my wife can complete her school year in July. Now I have been reading a few of the posts, and have also received advice from various sources (Immigration lawyers, Immigration consultants, Immigration employees) that we have 2 options:

1) Fly to Canada at the end of May and activate the PR. The PR cards for my son and I will be sent to my mother-in-law's address in Canada and she can then courier it to our UK address.

This seems like the best option. It takes up to 45 days for the PR card to arrive at said address and my mother-in-law can then courier to us. However, we have been advised (and I have read in other posts) that our PR cards could be lost in transit/stolen/identity fraud/even be sent back at Customs/the chip in the PR Card could set off an "alarm" at Customs etc.

Any experiences with this? or is it safe to do this?


2) Apply for the Pr Travel Document.

The issue with this is the Document checklist and also the "Residency Obligation Requirements"

i) We do not meet the 730 days rule as we have only been issued with our PR as of March 2017.
ii)We also do not have 2 pieces of evidence of Permanent Residency or Employment records for 5 years etc.

So how do we apply for this PR Travel Document?

Also, when can we apply for this PR Travel Document (I assume once we return to the UK after activating our PR at the end of May or can we do this now)?

Thank you in advance for any advice.

R

 

[Rob_TO]

However, we have been advised (and I have read in other posts) that our PR cards could be lost in transit/stolen/identity fraud/even be sent back at Customs/the chip in the PR Card could set off an "alarm" at Customs etc.

Any experiences with this? or is it safe to do this?

Customs where? There is no law whatsoever in Canada that says it's illegal to mail a PR card, so there would be no reason for them to detain it.
Not sure about the UK, but I imagine it's the same.

Always a risk with package getting lost/stolen, but going to a place like the UK I wouldn't worry about that. Just use a reliable courier with tracking data.

i) We do not meet the 730 days rule as we have only been issued with our PR as of March 2017.

Yes you do, as you can easily meet the 730 days within 5 years from landing as a PR. So you are in full compliance with the RO.

ii)We also do not have 2 pieces of evidence of Permanent Residency or Employment records for 5 years etc.

Not needed since you're a brand new PR. Just include all the data you do have, and an explanation of why you're applying.

Also, when can we apply for this PR Travel Document (I assume once we return to the UK after activating our PR at the end of May or can we do this now)?

You can't apply while in Canada. You can only submit the app once you arrive in your destination country.

If you happen to be close to one of the VAC/visa offices that deal with PR TDs, you can drop off/pick up in person. Else you will need to mail everything.

Budget a couple weeks for the entire process to get your PR TD affixed to your passport and received back. Others have said they've done the whole process in under a week.

 

[RyanBeelders]

Hi Rob_TO

Thank you for the advice.

My wife is extremely paranoid and thinks that the PR cards will be lost in transit or stopped at customs etc. Another option for us would be that her mom flies over to London once PR cards arrives at her address and then we all fly back to Canada with these PR Cards (would that be ok?)

Easy enough for me to get to VAC/visa offices in London as I currently live there and di this when sending off documents for COPR.

Our confusion still comes on the Document checklist form.....

In particular Section 8.....but as you mention, this would not apply because we are new PR's.

So what do I need to do? Write a letter and explaining our situation and send this in with the application form?

Thanks
R

 

[Rob_TO]

My wife is extremely paranoid and thinks that the PR cards will be lost in transit or stopped at customs etc.

Again there is absolutely no law the forbids the mailing of PR card outside Canada (nor is there one i'm aware of in the UK for incoming), so there should be no worries.

Getting lost in transit is very rare when packages are going to other modern countries like the UK. Just pay a bit extra for the best courier service.

Another option for us would be that her mom flies over to London once PR cards arrives at her address and then we all fly back to Canada with these PR Cards (would that be ok?)

Of course this is ok, if she is willing to do that for you. A bit more expensive and time consuming than a courier though, so hopefully she would be making a vacation out of it!

In particular Section 8.....but as you mention, this would not apply because we are new PR's.

So what do I need to do? Write a letter and explaining our situation and send this in with the application form?

You would submit at minimum your COPRs as proof of PR status, and a letter of explanation. During the short time in Canada after landing you can apply for a permanent SIN, which may serve as further evidence. Others may be able to give some more options to include.

 

[RyanBeelders]

Thanks Rob

Yes I plan to apply for my SIN and open a Bank Account and hopefully purchase a car in the short time we will be in Canada at the end of May.

Much appreciated for the advice, will see what others say.

R

 

[yodheydhara]

Again there is absolutely no law the forbids the mailing of PR card outside Canada (nor is there one i'm aware of in the UK for incoming), so there should be no worries.

Getting lost in transit is very rare when packages are going to other modern countries like the UK. Just pay a bit extra for the best courier service.

Of course this is ok, if she is willing to do that for you. A bit more expensive and time consuming than a courier though, so hopefully she would be making a vacation out of it!

You would submit at minimum your COPRs as proof of PR status, and a letter of explanation. During the short time in Canada after landing you can apply for a permanent SIN, which may serve as further evidence. Others may be able to give some more options to include.

Hi Rob_To and Mr Bleeders, this is an excellent post and I was looking for similar information!
Thank you guys!
I am in the same situation, my PR cards have been delivered at my relative's place. I am currently in the US and contemplating the same - whether to ask them to courier the PR cards over or apply for PRTD. Say if I were to ask them to courier this over to me in the US and then subsequently when I travel to Canada, could there be issues as to when I left Canada I did not have the PR cards and am returning I have them - would this be an issue?
Alternatively, if I were to apply for the PRTD, would I need to mention the date when we plan to re-enter Canada?

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi Rob_To and Mr Bleeders, this is an excellent post and I was looking for similar information!
Thank you guys!
I am in the same situation, my PR cards have been delivered at my relative's place. I am currently in the US and contemplating the same - whether to ask them to courier the PR cards over or apply for PRTD.

Couriering cards to the US should be zero problem.

If you are a US citizen you're eTA exempt, so can probably fly to Canada just based on your US passport.

Or if you can drive to Canada, you don't need PR card nor PR TD at a land border. Just your passport and COPR is more than enough.

Say if I were to ask them to courier this over to me in the US and then subsequently when I travel to Canada, could there be issues as to when I left Canada I did not have the PR cards and am returning I have them - would this be an issue?

No this would be completely irrelevant to CBSA.

 

[kasinow]

Sorry for hijacking this thread but I don't want to create another similar one.

I was working in Canada for 2.5 years already and I just landed here yesterday as permanent resident and got my CoPR signed. The problem is that I already had my trip to Cuba planned months ago as I expected to get a PR much much sooner.

I'm from a visa-exempt country and just before getting PR I applied for eTA (I just checked its status and it wasn't cancelled yet). I still have my open work permit valid till the end of the year (which became void after landing??) and I have signed CoPR (which has printed "NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL").

My trip to Cuba is in less than 3 weeks and I'll travel there for less than 2 weeks and will be staying in random places (it will be spontaneous trip without any strict plans).

I've read some similar threads in this forum and some people were saying that I should be fine flying back to Canada because I have eTA + CoPR, but official pages states that I have to get permanent resident travel document. The problem is that there's no visa application center in Cuba and my PR card application can't be processed in less than three weeks. I don't wan't to cancel my trip as everything was already planned and paid for but also I don't want to get refused going back to Canada. Any advises what can I do in such case? ???

 

[Rob_TO]

Sorry for hijacking this thread but I don't want to create another similar one.

I was working in Canada for 2.5 years already and I just landed here yesterday as permanent resident and got my CoPR signed. The problem is that I already had my trip to Cuba planned months ago as I expected to get a PR much much sooner.

I'm from a visa-exempt country and just before getting PR I applied for eTA (I just checked its status and it wasn't cancelled yet). I still have my open work permit valid till the end of the year (which became void after landing??) and I have signed CoPR (which has printed "NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL").

My trip to Cuba is in less than 3 weeks and I'll travel there for less than 2 weeks and will be staying in random places (it will be spontaneous trip without any strict plans).

I've read some similar threads in this forum and some people were saying that I should be fine flying back to Canada because I have eTA + CoPR, but official pages states that I have to get permanent resident travel document. The problem is that there's no visa application center in Cuba and my PR card application can't be processed in less than three weeks. I don't wan't to cancel my trip as everything was already planned and paid for but also I don't want to get refused going back to Canada. Any advises what can I do in such case? ???

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/travel-document/
Submit your application via drop box at the Visa Section of the Embassy of Canada in La Havana in Cuba. In-person services are not available.

Address

Embassy of Canada – Visa Office
Calle 30 No. 518 (esq. 7ma)
Miramar (Playa)
Ciudad de la Habana
Cuba

So you do submit your PR TD app local in Cuba, however "in-person" services not available so it may be tough to pick up your PR TD + Passport or have it mailed to you with no fixed address.

If your eTA remains valid, you can then most likely return to Canada on visa-exempt passport with approved eTA. However we saw on this forum at least 1 individual that said their eTA was cancelled some time after landing as a PR. What will you do if yours is cancelled suddenly while in Cuba?? Nobody can tell you if or when an eTA will be cancelled... it may be soon or it may never happen. If eTA was cancelled you will be stranded there until you get a PR TD, or you will need to re-route your flight home via USA and cross into Canada at a land border (where no PR TD is needed).

COPR document will only help you once you are actually at Canada immigration talking to CBSA (hence why crossing at a land border is fine).

 

[kasinow]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/travel-document/
Submit your application via drop box at the Visa Section of the Embassy of Canada in La Havana in Cuba. In-person services are not available.

Address

Embassy of Canada – Visa Office
Calle 30 No. 518 (esq. 7ma)
Miramar (Playa)
Ciudad de la Habana
Cuba

So you do submit your PR TD app local in Cuba, however "in-person" services not available so it may be tough to pick up your PR TD + Passport or have it mailed to you with no fixed address.

If your eTA remains valid, you can then most likely return to Canada on visa-exempt passport with approved eTA. However we saw on this forum at least 1 individual that said their eTA was cancelled some time after landing as a PR. What will you do if yours is cancelled suddenly while in Cuba?? Nobody can tell you if or when an eTA will be cancelled... it may be soon or it may never happen. If eTA was cancelled you will be stranded there until you get a PR TD, or you will need to re-route your flight home via USA and cross into Canada at a land border (where no PR TD is needed).

COPR document will only help you once you are actually at Canada immigration talking to CBSA (hence why crossing at a land border is fine).

Thank you so much for such informative reply! Yes, it will be tough to get PR TD without fixed address in Cuba. I guess I'll check my eTA status before going there and just before going back. If it's valid, I'll try to fly to Canada and talk my way in with just CoPR (yes, officially it's not possible but someone in this forum said got in without any problems). If eTA is cancelled then I'll have to accept that and buy new plane tickets to the states and cross border by land.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you so much for such informative reply! Yes, it will be tough to get PR TD without fixed address in Cuba. I guess I'll check my eTA status before going there and just before going back. If it's valid, I'll try to fly to Canada and talk my way in with just CoPR (yes, officially it's not possible but someone in this forum said got in without any problems). If eTA is cancelled then I'll have to accept that and buy new plane tickets to the states and cross border by land.

You will have absolutely no issue entering Canada regardless. There is no requirement to have a PR card, a PRTD or a COPR to enter; CBSA can determine your PR status just by swiping your passport.

The issue is being able to board the plane.

 

[kasinow]

You will have absolutely no issue entering Canada regardless. There is no requirement to have a PR card, a PRTD or a COPR to enter; CBSA can determine your PR status just by swiping your passport.

The issue is being able to board the plane.

Oh, now I understood why they were saying that crossing border by land is fine... Good to know that they can just swipe passport and see everything they need. Thanks! In that case I'll print out email eTA confirmation and the page which allows to check eTA status and then if my eTA gets actually cancelled I'll just try to convince them that it's airline system's fault and hope that I'll get into plane. I remember friend of mine had some similar problems when flying back from Europe even though he was a PR for over the year but airline system didn't have option to select that you have a PR and he was arguing at the gate but eventually they let him in.

 

[Rob_TO]

Oh, now I understood why they were saying that crossing border by land is fine... Good to know that they can just swipe passport and see everything they need. Thanks! In that case I'll print out email eTA confirmation and the page which allows to check eTA status and then if my eTA gets actually cancelled I'll just try to convince them that it's airline system's fault and hope that I'll get into plane.

Practically zero chance of boarding if your eTA is cancelled. The airline doesn't actually see your eTA status, they simply see a board or no-board indication on their computer. A print out of an eTA approval would be meaningless. Any airline should refuse to board since they can face massive penalties if they fly someone to Canada that they shouldn't have.

Also if you tell the airline you're a PR, they may demand to see a valid PR card or PR Travel Doc to allow boarding.

Before the eTA option became mandatory last year, PRs with visa-exempt passports could board much easier. These days it will be practically impossible.

 

[kasinow]

Practically zero chance of boarding if your eTA is cancelled. The airline doesn't actually see your eTA status, they simply see a board or no-board indication on their computer. A print out of an eTA approval would be meaningless. Any airline should refuse to board since they can face massive penalties if they fly someone to Canada that they shouldn't have.

I see your point but I have nothing else to do. I didn't buy travel protection and can't cancel my flight and route it through the states. So I guess I'll just try everything I can to get on a plane and if that won't work I'll buy a new ticket. Thanks for your input though!