Questions regards to traveling to US for the first time since Landing.....

[KevinsJane]

Hi,

I am a USC and a Canadian PR. I have my PR card and SIN #. I will be traveling back to the USA, by air, for the first time, since I landed, with a Return flight booked back home, into Canada.

Should I remove the Confirmation of Permanent Residency, which is stapled inside my passport?

When passing through US Immigration do I need to mention I am a Canadian PR?
and
when I return, passing through Canadian Immigration, do I need to show anything more with my PR card and passport?

Thank you for all your help.

 

[PommeDeRoute]

Hello,

I am from the US, too, and often visit the US on trips.

There is no need to remove the confirmation of PR in your passport. When crossing into the US, the border agents often ask me what I was doing in Canada and I respond that I live here. They then ask what my status is in Canada. If you leave the confirmation in your passport, they will easily be able to see that you are PR if they ask. Also, if you ever lose your PR card, the confirmation will be good to have.

When retruning to Canada, your passport and PR card is all you need....

 

[toby]

Just a trivial question.

Leaving the Confirmation of PR stapled in one's passport makes it (the passport) bulky, and too obvious in a pocket when travelling abroad. Pick pockets love to steal passports, so the less obvious it is, the thinner it is, the better.

As I understand you, PommeDeRoute, the Confirmation of PR is really only useful if the PR card is lost. So, why not remove the Confirmation of PR from the passport, but keep it in a safe place in case of card loss?

 

[PommeDeRoute]

Personally, I think having additional proof of one's status if needed outweighs the convenience of a thinner passport. Also, if the PR card is ever lost, the papers may be needed for citizenship. Just my $.02.

 

[steaky]

Personally, I think having additional proof of one's status if needed outweighs the convenience of a thinner passport. Also, if the PR card is ever lost, the papers may be needed for citizenship. Just my $.02.

I would say get a new thinner passport immediately after landing and the old one with COPR stapled keep in a safe place. That way, if your PR Card and new passport ever lost, you still have the papers needed for citizenship.

 

[toby]

You raise two points, PdeR:

1) Has any PR ever had a border officer look at the COPR (stuffed into the passport, making it thicker and less convenient) when the PR was entering Canada with PR card in hand? Anyone?

If the answer is yes, then my wife will have to out up with a thicker passport (if she gets her PR).

2) If the PR is ever lost, the COPR would be invaluable for getting a replacement PR card, or for applying for citizenship, or -- if the PR card were lost while abroad -- for getting a travel document to re-enter Canada. We agree that saving the COPR is a good idea.

But why in all three cases is it necessary to carry the COPR around stapled in the passport? Why not carry it separately from the passport while travelling? That is safer if the passport should be lost too. Or while in Canada, why not store the COPR safely in an accessible filing cabinet? That seems safe too.

Does removing the COPR from the passport invalidate it?

 

[kansas6000]

guys..

USC's when they enter Canada, do they scan the passport or just look at it visually and waive you in?

Also, if you have a PR, do you have to show both the PR or the USC passport... I would imagine they would just swipe the PR card and give you the ok?

thnx

 

[Alabaman]

If you traveling by road they may not ask for passports... just PR card. If by air, you will definetly require a passport. Why do you care anyways?

guys..

USC's when they enter Canada, do they scan the passport or just look at it visually and waive you in?

Also, if you have a PR, do you have to show both the PR or the USC passport... I would imagine they would just swipe the PR card and give you the ok?

thnx