Stolen PR card

[YVR GUY]

Hi guys,
Im in a real bind here. MY pr card was stolen on thursday, I have a trip to cuba booked on wendsday. I have a spanish passport. I have been a PR in canada for almost 5 years (this may).
I know its a requirement for airlines to check for docs before boarding, I have talked to CBSA and CIC and they both have said that once in back in canada im ok as they can look me up on the computer system. Its just getting on the plane to come home that will be the problem.
I Have a very clear photocopy of my pr card, front and back, A valid spanish passport, the police report for the theft, as well as my confirmation of permanent residence from when I landed.
WE were thinking of going to the airport to get some sort of paper from the CBSA.
Im really hoping this will work as the trip is non refundable.
Any advice? Tips? Suggestions?
Thanks so much!

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi guys,
Im in a real bind here. MY pr card was stolen on thursday, I have a trip to cuba booked on wendsday. I have a spanish passport. I have been a PR in canada for almost 5 years (this may).
I know its a requirement for airlines to check for docs before boarding, I have talked to CBSA and CIC and they both have said that once in back in canada im ok as they can look me up on the computer system. Its just getting on the plane to come home that will be the problem.
I Have a very clear photocopy of my pr card, front and back, A valid spanish passport, the police report for the theft, as well as my confirmation of permanent residence from when I landed.
WE were thinking of going to the airport to get some sort of paper from the CBSA.
Im really hoping this will work as the trip is non refundable.
Any advice? Tips? Suggestions?
Thanks so much!

The only problem you have is checking into your return flight to get back to Canada. There is no paper or anything you can get from CBSA. For PRs the airline will only accepts a valid PR card or a Travel document.

So you basically have only 2 options:
1. Arrange to get a PR Travel Document while on vacation, from the visa office in Havana. Obviously could be a big inconvenience and hassle to do, and may requiring big risk of mailing your passport if you aren't close to the visa office to do in person.
2. Pose as a foreign national to the airline, and not a PR. Since you have a Spain visa-exempt passport, and since eTA program is not yet mandatory until Sept this year, you could try checking into your airline with just your passport. Of course this would involve deceiving the airline if asked, that you are NOT a PR, so they won't demand to see your PR Card or PR TD. As long as they can't determine if you're a PR without you voluntarily telling them, you would just be traveling back to Canada as a visitor.
Once back in Canada, CBSA can easily determine your PR status even without your PR card.

 

[YVR GUY]

Thanks for that, the thought did cross my mind. Wouldnt the airline require some sort of ongoing travel document, like a ticket back to spain, in order to board?

 

[Rob_TO]

Thanks for that, the thought did cross my mind. Wouldnt the airline require some sort of ongoing travel document, like a ticket back to spain, in order to board?

Some airlines are picky about that, others don't seem to care at all.

You can always purchasing a separate cheap onward flight from Canada (doesn't have to be to Spain) just in case the airline asks about it. If you buy a fully refundable ticket, then would just cancel it after you've successfully boarded the flight.

 

[Buletruck]

You can always purchasing a separate cheap onward flight from Canada (doesn't have to be to Spain) just in case the airline asks about it. If you buy a fully refundable ticket, then would just cancel it after you've successfully boarded the flight.

I have, with Air Canada on two separate occasions, booked a non-refundable ticket for a return flight for the wife (before she received her PR) out of Canada just before checking in and then cancelled that same flight once we landed (less than 24 hrs after booking) and received a full refund.

http://www.aircanada.com/en/customercare/refunds.html

Check the refund policy of your airline of choice and confirm the policy with them before trying it.