Transit on COPR

[akhan127]

Hello everyone

I recently became a permanent resident on the 17th April 2014 and am waiting for my pr card. Unfortunately, there is a delay from CIC and the pr card processing time has been going up weekly as many of you may already know (76 days as of today). I have to travel soon to the UAE and was wondering if we can transit through Heathrow (UK) or Germany with ONLY the Confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) document?

As I understand, as long as you have a valid visa to re-enter Canada then you don't need a transit visa for the UK or Germany. However, since my status has changed to a permanent resident, my TRV and work permit have obviously been cancelled and I don't have anything to show apart from the COPR and it says on it that it's not valid for travel so i'm not sure. If anyone who is not from a visa-exempt country, has left the country before their PR card arrived and transited through the UK or Germany using their COPR, please mention it so I know it's possible. I am a Pakistani passport holder hence I'm not from a visa exempt country.

Any answers would be appreciated.

 

[thisisauser]

You will need a valid (not expired) Canadian PR card issued after 2002.

See section (e) under Transit without a visa (TWOV) header.

Form UK's perspective your visa might still be valid though. In their eyes permanent residency doesn't cancel your valid visa. Unless of course it's crossed out on your passport. DO NOT try this though. Just apply for a transit visa. UK processes visas very quickly in Canada.

 

[akhan127]

You will need a valid (not expired) Canadian PR card issued after 2002.

See section (e) under Transit without a visa (TWOV) header.

From UK's perspective your visa might still be valid though. In their eyes permanent residency doesn't cancel your valid visa. Unless of course it's crossed out on your passport. DO NOT try this though. Just apply for a transit visa. UK processes visas very quickly in Canada.

Hi thisisauser

Thanks a lot for your reply! Yeah I get what you are saying. The Temporary Resident Visa is not crossed out in my passport but obviously it will be a risk to use that to transit...

I'm just a little confused because I saw a couple of other posts mentioning that we can transit with our COPR but I guess they are wrong.

 

[akhan127]

You will need a valid (not expired) Canadian PR card issued after 2002.

See section (e) under Transit without a visa (TWOV) header.

Form UK's perspective your visa might still be valid though. In their eyes permanent residency doesn't cancel your valid visa. Unless of course it's crossed out on your passport. DO NOT try this though. Just apply for a transit visa. UK processes visas very quickly in Canada.

Hi again thisisauser

I was just looking through the link that you posted and since I landed on April 17th 2014, I think I would fall under:

c) a valid airline ticket for travel via the United Kingdom as part of a journey from Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America to another country or territory, provided that the transit passenger does not seek to transit the United Kingdom on a date more than six months from the date on which he last entered Australia, Canada, New Zealand or the United States of America with a valid visa for entry to that country;

Thanks for your help again! Really appreciate it.