Layover in Vancouver without PR card

[Tina William]

Hi there, I am traveling from India and doing my soft landing in Vancouver to complete my PR formalities, staying for a week then travelling to USA as a visitor for Vacation. On way back to India from USA my layover is again in Vancouver for about 4 hours (Air Canada airlines both ways). My question is can I enter the Canadian boundaries without a PR card or would I require a transit visa before I take off from USA. Please help if you have idea... its very urgent... Thank you!

 

[Bs65]

Others can comment as well but once you are a landed PR you cannot apply for any type of visa, transit included. So technically maybe wrong but even to transit Canada as a PR you need a PR card or PRTD to board a plane destined for a Canadian airport. Ultimately it is the airline checkin in the US that you will need to convince that you should be allowed to board and transit

 

[Buletruck]

Agreed. You will either need a PR card or a PRTD to get back on the plane.

 

[mad_hatter]

Passengers on international flights to US connecting through Vancouver do not need to clear Canadian customs and immigration. I suggest you go to US for your vacation first and then come to Vancouver for your landing.

 

[PMM]

HI

Passengers on international flights to US connecting through Vancouver do not need to clear Canadian customs and immigration. I suggest you go to US for your vacation first and then come to Vancouver for your landing.

1. Except they require transit visas, there are exceptions see: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Here are the exceptions:

Transit without visa

If you plan to travel to the United States
To be eligible, you need to:

1. have these documents:
   • a valid U.S. visa
   • a valid passport from
     • Indonesia
     • Philippines
     • Thailand or
     • Taiwan (holder of passport without a personal identification number) and
   • a confirmed airline ticket to the country you are going to that leaves Canada the same day you arrive
2. travel with an airline that takes part in the program
3. travel through specific Canadian airports
4. not leave the Canadian airport during your stopover, except to board your flight
5. arrive during business hours (hours may vary at each airport) for the preclearance area run by United States Customs and Border Protection
   1. if you arrive outside of these hours, you will no longer qualify under this program. You will have to go to the Canada Border Services Agency to be

 

[bellaluna]

I suggest you go to US for your vacation first and then come to Vancouver for your landing.

I agree with this part; OP's original plan makes no sense specially if they're just going to do a soft landing.

 

[mad_hatter]

HI



1. Except they require transit visas, there are exceptions see: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

Here are the exceptions:

Transit without visa

If you plan to travel to the United States
To be eligible, you need to:

1. have these documents:
   • a valid U.S. visa
   • a valid passport from
     • Indonesia
     • Philippines
     • Thailand or
     • Taiwan (holder of passport without a personal identification number) and
   • a confirmed airline ticket to the country you are going to that leaves Canada the same day you arrive
2. travel with an airline that takes part in the program
3. travel through specific Canadian airports
4. not leave the Canadian airport during your stopover, except to board your flight
5. arrive during business hours (hours may vary at each airport) for the preclearance area run by United States Customs and Border Protection
   1. if you arrive outside of these hours, you will no longer qualify under this program. You will have to go to the Canada Border Services Agency to be

OP will not need a Canadian transit visa, as he would not go through Canadian immigration. He can go directly to US customs after he disembark from his flight.

 

[Buletruck]

OP will not need a Canadian transit visa, as he would not go through Canadian immigration.

Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t go through immigration. You need either a Canadian passport, PR card or TRV/eTA to board commercial transportation that transits Canada.

 

[mad_hatter]

Doesn’t matter if he doesn’t go through immigration. You need either a Canadian passport, PR card or TRV/eTA to board commercial transportation that transits Canada.

He has COPR.

 

[jddd]

He has COPR.

A COPR is not a travel document

 

[mad_hatter]

A COPR is not a travel document

CORP will allow OP to board the plane to Canada. OP also should also qualify for "Transit without visa" program, if he is traveling through Vancouver airport on the way to the US.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

CORP will allow OP to board the plane to Canada. OP also should also qualify for "Transit without visa" program, if he is traveling through Vancouver airport on the way to the US.

A COPR doesn't allow anyone to board a plane. It is not a travel document and not accepted by airlines.

 

[jddd]

A COPR doesn't allow anyone to board a plane. It is not a travel document and not accepted by airlines.

Ahhh yes! I completely forgot! There is a one time counterfoil visa attached to the passport for 1 entry for landing.

 

[mad_hatter]

This is from Air Canada:

Air Canada, Air Canada Rouge and Air Canada Express are approved air carriers participating in the Canadian government's Transit Without Visa (TWOV) program, and China Transit Program (CTP). This participation allows our customers who are citizens of certain Asian countries and who are transiting through Vancouver Airport, Calgary Airport or Toronto-Pearson Airport (Terminal 1 only) to travel to or from the United States without obtaining a Canadian temporary resident visa under certain specific conditions.

 

[mad_hatter]

A COPR doesn't allow anyone to board a plane. It is not a travel document and not accepted by airlines.

You are right. I forgot, my wife did not need a visa, that was why airline let her boarded with her CORP.