Entering Canada with plan to apply for permanent resident status

[Withnail73]

I am moving back to Canada with my wife in a few months. I am a Canadian citizen and my wife is a Korean citizen. She plans to apply for permanent resident status after she arrives. We have heard that when arriving at the airport in Canada, the border control is reluctant to permit entry for foreign nationals planning to apply for permanent resident status. Supposedly, the expectation is that they apply from outside and get their residency card first.Basically, I just want to know if my wife indicates that she plans to apply for permanent residency, she could be denied entry.

 

[Rob_TO]

I am moving back to Canada with my wife in a few months. I am a Canadian citizen and my wife is a Korean citizen. She plans to apply for permanent resident status after she arrives. We have heard that when arriving at the airport in Canada, the border control is reluctant to permit entry for foreign nationals planning to apply for permanent resident status. Supposedly, the expectation is that they apply from outside and get their residency card first.Basically, I just want to know if my wife indicates that she plans to apply for permanent residency, she could be denied entry.

She should be fine, as long as she acts like a visitor. So have a return ticket dated for less than 6 months away, have some ties to Korea she can show, don't travel with phone messages/cards/letters etc from friend/family indicating she's moving permanently to Canada, have luggage reflective of a visitor, and stress she will abide by the visitor rules.

She doesn't need to volunteer the info she will apply for PR, and probably won't even be asked. Majority of visa-exempt travelers are waved in with very minimal questions and a rubber stamp 6-month status. However if CBSA specifically asks or she does find herself in secondary inspection, she can tell them the truth. It's not illegal to enter Canada and apply for PR so I doubt she will be denied entry. Most CBSA officers are actually pretty understanding about this kind of thing.

 

[Regina]

she plans to apply for permanent residency, she could be denied entry.

Yes she could be denied. And mostly officer are not "understanding" at all.
Why would CIC ever have a family sponsorship then?
Every foreign wife then could be allowed to come as a visitor with intention to apply inland.

 

[Rob_TO]

Yes she could be denied. And mostly officer are not "understanding" at all.
Why would CIC ever have a family sponsorship then?
Every foreign wife then could be allowed to come as a visitor with intention to apply inland.

Yes every foreign wife (or husband) can easily do this as long as they're visa exempt (like OP) or can get a TRV. Literarly thousands of applicants have done this successfully, it's incredibly rare that one is denied entry to Canada for this reason.
Stop posting fear mongering untrue statements.