Travel to Canada...?

[ShadowYU 1]

Hello,

I know that we are here discussing mostly immigration issues to USA, but I have a quick question about traveling to Canada.

I am a citizen of Serbia, former Yugoslavia and have filed in USA (Seattle office) for Green Card. My wife (US citizen) and I had an interview on 10/17/2008 and were told that we were approved. The lady IO did not put a stamp in my passport. I don't have green card in hand yet, and USCIS website has no updates since my biometrics appointment.

Now, I want to go to Canada tomorrow and come back on Sunday to participate in a Team Handball tournament. Because I don't have my green card yet, I need visa to enter Canada. I went to Canadian consulate this morning and was told that it would take 2 weeks for me to get the visa (because I am from former Yugoslavia, majority of others get it the same day). So, here is my question:

To the best of your knowledge, how are things at ground border towards Canada?

I have an I-131 approved (Advance Parole) so I would not have a problem coming back to USA. But, I don't know if they will let me into Canada. Do you know if they sometimes won't even check passports? If they do, can I explain my situation and hope that the Canadian IO at the border could approve my entry? Also, if they don't approve my entry, am I going to be in trouble?

Of course, I am not going to hold you accountable for any suggestions you may make, but please let me know what you think... Thanks a lot!

[cdn_in_wa 1]

Hello,

I know that we are here discussing mostly immigration issues to USA, but I have a quick question about traveling to Canada.

I am a citizen of Serbia, former Yugoslavia and have filed in USA (Seattle office) for Green Card. My wife (US citizen) and I had an interview on 10/17/2008 and were told that we were approved. The lady IO did not put a stamp in my passport. I don't have green card in hand yet, and USCIS website has no updates since my biometrics appointment.

Now, I want to go to Canada tomorrow and come back on Sunday to participate in a Team Handball tournament. Because I don't have my green card yet, I need visa to enter Canada. I went to Canadian consulate this morning and was told that it would take 2 weeks for me to get the visa (because I am from former Yugoslavia, majority of others get it the same day). So, here is my question:

To the best of your knowledge, how are things at ground border towards Canada?

I have an I-131 approved (Advance Parole) so I would not have a problem coming back to USA. But, I don't know if they will let me into Canada. Do you know if they sometimes won't even check passports? If they do, can I explain my situation and hope that the Canadian IO at the border could approve my entry? Also, if they don't approve my entry, am I going to be in trouble?

Of course, I am not going to hold you accountable for any suggestions you may make, but please let me know what you think... Thanks a lot!

I'm a Canadian, so I can't guess what your chances of getting in the country are - they have to let me in.

I do think they check passports for non-Canadians, though. So, I would think you could have trouble getting into Canada, but you might be okay.

Anyway, if they do refuse you entry, they just turn you around and you go back through the US border entry point. With your AP, the US should let you back in - it just takes a bit of time entering your information and asking you questions about your intentions.

Good luck!

[YuAndDan 153]

More than likely the AP doc has been invalidated by USCIS due to approved AOS, the POE officer MAY prevent you from re-entering the USA without GREEN-CARD or I-551 stamp.

Without green-card in hand you WILL need a visitors visa to enter Canada.

Canada:

Countries and territories whose citizens require visas in order to enter Canada as visitors:

S

Sao Tomé e Principe

Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Surinam

Syria

Visitor Visa Exemptions

Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

If you were approved, but do not have the I-551 stamp and do not have the card by the time you plan on visiting Canada, you may want to schedule an info pass appointment and see if you can get your passport stamped.

[cdn_in_wa 1]

More than likely the AP doc has been invalidated by USCIS due to approved AOS, the POE officer MAY prevent you from re-entering the USA without GREEN-CARD or I-551 stamp.

Without green-card in hand you WILL need a visitors visa to enter Canada.

Canada:

Countries and territories whose citizens require visas in order to enter Canada as visitors:

S

Sao Tomé e Principe

Saudi Arabia, Kingdom of

Senegal

Serbia

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia

South Africa

Sri Lanka

Sudan

Surinam

Syria

Visitor Visa Exemptions

Many people do not require a visa to visit Canada. These include:

persons lawfully admitted to the United States for permanent residence who are in possession of their alien registration card (Green card) or can provide other evidence of permanent residence;

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/visas.asp

If you were approved, but do not have the I-551 stamp and do not have the card by the time you plan on visiting Canada, you may want to schedule an info pass appointment and see if you can get your passport stamped.

I'm not sure that your AP is cancelled when your GC is ordered. There is a poster on the Canada forum who said they used their AP to reenter the US after the AOS approval, when they did not know they had the approval.

This is the situation that ShadowYU is in. They have had the interview, and were told approved, but Seattle appears to be reviewing each case. The online status has not been updated with GC ordered, but likely will any day now.

I was told I was approved at the interview, but pending review (typical for recent Seattle interviewees). I asked about using AP to reenter (in case I took a trip back to Canada) while waiting for the GC. I was told that my AP would still be valid, but it was up to the border IOs to allow me back in, as it always is when using AP.

[ShadowYU 1]

Thanks for the responses thus far: I also called the USCIS phone line and have received advice that my AP is still valid; so I should be fine coming back in. Main concern is going into Canada. Based on responses for now, I intend to try - present my case to an IO at the border and see where that takes me...

[Reba 2]

If you do not have a visitor visa or your green card, you will not be admitted to Canada. See if you can get the I-551 stamp in your passport. Its as good as green card, and Canada treats US LPRs same as UCs. But without the card or the stamp, you have no proof that you are a LPR

[ShadowYU 1]

If you do not have a visitor visa or your green card, you will not be admitted to Canada. See if you can get the I-551 stamp in your passport. Its as good as green card, and Canada treats US LPRs same as UCs. But without the card or the stamp, you have no proof that you are a LPR

I just wanted to let everyone know that I went to Canada yesterday and was successfully admitted. At the border (ground crossing on I-5 between Seattle and Vancouver), I was asked for passport. When officer saw my passport was Serbian, he asked for green card. I said that I didn't have it and that I do have an Advance parole document to reenter United States. They had me get outside of the car and into the offices they have at the border. Another officer there looked through my AP document, and asked about my intentions (wanting to be in Canada less than 24 hours to play in a handball tournament). After reading through my AP, Canadian immigration officer stamped my passport and welcomed me into Canada.

I returned to USA about 12 hours later, and U.S. customs just stamped my Advance Parole document and welcomed me back in.

I thank you all for responses and wanting to help. In general, based on my experiences, even when you don't have a visa, immigration officers have right to admit you into their country (as they did with me into Canada). This was completely logical in my case, as I had the AP document, and had my work papers to show I have to be back on Monday in Seattle in order to work. I understand that maybe this wouldn't always work, but I thought that it was worth trying and I did it. I also did this once in England (asked to leave the airport while in transit for 24 hours although I didn't have UK visa, and once in Mexico, same thing, didn't have visa). Once again, thanks everyone!