problem with first POE

[payxibka 10,045]

Point me to where that information is listed. I see on the Canada Border Services Agency website that:

When you enter Canada, a CBSA officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. If you are a citizen of the United States, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, you should carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.

But it says nothing about permanent residents not needing a visa to enter Canada.

Visitor Visa Exemptions

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

citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia (Republic of), Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa;

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

From the same source:

Note: a visa exemption does not guarantee you automatic entry into Canada. You must still satisfy an immigration officer that you are admissible as per the requirements that were set out in the Who is Eligible page. If you do not, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Quite different than needing or not needing a visa... You can still present yourself at the border... and just like the USA... even if you have a visa (or a citizen of a VWP country) your entry is not guaranteed... Any non-citizen can be turned back... It can happen even to a USC attempting entry into Canada... heaven forbid!!!!!

Edited November 24, 2009 by payxibka

[CA dreamer 3]

you will not need A visa iam sure,cos you will be out the entry of canada,i mean you will stay at the airport. good luck,plus you will not be able to go inside the country after port entry and have a day use there:) you may use the airport free shops

Edited November 24, 2009 by paradiselost

[Inky 1,110]

you will not need A visa iam sure,cos you will be out the entry of canada,i mean you will stay at the airport. good luck,plus you will not be able to go inside the country after port entry and have a day use there:) you may use the airport free shops

Depending on the airport this statement is incorrect. Quite a few airports in canada have blocked off areas for international entry flights and all international flights must pass CBP before entering the airport or reaching connection flights.

[pushbrk 12,569]

Point me to where that information is listed. I see on the Canada Border Services Agency website that:

When you enter Canada, a CBSA officer may ask to see your passport and a valid visa, if one is necessary. If you are a citizen of the United States, you do not need a passport to enter Canada. However, you should carry proof of your citizenship, such as a birth certificate, certificate of citizenship or naturalization, as well as photo identification. If you are a permanent resident of Canada or the U.S, you should bring your Permanent Resident Card with you.

But it says nothing about permanent residents not needing a visa to enter Canada.

Visitor Visa Exemptions

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

citizens of Andorra, Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Belgium, Botswana, Brunei, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Israel (National Passport holders only), Italy, Japan, Korea (Republic of), Latvia (Republic of), Lithuania, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, Namibia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Papua New Guinea, Poland, Portugal, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Lucia, St. Vincent, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Solomon Islands, Spain, Swaziland, Sweden, Slovenia, Switzerland, United States, and Western Samoa;

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

From the same source:

Note: a visa exemption does not guarantee you automatic entry into Canada. You must still satisfy an immigration officer that you are admissible as per the requirements that were set out in the Who is Eligible page. If you do not, you may not be allowed to enter Canada.

Quite different than needing or not needing a visa... You can still present yourself at the border... and just like the USA... even if you have a visa (or a citizen of a VWP country) your entry is not guaranteed... Any non-citizen can be turned back... It can happen even to a USC attempting entry into Canada... heaven forbid!!!!!

Exactly. Thanks for providing the reference for US LPR's not needing visas. Anybody can google it.

[pushbrk 12,569]

You gave a US based airline as a reference for Canadian immigration/visa requirements question. The reference I quoted is a government agency of the country we're discussing. Show me where does Canada say that a US permanent resident does not need a visa to enter Canada? Better yet, show me where does it say that a Chinese citizen, in possesion of a US permanent residency can enter Canda without a visa?

Now as for your wife transiting in Canada...she was able to TWOV (transit without visa) with her Chinese passport and only through Vancouver airport, and only because she must have arrived on a non-stop flight from Beijing, Guangzhou, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Manila or Taipei, only if she was ticketed on Chathay Pacific, China Airlines, Phillipine airlines w/ a confirmed onward ticket within 24 hours of arrival in Canada and she must not have left the airport.

Then and only then was she able to benefit from her having her US PR to transit through Canada, on her way to the US, from China. This is listed on the Delta link you you provided...and it is a far cry from not needing a visa to enter Canada if you're a US PR, which is what you stated.

The US based airline has to know these rules and protect themselves from having to transport people home after refused entries. Delta has a handy tool that spells out the requirements for travelers.

You quoted a Canadian agency but not what that agency says about the question you asked. You've been shown where that same agency indicates US permanent residents don't need a visa to enter Canada. The IS your reference for ANY citizen of any country, who is also a US LPR.

All international arriving passengers to Vancouver Canada clear Canadian immigration upon arrival, then claim their luggage and are free to go wherever they please in Canada. There is no option (like Toronto) for the passenger's luggage to be transferred to a US flight. If my wife hadn't shown her Green Card along with her passport, she would have been returned to China. The airlines avoid these problems by making sure she has the needed travel documents before they board the international flight.

[carmen181 0]

the first POE was going to be Toronto Canada... but with everything it has been said im kinda afraid of taking the risk of buying a ticket there even though is cheaper , i dont wanna risk being with my family just to save some money on the ticket ... i appreciate all of your replies , I'm sorry if it caused some discrepancy between somo vj posters that was not my intention

[pushbrk 12,569]

the first POE was going to be Toronto Canada... but with everything it has been said im kinda afraid of taking the risk of buying a ticket there even though is cheaper , i dont wanna risk being with my family just to save some money on the ticket ... i appreciate all of your replies , I'm sorry if it caused some discrepancy between somo vj posters that was not my intention

You did fine. I would strongly advise you to make your first POE "in" the USA. Even if you COULD transit Toronto, you would be clearing US immigration while still in Toronto. While that may not be a problem generally, it could delay you enough to miss your connecting flight. Even when connecting inside the USA, I recommend at least a three hour layover at the POE.

[carmen181 0]

the first POE was going to be Toronto Canada... but with everything it has been said im kinda afraid of taking the risk of buying a ticket there even though is cheaper , i dont wanna risk being with my family just to save some money on the ticket ... i appreciate all of your replies , I'm sorry if it caused some discrepancy between somo vj posters that was not my intention

You did fine. I would strongly advise you to make your first POE "in" the USA. Even if you COULD transit Toronto, you would be clearing US immigration while still in Toronto. While that may not be a problem generally, it could delay you enough to miss your connecting flight. Even when connecting inside the USA, I recommend at least a three hour layover at the POE.

ok thank you for the advice and everyone who has posted here too ... it's been of great help cuz now i know what to do ... see you guys .. i'll be posting next month how did my interview go... bye

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

the first POE was going to be Toronto Canada... but with everything it has been said im kinda afraid of taking the risk of buying a ticket there even though is cheaper , i dont wanna risk being with my family just to save some money on the ticket ... i appreciate all of your replies , I'm sorry if it caused some discrepancy between somo vj posters that was not my intention

You did fine. I would strongly advise you to make your first POE "in" the USA. Even if you COULD transit Toronto, you would be clearing US immigration while still in Toronto. While that may not be a problem generally, it could delay you enough to miss your connecting flight. Even when connecting inside the USA, I recommend at least a three hour layover at the POE.

Yeah to be fair its a tiny pre-clearance. They have no more then 4 lines and US passport holders get jammed in with everyone else so it would probably take longer to get through with a fresh visa...if your just trying to save a few bucks (or whatever currency) its probably easier to fly straight to Ohare

Edited November 25, 2009 by Sousuke

[gary9891 10]

hi guys , I'm from Peru I applied for a CR1 visa and i got my interview for december 21st ... now I'm trying to buy the plane ticket for the end of december and it has 1 stop and it's in canada ... so it would be Peru- Canada Canada-Chicago ... would that be a problem ... 'cuz this is the first time i travel to the US. does the first stop has to be in the US or not ?? plz I'd really appreciate your help ..

You are just changing planes in Canada? This will not be a problem, my wife and I had a lengthy stop over in Taiwan. No worries

[payxibka 10,045]

hi guys , I'm from Peru I applied for a CR1 visa and i got my interview for december 21st ... now I'm trying to buy the plane ticket for the end of december and it has 1 stop and it's in canada ... so it would be Peru- Canada Canada-Chicago ... would that be a problem ... 'cuz this is the first time i travel to the US. does the first stop has to be in the US or not ?? plz I'd really appreciate your help ..

You are just changing planes in Canada? This will not be a problem, my wife and I had a lengthy stop over in Taiwan. No worries

How does the experience of a Filipino transiting Taiwan correlate to a Peruvian transiting Canada?

If you would have read the entire thread you might have given pause before providing your reply...

Edited November 25, 2009 by payxibka

[SuperDuper! 230]

hi guys , I'm from Peru I applied for a CR1 visa and i got my interview for december 21st ... now I'm trying to buy the plane ticket for the end of december and it has 1 stop and it's in canada ... so it would be Peru- Canada Canada-Chicago ... would that be a problem ... 'cuz this is the first time i travel to the US. does the first stop has to be in the US or not ?? plz I'd really appreciate your help ..

Well, if I were you I wouldn't buy the ticket yet. Things happen - visa could be delayed, they might require some more evidence, you never know. And it says in the interview instructions (if I remember well) that you should not buy a plane ticket until visa is in hand. Good luck on your interview.

Great Point! One that Mr. Smarty Pants failed to mention.

[milimelo 4,413]

We made a mistake of having my sister (on F-1 student visa) travel through Toronto to Europe on Bosnian passport. We assumed that it would be the same as Schengen airports in EU and that she would be at the airport within specified zone. Wrong assumption we learned.

She boarded a flight from ORD to Toronto without a problem - lady from airline even came and told her she was good to go - she just looked at her student visa and let her through. Problems arose when she landed in Toronto without the transit visa - she was put into secondary inspection and had to sign that she won't seek admission to the country and made to stay at the airport (with no one checking on her) until the next flight the following day (overbooked flight so she was given 600 Canadian dollars to take the next one).

As soon as she landed in Vienna, she went to the counter and got her return ticket changed from flying into Toronto to flying into DC and then to ORD.

Always double check the rules of the transiting country - we should've done that as we bought the ticket in February and she flew in April - would've had plenty of time to get the visa had we researched it ahead of time. Now we know.

[*julez* 124]

it wasnt a guess and there is no reason to reply like that I SAID I DIDN'T KNOW for the country

Seriously, if you don't know, you should not respond, even if you preface it with "I don't know". It's really helpful to no one.

[Scott and Mhay 57]

So are you attacking me now after all this time and discussion?

Everyone agrees to the terms of services. In there it states that each person is to evaluate and seek proper advice from a legal perspective.