Crossing border to Canada

[ngu21020 8]

Hi there my husband just entered the US from Vietnam on the CR1 visa. He has not received his green card yet but we need to make a trip to Canada. We live about 2.5 hours from the border of Vancouver BC Canada. What are his options on passing the border and coming back without physically having his green card yet? Would the visa that's in his passport work? 

Thank you. 

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

7 minutes ago, ngu21020 said:

Hi there my husband just entered the US from Vietnam on the CR1 visa. He has not received his green card yet but we need to make a trip to Canada. We live about 2.5 hours from the border of Vancouver BC Canada. What are his options on passing the border and coming back without physically having his green card yet? Would the visa that's in his passport work? 

Thank you. 

You have to check on what are the requirements for Canada for your husband to enter that country before you can even think about crossing back over. So now your husband has a CR-1 visa and the stamp in his passport which will allow him entry back into the country. But as I said earlier you have to look up the requirements for Canada. 

[Starkilla09 366]

Yes the immigrant visa in his passport is sufficient enough to cross in and out of Canada back to the U.S, as it serves as a temporary I-551 (aka green card) upon endorsement by a CBP officer the moment he was admitted to the U.S. U.S. permanent residents don't need a visa to visit Canada, their green card is all that's needed no matter their national origin. Now if you guys are traveling by air, he will need to first apply for an electronic travel authorization (ETA) at the citizenship and immigration Canada website. It cost $7 CAN valid for 5 years and is a similar program to ESTA which the U.S. has for visa waiver applicants. I took my dad to Canada 2 years ago with his immigrant visa as well by land, if that should make you feel better.

Edited August 2, 2017 by Starkilla09

[AK_2014 113]

14 minutes ago, ngu21020 said:

Hi there my husband just entered the US from Vietnam on the CR1 visa. He has not received his green card yet but we need to make a trip to Canada. We live about 2.5 hours from the border of Vancouver BC Canada. What are his options on passing the border and coming back without physically having his green card yet? Would the visa that's in his passport work? 

Thank you. 

If you are driving rather than flying, he is fine with just passport + CR1 visa that is endorsed with the I-551 stamp. This stamp is equivalent to the green card. (If he were flying, he would need an eTA; don't know if that's difficult to apply for with just the stamp as opposed to the card itself. But since you're driving, it's a moot point.)

 

Here is a VJ member asking a similar question, and someone responded positively near the bottom of the thread that they had made this same kind of trip with no problem: http://www.visajourney.com/forums/topic/610844-can-a-us-immigrant-with-i-551-stamp-visit-canada/

 

Have a good trip, and say hi to the Peace Arch for me! :-)

[Starkilla09 366]

7 minutes ago, cyberfx1024 said:

You have to check on what are the requirements for Canada for your husband to enter that country before you can even think about crossing back over. So now your husband has a CR-1 visa and the stamp in his passport which will allow him entry back into the country. But as I said earlier you have to look up the requirements for Canada. 

The only requirement to visit Canada without a visa is proof of lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. His CR-1 visa is enough.

[Cyberfx1024 7,980]

1 minute ago, Starkilla09 said:

The only requirement to visit Canada without a visa is proof of lawful permanent resident status in the U.S. His CR-1 visa is enough.

Thank you