This has turned into a complete mess. I tried to be considerate by booking the shortest return flight with my son to avoid stressing him. I found one with a Canadian airline and, before buying the ticket, I contacted their support who then asked me to contact Service Canada to get clarification. I clearly explained that my son would be traveling on an immigrant visa, not a non-immigrant one.. this happened 3 months ago.
The representative provided information and sent me an email with the details, which I bookmarked. Based on that guidance, I believed all we needed was an eTA.
After receiving your message, I called Service Canada again to confirm. This time, I was redirected to the CBP equivalent and, after nearly an hour on hold, the lady on the other end simply just read information from the same website.
I am now forced to purchase a new ticket with an American airline, near the end of my vacation, at a cost of $2099.. this is not right.