Whether you are traveling to Canada as a permanent resident with a study/ work permit, there are some obligations you must meet. All travelers to Canada need to show specific documents at their port of entry. These include a travel document & a visa/ eTA to verify & confirm an individual’s status in Canada.
What Do I Need To Know Before Traveling To Canada?
In case you are approved for Canadian PR, you will obtain a COPR, i.e., Confirmation Of Permanent Residence. This document validates your approval as a new Canadian PR. Moreover, if you have a COPR, you must travel to Canada in order to legally complete the PR process before the COPR expires.
In case you are already in Canada, you will be issued an e-COPR via an online portal, which can be printed & used to validate your approval for PR, just like the physical COPR.
A COPR is generally valid for a year but will be tied to your medical exam via passport & sticker. In addition, in certain situations, IRCC cannot extend a COPR. This implies that anyone who hasn’t traveled to Canada within the validity period will have to re-apply for PR.
Furthermore, if you are from a nation that needs a visa to travel to Canada, a PR visa will be issued to you along with your COPR. If your country of origin needs an eTA instead, you will have to procure one before you begin traveling to Canada.
Well, if you are already in Canada, you must confirm your new PR status virtually through the help of an online portal. IRCC will contact candidates from inside Canada via the email/ phone number that they have provided on their application.
What Do I Need Before Traveling To Canada As A Work Permit Holder?
In case you are on a work permit, you must have the documents mentioned below when arriving in Canada.
- A passport
- A visitor visa
- Relevant travel documents
- Proof that you have met the job requirements
- Copy of employer’s positive/ neutral LMIA, if required. If you are working in Quebec & require an LMIA, you will need a CAQ (certificat d’acceptation du Quebec).
Suppose your employment in Canada is LMIA-exempt, but you are coming to work with a specific employer. In that case, you will require an employment offer number that your employer would have obtained after submitting the relevant information in the Employer Portal.
Moreover, work permit holders might also need to show proof that their work permit has been approved. One way to do this is to demonstrate an LOI to the border services agent at a port of entry.
An LOI is an approval letter that is sent to candidates who have obtained a work permit. This letter is not a work permit itself but rather a letter proving that one’s permit has been approved.
Newcomers must also convince the border services officer that:
- They meet the entry requirements of Canada.
- They will leave the nation at the end of their approved stay.
- They have valid immigration medical exam results. If the medical exam results expire before arrival into Canada, new examinations will have to be done before travel.
Note that the border services officer will decide whether to issue a work permit & allow an individual to arrive in Canada.
What Do I Need Before Traveling To Canada As A Study Permit Holder?
If you are coming to Canada on a study permit, you must:
- Have a valid travel document
- Have the LOI which was sent by the visa office
- Have a copy of valid letters of acceptance from your school
- Have letters of reference/ any other documents that the visa office asked for
- Have sufficient money for their stay
- Have a valid visitor visa, eTA, green card, or any other valid travel document which can allow entry into the nation
As a prospective student, you should be in good health & have no criminal record/ immigration-related convictions. Moreover, you will also have to provide an immigration medical exam result.
Lastly, you should be able to convince an immigration officer that you have significant ties which will take you back to your home country & that you will leave Canada once your studies are completed.
What Belongings Can I Bring With Me To Canada As A Newcomer?
Newcomers can bring their belongings to Canada. However, they must fill out CBSA declarations to legally declare significant assets & should pay close attention to border regulations around edible goods & foods.
The CBSA is tasked with monitoring & safeguarding Canada’s borders & ensuring the legitimate travel of goods & individuals through them.
CBSA declarations are the legal forms via which immigrants can rightfully declare the assets they want to bring to Canada. These declarations benefit immigrants by allowing them to get their larger assets into Canada without paying taxes on these goods.
Immigrants will not always be able to bring all their belongings with them when they come to Canada. In these situations, new PRs are asked to submit a ‘Goods to Follow’ list so that all assets brought in later are declared & legal. Immigrants will present this list to CBSA at the airport & will, in turn, be provided a receipt, which must be presented again at the port of entry when a person brings said assets into Canada.
It is vital to note that there is no limit on how much cash an individual brings when they land in Canada. However, any amount exceeding CAD 10,000 must be declared to CBSA.