Canada has welcomed immigrants for 150 years. More than 17 million immigrants have come to Canada since its confederation in 1867. But once immigrants, permanent residents and non-permanent residents are settled in Canada, what happens when they want to travel abroad? We have gathered the answers to frequently asked questions about the rules and regulations for immigrants, temporary residents and dual citizens who wish to travel abroad. And when you’re ready to start looking for flights abroad, let Cheapflights.ca help you with that too.
Who’s who?
The first step to travelling abroad is knowing some key vocabulary and determining your status:
- Permanent immigrant: Also called a landed immigrant, these are folks who have been granted the right to live permanently in Canada, but who have not become Canadian citizens yet.
- Foreign-born population: Also referred to as immigrant population, this group includes permanent residents as well as those who are Canadian citizens through naturalization.
- Non-permanent resident: Also referred to as temporary residents, these are folks who have a work or study permit, or who are a refugee claimant. Temporary workers, students and visitors can also obtain temporary resident status.
- Dual-citizens: A person who is a citizen of more than one country. While having dual (or multiple) citizenship is legal in Canada, some countries do not legally recognize dual citizenship.
Travelling from Canada with plans to return
Non-permanent residents visiting the U.S.: Temporary residents with a single-entry temporary resident visa need a new visa to return to Canada; however, temporary residents can request to come back to Canada on their original single-entry temporary resident visa or their expired temporary resident visa if they are only visiting the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon. They must return before the end of their approved stay in Canada. Temporary residents with a single-entry visa who visit any other countries need a new temporary resident visa to return to Canada.
Temporary residents with a multiple-entry temporary resident visa can return to Canada as long as their visa hasn’t expired. They may leave and return through either an international airport in Canada or via a land border.
Foreign students: Foreign students can travel outside Canada during their studies, but their study permit isn’t a travel document. Students must travel with their study permit and a temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air. Students from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
Work permit holders: Temporary workers who are work-permit holders can travel outside Canada, but their work permit isn’t a travel document. Workers must travel with their work permit and a temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air. Temporary workers from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
Permanent residents: If you want to travel outside Canada, you should apply for a Permanent Resident card (PR). Permanent residents must show a valid permanent resident card or Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) when returning to Canada after their travels. Not having either card means you might not be able to board your plane, train, bus or boat back to Canada. Folks who are waiting for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada to process their permanent residence application can travel outside Canada, but they must meet admissibility rules before returning. Applicants must also travel with a valid passport or other travel documents, a valid work permit or study permit (if needed), and a valid visitor visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) (if needed).
More information about leaving and returning to Canada can be found at the Canadian government’s website.
Frequently asked questions
What documents are required for temporary residents, recent immigrants, and dual citizens who wish to travel outside Canada?
- Non-permanent residents must travel with the following documents:
- Passport, travel or identity document, including your visa sticker (if you have one).
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence, permanent resident visa, Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ), letter of introduction, or any instructions from the Canadian visa office.
- Proof of legal status in Canada, such as a valid work permit, study permit, temporary resident permit, or visitor document, or any immigration document you have (whether valid or not), or proof of implied status (if you applied to extend your stay before it ended), such as a payment receipt, copy of your application to extend your stay, printout of online application, or proof of mailing.
- Foreign students must travel with the following documents:
- Study permit
- Temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air.
- Students from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
- Work permit holders must travel with the following documents:
- Work permit
- Temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air.
- Temporary workers from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
- Dual Canadian Citizens must travel with the following documents:
- Valid Canadian passport. Dual Canadian citizens need a valid Canadian passport to board flights for travel to or transiting through Canada since new regulations were adopted in 2016. If you are an American-Canadian dual citizen with a valid U.S. passport, you don’t need a Canadian passport to fly to Canada. However, you will still need to carry proper identification and meet the basic requirements to enter Canada.
- Your country’s passport. If your country requires you to enter and exit that country using that country’s passport, you will still need a valid Canadian passport to board your flight to Canada. Check out these additional tips for travelling as a dual citizen from the Government of Canada.
More information about leaving and returning to Canada can be found at the Canadian government’s website.
What is a Permanent Resident Travel Document?
A Permanent Resident Travel Document should be applied for as soon as a person resumes residence in Canada. A person can apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document if he/she is a permanent resident; doesn’t have a valid Permanent Resident card showing his or her Permanent Resident status, is outside Canada, and will return to Canada by airplane, boat, train or bus.
Can visitors in Canada on a single-entry visa exit and return to Canada during their visa?
Temporary residents with a single-entry temporary resident visa need a new visa to return to Canada; however, temporary residents can request to come back to Canada on their original single-entry temporary resident visa or their expired temporary resident visa if they are only visiting the U.S. or St. Pierre and Miquelon, and they will return before the end of their approved stay in Canada. Temporary residents who visit any other countries need a new temporary resident visa.
Can Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) holders exit and re-enter Canada?
eTAs are valid for five years or until a person’s passport expires, whichever comes first. As long as the eTA is valid, a person can enter Canada as many times as he/she wishes. Most people, including visa-exempt foreign nationals who fly to or transit through a Canadian airport, need a visa or an eTA to travel to Canada. U.S. citizens and travellers with a valid Canadian visa do not need an eTA. Canadian citizens, including dual citizens, and permanent residents cannot apply for eTA. All other travellers can apply for an eTA online for CA$7 and will need a valid passport, a credit card or debit card, and an email address to apply. Most applications are approved within minutes.
Are there restrictions on multiple-entry visa holders travelling in and out of Canada?
No. A multiple entry visa allows for entry into Canada many times, for stays up to six months. It is valid for 10 years or up to one month before your passport expires, whichever is shorter.
Can students from overseas, who are studying in Canada, travel outside of Canada during their studies?
Foreign students can travel outside Canada during their studies, but their study permit isn’t a travel document. Students must travel with their study permit and a temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air. Students from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
Can work permit holders travel outside of Canada during their working holiday?
Temporary workers who are work-permit holders can travel outside Canada, but their work permit isn’t a travel document. Workers must travel with their work permit and a temporary resident visa or an Electronic Ticket Authorization (eTA) if planning to travel to Canada by air. Temporary workers from visa-required countries will also need a valid visa.
If I want to travel to the United States, do I need to have a passport?
All Canadian citizens (adults and children) who enter the U.S. by air must have a valid passport or a NEXUS card (the NEXUS program is one of four programs that helps travellers breeze through security. NEXUS allows members expedited processing upon arrival in the U.S. and Canada). Passports must be valid up until the date of intended departure. Canadian citizens travelling by land or sea must have a passport, Enhanced Driver’s License/Enhanced Identification Card, NEXUS, FAST/EXPRES or SENTRI enrollment cards. Canadian citizens 16-years-old to 18-years-old entering the U.S. by land or sea must have a valid passport unless they are travelling as part of an organized group. Canadian citizens 15-years old and younger arriving by land or sea may present an original or copy of his or her birth certificate or a Canadian Citizenship Card.
Permanent residents of Canada who are landed immigrants entering the U.S. by air must have advance approval to travel through the Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA), an automated system that determines the eligibility of visitors to travel to the United States under the Visa Waiver Program (VWP), a program that enables most citizens or nationals of participating countries to travel to the U.S. for tourism or business for stays of 90 days or less without first obtaining a visa. Residents (PR) of Canada, who are landed immigrants entering the U.S. by land or sea, need a passport and visa to enter the U.S., unless they are a citizen of a country eligible for the Visa Waiver Program.
The nonimmigrant NAFTA Professional (TN) visa allows citizens of Canada, as NAFTA professionals, to work in the United States in prearranged business activities for U.S. or foreign employers. Permanent residents of Canada are not able to apply for TN visas to work as NAFTA professionals.
More information about travelling to the U.S. can be found at the U.S. State Department’s website.
Who can apply for a Canadian passport?
To apply for a Canadian passport, you must be a Canadian citizen and 16 years of age and over. Passports are generally valid for 5 or 10 years. You aren’t automatically a Canadian citizen if you marry a Canadian citizen, are adopted by a Canadian citizen, have your refugee claim accepted, live in Canada as a permanent resident for many years, or were born outside Canada to Canadian parent(s) on or after April 17, 2009, but neither parent was born or naturalized in Canada. Check the Canadian government website to see if you may be a Canadian citizen.
The passport application process depends on where you are applying from: Canada, the U.S. or elsewhere.
- Canada: Passport applications can be submitted by mail or at a passport office, Service Canada or Canada Post locations. If you need a passport in the next 20 days, you can apply in person at one of the passport offices. A five-year adult passport is $120 and a 10-year adult passport is $160. A child passport is $57. There are additional fees for expedited service.
- United States: Passport applications can only be submitted by mail. Government of Canada consular offices do not provide passport services; however, if you need a passport in an emergency, you can contact the nearest consular office. Those who live in Bermuda, American Samoa, the Midway Islands, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands should select U.S. as the same application steps as the U.S. apply to these countries. A five-year adult passport is $190 and a 10-year adult passport is $260. A child passport is $100. There are additional fees for expedited service.
- Outside Canada and the United States: Submit your application to the nearest Government of Canada consular office. A five-year adult passport is $190 and a 10-year adult passport is $260. A child passport is $100. There are additional fees for expedited service.
I still have questions about my immigration status, and I’m unsure if I can travel. What should I do?
There are many resources to help navigate Canada’s immigration policies.
- Government of Canada provides comprehensive information on immigration and citizenship.
- Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada facilitates the arrival of immigrants, provides protection to refugees, and offers programming to help newcomers settle in Canada. It also grants citizenship, issues travel documents to Canadians, and promotes multiculturalism.
- Settlement.org provides basic information and referrals relating to immigrating and settling in the province of Ontario, Canada.
- U.S. Customs and Border Protection provides information for Canadian citizens, Canadian residents, and landed immigrants who wish to enter the U.S.
- U.S. Department of State provides information on visas for travel to the U.S.
*The content of this post is for informational purposes only and not for the purpose of providing legal advice. You should contact the government of Canada, local immigration authorities or your attorney to obtain advice with respect to any particular immigration issue or problem.
Do you have any tips for immigrants looking to travel to or from Canada? Let us know in the comments below, and when you’re ready to start looking for flights, let Cheapflights.ca help you there too.
