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Visiting Canada with just visa with I-551 notation


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Please note these are ground crossings by car, if entry by air starting in September Canada will require an electronic travel authorization before entry into Canada, see: http://candleforlove.com/forums/topic/48686-visiting-or-transiting-through-canada-by-air/ not sure if this requirement will also be applied to the road crossings at some point.

 

My mum-in-law arrived in the states two weeks ago on an IR-5 visa and entered through JFK where they endorsed her visa. We paid the immigrant fee and are waiting to the actual green-card to arrive in the mail.

 

We had planned on going to a Scottish games we like to attend every year up in Maxville ON, which was on our calendar long before Mum would come, and the timing was such that she would be here in time to go with us, but before she would get her card.

 

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I decided that the I-551 notation should be sufficient for the Canadian POE so we took the chance. Our hotel was in Massena NY so would cross at Cornwall ON and return same day, and then make another crossing the following day at Ogdensburg NY in order to visit family in Kingston ON.

 

So Saturday we crossed at Cornwall ON, the border guard was a little confused asked if mum had a visa to visit Canada, so I pointed out that the notation at the bottom of visa indicates that it serves as a green-card until her actual card arrives, the guard then consulted her supervisor by phone and Ok'd the entry for us, we had a great time at the games and then returned to NY the American POE understood we were waiting for her green-card and waved us on.

 

On Sunday we drove from Massena NY down to Ogdensburg and crossed into Canada again, this time the Canadian border officer was a little less confused, he questioned that Mum's visa expired on the 26th, I had to explain that it was endorsed at JFK and again the endorsed visa acts as a green-card until her actual card arrives, this time no call to the supervisor, the guard accepted my explanation and allowed entry to Canada. We then visited Kingston and decided to shoot over to Toronto for dinner before returning to NY by way of Niagara Falls.

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