Permanent resident 1st time flight to Canada

I believe you would have to apply for a US visa to enter the States, in compliance with the new rules.

When I did this with my husband (pre-9/11), those passing through the States were classified as "in transit" and made to go through a separate process, but this I believe has all been changed.

Tough Luck.

ojgr27 said:

Hello,

I have been reading the forums on DR1 for approx. 2 years. Until now I have never posted. I am posting now because I have 1 important question.

My husband (he is Dominican) has just been awarded his permanent resident status in Canada. The question I have now is how can my husband go to Canada with me now? Does he need to get a direct flight or with his permanent resident status can he go through the United States?

The reason I ask is because it's much cheaper and easier to go via Miami than to try and get a direct flight to Toronto or Montreal.


Please respond asap. Thank you

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Here's the US State Department Explanation:

Permanent residents of Canada must have a nonimmigrant visa unless the permanent resident is a national of a country that participates in the visa waiver program (VWP), meets the VWP requirements, and is seeking to enter the U.S. for 90 days or less under that program.


Note the DR for obvious reasons is not a VWP country. After he applies for and gets citizenship (3+ years to go) he can enter on a Canadian passport.

As pointed out above the TWOV program was cancelled over a year ago, so that is not an option. You might try a flight via Panama (via COPA I think) , as they then offer non stop Panama-Toronto flights, or via Havana, using Cubana's non-stop Toronto or Montreal flights.

The people to ask if they will sell a one-way charter flight are the charter airline people. I would suppose they can be contacted at the Puerto Plata International Airport. It is up to them to sell such a fare, probably they would if they have space left over. There is no legal impediment because he is a legal Canadian resident entering Canada, so he doesn't need a return ticket. Understand that Air Canada and Air Transat have direct flights. But on the downside, traffic is considerably up this year. But in September and October travel is down, so probably there will be space. Another downside is that one way tickets can be as expensive as return tickets, or even more. Forget Copa. Since they have practically a monopoly on the Panama route, fares to Panama are very expensive, so this ticket should be much much more than DR to Canada. To the trip to Cuba you have to add on the visa expenses, but that could be an option to look into, although can't imagine it would be much cheaper than flying direct.

The easiest and the cheapest

are likely to be radically different.

Air Canada has changed their charter flights to POP and PUJ to scheduled flights so it should be possible to book a one way flight; the Air Canada website allowed me to get a price for that sort of booking - but the price was outrageous. The cheapest, if it is possible, would be an unsold seat on a charter and that would have to be as almost a standby situation, if they will even sell due to your exact circumstances.

Good luck.

Gregg

Actully your husband is not a permanent resident of Canada until he arrives in Canada and clears Canada Customs. My wife is Dominican(now Dual citizen) and after she arrived in Canada, she then applied for an US Visa which she got with little trouble. Fortunately she arrived when she could get an in transit visa to go through the states. I would contate US immigration and ask them what the process is now.

ojgr27 said:

Thanks for the responses Rick and JaneJ.

Is it possible for us to get a charter flight one-way back to Toronto or Montreal? If it's possible would he be able to board a charter flight with his permanent resident status? Maybe I could buy the flights from Canada and he would just use the return portion of the ticket? Is that possible?

And if not maybe you could inform me of the cost of a flight to T.O or Mtl via Panama or Cuba?

We are looking for the easiest and cheapest way possible to get home.

Thank you very much for your replies.

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If you can find open seats my guess is that a charter company will be happy to sell a ticket one-way. There was a stranded Candian guy a year ago here that finally found one ex-POP. And he's entitled to live in Canada so his DR passport and his Landed status would have to do.

What you cannot do is use R/T tickets ex-Toronto and not use one-half and only use the others - that is known to be impermissible under the charter regulations. Although you could say well the other seat is for my bass fiddle (named the same as your husband) and then find a bass fiddle you can leave behind. The "airlines" (e.g. Transat, Skyservice) don't sell tickets - the tour operators do so you have to talk to Sunquest, A.T. Holidays, etc. for that advice.

You can use the internet (or heck, aska travel agent) to research prices for other routes - keep in mind you need to determine if Panama requires a visa or if they have true in-transit arrangements (unlike the USA which doesn't nor does Canada for that matter). You have to call Cubana as Expedia et al are "prohibited" from showing fares to, from or through Cuba, even for non-Americans, that whole trading with the killer commie mindset.

A friend of mine left last year with a standby ticket on his third try. A bit nerve racking for the folks waiting for him in Canada but it was the cheapest option. If I'm not mistaken it was with Air Transat. If I were your husband, I'd check directly at the airport and get reality facts. Sometimes the sales office can tell you one thing by phone and the reality is other...

I leave puerto plata at the end of june with air transat to montreal on one way ticket and it s cost me around 400 $.I buy my ticket 4 day before I leave and buy at montreal travel agency.I don t know it s that can help you ...

caroline

ojgr27 said:

Hello,

I have been reading the forums on DR1 for approx. 2 years. Until now I have never posted. I am posting now because I have 1 important question.

My husband (he is Dominican) has just been awarded his permanent resident status in Canada. The question I have now is how can my husband go to Canada with me now? Does he need to get a direct flight or with his permanent resident status can he go through the United States?

The reason I ask is because it's much cheaper and easier to go via Miami than to try and get a direct flight to Toronto or Montreal.


Please respond asap. Thank you

Click to expand...

He might be here already but you can get a flight on Air Transat or Skyservice. It is not necessary to go via the US.
If he is here in TO let me know how he got here.

I have done this 6 times in the last few years with various Dominican family and friends coming to Toronto.

Buy two return charter tickets to the D.R. Make sure his name is spelled exactly as it is on his passport and immigration documents. When you check in at the airport to leave Canada show them the other ticket and tell them you are only using the return portion. If you do not do this they will assume the passenger is a no show and can sell his return seat as a standby.
Do not bet on buying a standby in the D.R. for him to match your return flight. The last time I did this the flight cost $250US cash. There is not much if any to be saved and as posted earlier you will certainly run into problems.

Good luck and all the best.

we buy one way tickets from the DR to Toronto every year

for the past 13 yrs for our return home. The only problem we have encountered is not being able to go this week and having to wait for next week.
To buy a ticket you must contact one of the tour rep's for sunquest, Conquest, Air transat etc.......as they are the ones selling the tickets.
If you are near Boca Chica there is an agency there that handles tickets for both Toronto and Montreal. Otherwise check out the tour boards in the resorts in your area to obtain the phone #'s for the reps.
Hubby should have no problem getting a ticket as his immigration papers are in order and he has been granted resident status (altho' he must first clear Canada Customs & Immigration upon arrival in Canada). If you are going down to fly back with him talk to the rep at the airport when you arrive about getting a ticket for him on your return flight. As tourism is not as heavy right now (fall season & hurricane season) it shouldn't be a problem getting a seat.

ojgr27 said:

Hello,

I have been reading the forums on DR1 for approx. 2 years. Until now I have never posted. I am posting now because I have 1 important question.

My husband (he is Dominican) has just been awarded his permanent resident status in Canada. The question I have now is how can my husband go to Canada with me now? Does he need to get a direct flight or with his permanent resident status can he go through the United States?

The reason I ask is because it's much cheaper and easier to go via Miami than to try and get a direct flight to Toronto or Montreal.


Please respond asap. Thank you

Click to expand...

I use to work for an airlines so I know he can fly via the U.S. He will be in transit at the airport after customs. Check with an Airlines like AA to findout more about the procedures, but I do know he can fly to Canada via the U.S. He just cant come out of transit.

Advice-o-meter scores a 0 out of 100 on this bit

SDQbrutha said:

I use to work for an airlines so I know he can fly via the U.S. He will be in transit at the airport after customs. Check with an Airlines like AA to findout more about the procedures, but I do know he can fly to Canada via the U.S. He just cant come out of transit.

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You should have kept up after you left the airlines since after 9/11 the USA got rid of non-visa (AKA the TWOV program) in transit totally and it ain't coming back.

They reopened the ITI setup in MIA recently but you still have to go through INS, Customs and TSA just not with the masses in the terminal already. And th jury is out if to Canada pasengers even "count " as ITI.

Once you are at the gate for a flight to Canada from MIA, you can just leave the airport, and the USA's bet, and they'd be right, is that many would do just that.

You need to post facts newer than 3 years old, as these people need very accurate advice since at SDQ airport ( or POP whatever) the first thing AA will do is refuse them a boarding pass, and migracion/exit control would deny them exit permission as well. I would doubt the USA would give 1/10 of 1 % of Canada pending immigrants a transit visa as well, same issue, same risk.

Rick hit it right on the button.
I don't understand why anyone would even suggest that someone pay three times the money, spend all day,etc, etc, for a connecting flight through Miami when you can fly DIRECT as I described above. The only restriction on the charter is the 7 day duration. You could take a chance and try to buy a one way to match the return flight but what happens if you can't?
You can buy a single all inclusive in Playa Doroada and a flight only for under $1000CAN (incl tax) this week from Toronto.
Good Luck

PM me if I can be of any help.