British Truckers Abroad

2 drivers that I know (1 german, 1 brit) have been refused TWPs at Halifax Airport. They have been told to go away and come back with a Canadian class 1A license. This is because the TWP states that you can't take any vocational training, so you have to be FULLY qualified for a TWP to be issued. Their argument is that if you don't have the license, you aren't qualified. They were allowed in as visitors, but without the work permit, can't apply for social insurance number or provincial health care.

I just wrote on Garvs blog,, to me these guys are now screwed big time. They cant work,cant get a SIN# and how in hell do they now intend to get the TWP.. some one screwed big time here

They only have to do the training, pass the test, then return to get the TWP, don't they?.

obviously mickfly you know nothing.

Obviously plasticardman, otherwise I wouldn't have put a question mark at the end of it!

Care to enlighten us all?

Very interesting. The TWP is obviously issued to the prospective driver with the full knowledge of the local authorities that he has to enter the country in order to take the required training for him/her to obtain their licence. So either the Immigration Officer has messed up big time, or he/she is correct and has spotted a loop hole in the regulations. If this is so then they will need to change the law and quick because no doubt the Immigration Officer concerned will be pointing this out to other points of entry officials.

I take it these drivers have the right of appeal?

think about what happened when you entered canada at calgary airport if you remember everything was set up for you by a company that do this correctly,you even had a $150.00 cheque to pay for the TWP,then you were met by a rep who took you to the bank/doctors/ni office/licence office.most of all you had an address to put on the licence,no address no licence,so how can these fellas get a licence to do the training without an address.

They can put the address of the company...or any address on the licence forms, and change it later if required.
The H&R addy that I used is hardly a residential addy now is it?
It is also not the fault of the company that an immigration officer applies the law so strictly (as could have been done in Alberta).

Again more BS

I was renting a basement when I came over and used that address to get my Licence ... No problems.

I agree with ET though The I.O. as cocked up or they just go back with their newly acquired Canadian class one

Unless it has all changed recently, the UK C+E licence i accepted in Canada for 90 days by which time it has to be exchanged for a Canadian licence. As best I can tell, the immigration officer was wrong. And before anyone says that is incorrect, we were allowed to do our training using our UK licences as learners permits.

There is a flaw in the immigration procedure you do not have the right for a twp because you don't have the correct skills for the job i.e a full canadian truck licence.That is fact that is law it doesn't matter if you have an immigration company dealing for you or not this happened due to an immigration person doing everything by the book and knowing the book cover to cover,anyone who has entered into canada with all the correct paper work etc and gained a Twp has met with immigration officials who can either see past the issue you don't actually have a canadian truck licence or don't actually know the full legisation even so this doesn't mean they are right.So just because i.e H&R employ a company to sort out their paperwork etc out doesn't mean it couldn't happen to you,they employ a company to do all their paper because of the amount of people they bring through i presume its easier for them to do that,(thats not having a dig at them it was just an example)the company i work for especially the guy who sorts out the Lmo etc is very experienced in doing this and works extremely close with service Canada as i well found out.I entered into Canada with an address (not the companys but the place where i will reside)i also had all the correct paper work and i had Hard Cash not a printed out chq.So please take heed this could happen to any person who comes over to Canada without a full canadian truck licence IF you encounter the immigration agent who does everyhting by the book.

So have you managed to sort this out Garvs?

This is the kind of carry on we leave the UK to AVOID.

yes ,i spoke to a driver from gladstone mb. and he told me he used his uk licence for the 90days then went for his test.

OK so here goes. What can happen;

You can be refused a Twp if the correct procedure is taken (the laws of Canada). You may have an inclusion on your visitors visa that allows you to train to drive a Truck - that means train, i.e learn to drive with a driving school etc to pass you truck licence with what ever licence you care to use (uk or canadian).

Once passed, to obtain a TWP you have to leave Canada then on your return you can apply for a TWP. This again is nothing to do with who you are going to work for whether your application is through the company or via an immigration agent; this is law, Canadian law. This isn't a problem, however, if you come over to Canada and all your training is with a driving school etc (i think H&R just pass you on to one of these then take over when you have passed).

Unfortunately for me my training was in house, working in the shop then going out on the road with a trainer (delivering and loading etc) i.e. working, so this is where the problem arises. I can't do this due to the fact I haven't got a work permit. As I stated, my employer has been working close with Service Canada for some time now, helping to solve problems which arise for both the employer and immigration.

The guy at Service Canada was actually waiting in the lobby for us when we arrived for our appointment. Now I have dealt with some Civil Servants in my time but never had one waiting at the reception for me! I'd take my hat of to him if I was wearing one!!

The explanation I was given was, as it stands, I still can't have a TWP because, as stated, that's not allowed but there is away around this we were told. "If we issue you with a temporary resident visa, now lets say for 2 years, we can then issue you with a TWP for now. Lets think about this, yep you got it for 2 years!"

I parted with $150.00 and walked out with 2 visa's; 1 resident visa and 1 TWP visa.

So, please be aware that this could happen to you.

Merry Christmas
I wish everyone health and happiness and a very properous new year hope all your dreams come true.

Nice one Garvs. Happy Christmas!!!

Well done, Garvs. Good explanation. Now people know how to go about it should the problem arise again...

Something else occurred to me. For those heading further west than Halifax, if you land in Halifax but don't disembark from the plane then you don't technically enter Canada until you arrive and deplane. It could be that Halifax officers view things differently and follow the rules differently. Before anyone suggests this can't happen, almost anyone here who has had dealings at different ports of entry know things vary.

I think at the moment this problem has only arisen at Halifax,there seem to be some very keen immigration officers there who as i stated are doing everything by the book, whether this will spread to other points of entry is well anyone's guess.I do know when we were with the immigration guy in Charlottetown he's trying to see how they can close this loop hole.If as you said Bob you actually didn't disembark the flight and then left for another destination i.e Calgary then your point of entry into Canada would be Calgary and not Halifax.

Happy New Year to all

It should also be noted that this didn't happen to all drivers arriving at Halifax. Two arrived (myself included) and got our TWPs without question, then a German driver was refused his. A week or two later two more brits got permits, then Garvs was refused. This may not be CIC policy at Halifax, just an over-zealous CIC officer throwing his weight about.

interesting stuff , unless it,s all changed i believe those officers can,t refuse u that twp because u have a letter from immigration canada saying they have to isseu u a workpermit permit verry simple u applyed for that in the uk went trough the paperwork mill and is issued , the reasson u don,t have a canadian class 1e doesn,t count because u can,t have 2 driverlicenses , we landed in toronto picked it up and done , the wife on the other had asked for one but was refused simply because she wasn,t isseud a twp, we knew there where other familie,s who had both a twp and just one of them had a isseu letter
solution for that was very simple , sinds we live near the border we drove down asked for a permit and the wife had one problem solved , that is one of the advises that i can give to people with problems, aldo i don,t believe they can,t refuse u to give a twp for those reassons don,t make a sc ene , go to the border here is st stephen, woodstock and they will isseu one ( that,s for coming into the maritieme,s
and i thought flight,s from europe going to hallifax landed in st john,s new foundland first and that u had to go trough custom,s and immigration down there ?
anyway i wouldn,t make problems of it they simply can,t send u back one,s u have that letter from immigration canada

never the less in can see it happen that those people give u hard time,s , some of those people are just plain idiots , me for one ended up in jail in de second week that i was alone on the road doing my thing, i was crossing the border in madawaska ( edmonston nb, madawaska maine) i had a delivery with shingle,s to do in madawaska , so no problem untill i came at the border , there was a nice female officer acusing me for making a illegal entry in to the usa , when told her look a got an i-94 with b on it buisines she told me it didn,t count because i could not represent an canadian company in the us on a dutch pasport?? well after my blood started boilng and a couple hard words towards here i was escorted a gun point to a nice small room with steel bars around me , 3 hrs later ,a lot of phone call,s she had to let me go , because i didn,t do anything ilegal, but the message was next time when u cross here u are mine , missed drop once back in the yard at rem i told them i wasn,t going in the states anymore, well they where suprised ,and told me if u have something like that wether it,s in ca or the us ask for a badge # and ask for the phone # from the superior officers because they can,t do that same count,s for getting your twp if something happens there and u don,t agree ask to speak there superior officer most of ther time,s they will help u , most of those officers u meet behind the counter only know the regular stuff unless u got a idiot who thinks he,s the wisdom himself and he will give u a hell of a time

Something else worth remembering when it comes to US immigration. If you ask to speak to a supervisor then the officer you are in dispute with HAS to get one in a timely fashion. If you get into a spat and know you are right then ask for a supervisor and sort it out as nicely as you can..

Another thing worth noting about the original post. Most countries do not have the same reciprocal rights regarding drivers licences. If you are not legal to drive class 5 when you arrive then I suppose that may change things a little.

Arrived Halifax airport today. 2 year TWP issued no problem. Took 15 mins.

Blimey Alan, time flies.
good luck mate.

Well done that man. Pictures and posts in abundance please!!

When I arrived at Halifax airport in May 2009 along with another English driver I'd never met before who was going to a different company, we were both refused work permits on the grounds that they claimed we needed a full Canadian class one etc. Being the argumentative sod that I am, I kicked up a massive fuss and pointed out that my LMO said "NB Class one driving licence OR EQUIVILENT or ELIGIBILTY to apply for" to which I repeatedly told them that my British class one is the equivilent . The other guy gave up and entered on a visitor visa and I ended up getting a 12 month work permit. A guy who arrived about a month after me had no problems, but they only gave him a six month work permit, though upon arrival at the yard was taken down to the border at Houlton and they immidiately issued him with a proper 12 month work permit and could not understand why Halifax had done what they had. Another of our drivers was issued a 12 month work permit on arrival at Halifax but had his passport seized until he passed his class one test and had to travel back down to Halifax in person to get it back again!

Just the other week when I got my second work permit with my New Brunswick LMO cert, the officer at Houlton/Woodstock kept telling me that she couldn't give me a work permit because I needed an LMO, after 45 minutes or arguing that I did not need an LMO because I had provincial sponsorship, and after her making a phone call to God knows who, I was issued my work permit.

All good fun, no one in Canadian immigration seems to know what the hell they are doing, if you ask 10 different officers the same question, you'll get 10 different answers and as for Halifax aiport, its notorious for that sort of thing. A driver can enter one day with no problems, another guy can come two days later and be refused a work visa and be made to enter as a visitor.