Transiting through New York with a valid US visa before starting your Canadian study permit — is that allowed?

If you hold both a valid Canadian study permit and a valid US travel visa, and want to fly into New York for a stay before continuing on to Canada:

1. This is generally allowed if you have valid visas for both countries.


2. Be prepared for closer questioning at the US port of entry about your purpose of stay, especially since you won't have a return ticket out of the US (you'll be departing onward to Canada instead). Having a clear, honest explanation (e.g. visiting family) and documentation to support it helps.


3. Having immediate family in the US to visit is a reasonable and commonly accepted purpose that can make this line of questioning easier to navigate.

The main friction point isn't the transit itself but justifying an open-ended US stay without a same-country return ticket — go in prepared to explain your travel plan clearly.