Citizenship application in process, PR card will expired, Please help!

[windsorguy]

Hello friends:

Here is a question for my friend.

My friend lived in CANADA for 3 years and 8 months and submited his citizenship application months ago, he is working in US right now. From online process time table, his PR card will expire before his citizenship can be approved. His question is if he can renew his PR card while his citizenship application is in process? Is there any conflict for these two applications?

Thanks.

[Leon]

There is no conflict but he can not renew his PR card from the US.  He needs to be in Canada.  Also, he does not need to renew his PR card to keep his PR status. 

[windsorguy]

Leon:

Thanks! His concern was that from current process time, he does not know how long his case will be done, may be one year to two years. If he does not renew the PR card, after some long time he needs go back to CANADA for testing or ceremony. He may not enter CANADA in time. Can he apply for the travel document sereral times, i.e., he may need one travel doc for testing and another travel doc for ceremony?

If he renew his PR card, he may get RQ for his citizenship application, which makes his application worse. Is that correct?

Best regards!

[Leon]

If he drives to Canada, he doesn't need a PR card, he can use his landing documents.  I am not sure if a travel document can be used for multiple entries but I don't see why he couldn't apply for it twice if he needs to.

[windsorguy]

Leon:

Since he already submitted his citizenship application, if he write down his work date in the US between after his submssion and now (about six months already I guess) in the PR card renewal application, is there any problem for his citizenship application? 

If he does not write down the date, is there any problem after he fill out tax return next year? 

Thanks!

[Leon]

As long as he still meets the PR residency requirements and he's back in Canada when he applies for a new PR card, there should be no problem.  Nobody says you have to stay in Canada while applying for citizenship.  There are even instructions on the CIC website for people who have applied for citizenship to change their address if they live outside Canada.

[windsorguy]

Leon:

Thanks a lot!

[windsorguy]

Leon:

One more question from my friend. He will come back to CANADA for one week then come back to US for his job. During his stay in CANADA, he will apply for PR card renew. is it legitimate for him to apply for PR card renew
or could his application be rejected?

Thank you very much!

[Leon]

Leon:

One more question from my friend. He will come back to CANADA for one week then come back to US for his job. During his stay in CANADA, he will apply for PR card renew. is it legitimate for him to apply for PR card renew
or could his application be rejected?

Thank you very much!

Grey area.  Normally you are not supposed to be able to apply for a PR card unless you are in Canada.  He will be in Canada when he applies but actually only as a visitor.  If they knew that, they would probably not renew it but they don't actually know that.  They will know from his background info of where he's been living that he's working in the US now and that at the time he applies he's back in Canada for a couple of days.  I don't know if they would see that as enough reason not to renew it since they don't know if he's moved back for good or if he's just on vacation.  It may depend on the IO.

[windsorguy]

Leon:

Thank you so much!

Have a nice weekend!