PR Visa Approved only 7 Month Duration

[Tim Fletcher]

Hi everyone,

I'm in the fortunate position to have had my outland PR visa (family class / commonlaw) approved at the High Commission in London. I received an email today requesting my travel documents. However, even though my passport is valid until 2014, the email states that my visa will be valid until 27-04-2010, only 7 months from now. I was kind of assuming that it would be valid for at least 3 years, particularly given the significant financial outlay and large amount of time my partner and I put into the application. I don't want to have to do it again in a few months. Has anyone experienced this situation before? Seems a trifle odd to me.

I know that once I'm in Canada on my PR visa I can extend it / go for an inland application and have leave to remain whilst a decision is made so it's not as big an issue as it could be. We'll just have to go through the process again. I'd rather be earning money, paying tax and contributing to Canada than filling out application forms though.

Thanks!

[Ssarah183]

I think that is just the time frame in which you have to land, after that you apply for a PR card and won't need that visa you received anymore.

[ariell]

Tim - you are confusing two things. The visa is temporary -- you must land in Canada on or before that date. But once you land, you become a permanent resident, which as the name implies is permanent. About a month after you land, you will get your PR card which is valid for 5 years and can then be renewed. See here when the same question was asked: http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/arriving-in-canada-with-visa-passport-t22960.0.html;msg121435#msg121435

You absolutely DO NOT then need to file an inland application!!!! Actually you would be ineligible to apply since you would already be a PR. Outland and inland applications are just different means to get the same thing -- PR status. If you've already gained PR status via an outland application, there would be no point in filing an inland application.

[SadGirl:(]

Tim, usually your visa will be valid until the expiry date of your medicals or the expiry date of your passport, whichever one expires first will be the expiry date of your visa.  However, now that you got your visa, you just need to land in Canada.  Once you land in Canada you are a permanent resident.  You're done!  Congratulations!

Tim, if you don't mind me asking, how many months did it take for London to finalize your case?

[Tim Fletcher]

Ohhh!! Thanks everyone for your speedy replies. You have eased my troubled mind! It seems that the expiration date is probably that of my medical. It's about a year from when I had it done.

We sent off my application about 20th May 2009. Approval to sponsor took about 6 weeks and processing started in London on July 2nd. The approval / request for documents was received today, 27th August so it was a little under two months, 3.5 months in total. Pretty quick! We believe my application was somewhat straightforward (no dependents etc) so were hoping for a processing time at the lower end of the scale. It seems that was right.

Thanks to everyone on the forum for their advice on everything. This really is a great community. It's great to have actually succeeded!