Should expired passport be submitted as proof of entry??

[tink23]

Hi,

Sorry, I'm kind of all over the place and as things pop into my head I want to ask them so I don't forget them and have a zillion questions when time to submit it all approaches...

Anyway, if the sponsor has an expired passport that shows many entries and exits into their spouse's country  (including long periods as I have lived there for the past 2 years), should the actual passport be submitted as proof? since it's expired and since the Canadian passport doesn't mark each page with the passport number.

I will be renewing my passport shortly, and I'm just wondering if, when the time comes to submit the application, should I submit my expired passport, rather than just photocopying the entire thing? Or is it best to just send the photocopy and if they ask for the passport, submit it then?

I would think the actual expired passport would be more concrete proof, but then I don't know if it's good to send that away since they will have the original and there would be no way for me to get another original like that.

Thanks for your thoughts and suggestions,

Tink

[canadianwoman]

Photocopy or scan it and send the copy. They can ask to see the real one if they don't believe the copies are accurate.
It is not common, but things do get lost in the mail or at the visa office.

[scylla]

I agree. Go with photocopies.

Some processing offices don't return any of the supporting documentation and that's not something you would want to lose.

[tink23]

Thank you both for you advice. I will just send photocopies of the pages, and like you said, if they want to see it, then I can show it to them.

Appreciate it,

Tink

[Bangkokcanuck]

Thank you both for you advice. I will just send photocopies of the pages, and like you said, if they want to see it, then I can show it to them.

Appreciate it,

Tink

Curious how you managed to keep the old passport? When my old passport expired the office in Canada kept the old one and I had tons of entry and exit stamps to Thailand in there, of course I kept all my flight and hotel records but it would have been a pain had I not

[tink23]

I haven't renewed it yet, but the last time I renewed my passport I mailed in the forms and on the form there was a box you have to check off that asks if you would like your old passport returned to you. They just clipped a corner on it, I guess to show it's invalid. I assume that's what will happen this time. I looked at the forms and there's the same question that says, check off the box if you would like your old passport returned to you.

[toby]

Curious how you managed to keep the old passport? When my old passport expired the office in Canada kept the old one and I had tons of entry and exit stamps to Thailand in there, of course I kept all my flight and hotel records but it would have been a pain had I not

On the principle that you never know when some bureaucrat somewhere will ask for some document that expired a long time ago,  I keep EVERYTHING.  You can ask Canada to invalidate and return old passports to you.  This advice comes too late for you, but is a reminder to everyone involved in Permanent Residency:  keep your original documents for the day when one (who knows which one?) will become useful.

We are becoming unwilling filing cabinets for  bureaucracies around the world.

[canadianwoman]

Yes, anyone who is naturally a packrat is at an advantage should they get married to a foreigner and try to sponsor him/her to Canada. Of course, it is best to be an organized pack rat, so you can actually find that document you know you kept.

When I got my latest passport, I went to the passport office in person. The agent was going to keep my passport, but when I said I needed it she gave it back. But - they were going to punch holes through every single page of it, thus ruining my travel evidence. She said it was the new policy. She had to go talk to her boss about what to do when I explained I really needed my passport pages as they were. They at first thought I was dealing with some uptight third-world bureaucracy that for some reason was demanding proof I had travelled to their country. When I explained that actually I needed the pages as proof for Canadian immigration, they were astounded.

[Bangkokcanuck]

On the principle that you never know when some bureaucrat somewhere will ask for some document that expired a long time ago,  I keep EVERYTHING.  You can ask Canada to invalidate and return old passports to you.  This advice comes too late for you, but is a reminder to everyone involved in Permanent Residency:  keep your original documents for the day when one (who knows which one?) will become useful.

We are becoming unwilling filing cabinets for  bureaucracies around the world.

I did ask actually but at the time it seemed like something I wanted to keep just for the heck of it, no intention at that time of applying for PR or anything like that... so when it did not come back I never pushed it or questioned it just shrugged and forgot about it until I started this process...

[tink23]

Oh great, so now I'm going to have to fight someone to not ruin the stamps in my passport. I hope that's not the policy anymore! When I got my passport renewed through mail about 5 years ago they just clipped the corners of the passport. This time I will be going in person as I will only be in Canada for 2 weeks before returning to DR where I live. I hope they don't give me a huge hassle.

[canadianwoman]

Just be aware that they might be expecting to do this, and ask about it before handing it over. They ended up only punching holes through the front and back covers of mine.

[tink23]

Thanks for the advice, canadianwoman. I'll make sure I ask them about it before actually giving them my passport.

[toby]

Yes, anyone who is naturally a packrat is at an advantage should they get married to a foreigner and try to sponsor him/her to Canada. Of course, it is best to be an organized pack rat, so you can actually find that document you know you kept.

When I got my latest passport, I went to the passport office in person. The agent was going to keep my passport, but when I said I needed it she gave it back. But - they were going to punch holes through every single page of it, thus ruining my travel evidence. She said it was the new policy. She had to go talk to her boss about what to do when I explained I really needed my passport pages as they were. They at first thought I was dealing with some uptight third-world bureaucracy that for some reason was demanding proof I had travelled to their country. When I explained that actually I needed the pages as proof for Canadian immigration, they were astounded.

The last time I renewed a passport, the officer simply cut off the upper right corner, and stamped "invalid" (or something like it ) on each page. Thus the record of entries/exits was easy to read.

[Bangkokcanuck]

The last time I renewed a passport, the officer simply cut off the upper right corner, and stamped "invalid" (or something like it ) on each page. Thus the record of entries/exits was easy to read.

Hey,

Curious where the passport was issued? In talking to the people at the Canadian Embassy in BKK they seemed to think it made perfect sense to keep the old passport unless it was requested to be returned if issued in Canada but quite the opposite if the passport is being issued out of country.. I guess I can kinda see their point.. so just being nosy was wondering where you got your last passport issued?

[toby]

Hey,

Curious where the passport was issued? In talking to the people at the Canadian Embassy in BKK they seemed to think it made perfect sense to keep the old passport unless it was requested to be returned if issued in Canada but quite the opposite if the passport is being issued out of country.. I guess I can kinda see their point.. so just being nosy was wondering where you got your last passport issued?

The last one was issued in Vancouver, Costa Rica before that.