Can I travel outside of Canada while waiting for a decision on my PR, if I have a valid PGWP?

[Nivie]

I have a valid work permit that expires in August 2024, and a valid V-1 visa in my passport.

I got my invitation to apply for PR under CEC earlier this year, and submitted my official PR application in July 2023. I am still waiting to hear back on my decision for PR and wondering if I can travel to my home country while I await a decision?

On this link (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/pr-confirmation-portal.html) it says that if you are approved for PR you have to confirm that you are physically in Canada and that they can't confirm your permanent residence status if you are out of the country.

So my questions are:

1. Will I be able to re-enter Canada with a valid visa and work permit if I am still awaiting my decision on PR?
2. If my PR is approved while I am OUTSIDE Canada - what do I do then? Can I confirm it from outside? How long do we have to confirm it - can I wait till I return to Canada?

Thanks!

 

[Chasechs]

1) Yes you can travel in and out once your COPR has not been issued. You usually get an email saying the PR was approved but that doesn't matter until you actually get the document.

2) Before getting the copr you will get a portal request email. Portal 1 will ask you to confirm whether you are inside or outside of Canada. You need to respond promptly to keep the process moving. So, you can tell them that you are outside but you intend to return on a specific date. The return date must be reasonable, meaning within 30 to 60 days. They would pause the process until you return. If your return is 3 months or more, that's an unreasonable pause period and you should strongly consider an earlier return.

Otherwise, you should tell IRCC in the portal 1 email that you are outside of the country and wish to complete the process at your local/nearest Canadian embassy. They will continue the process through the embassy. Note that this path may extend the application processing time and when you are sent to the embassy, you can not return to Canada until that process is complete.

So the option is up to you. Generally it is advised that you do not travel or travel for a very extended period while you are at the edge of a PR decision.

 

[Nivie]

1) Yes you can travel in and out once your COPR has not been issued. You usually get an email saying the PR was approved but that doesn't matter until you actually get the document.

2) Before getting the copr you will get a portal request email. Portal 1 will ask you to confirm whether you are inside or outside of Canada. You need to respond promptly to keep the process moving. So, you can tell them that you are outside but you intend to return on a specific date. The return date must be reasonable, meaning within 30 to 60 days. They would pause the process until you return. If your return is 3 months or more, that's an unreasonable pause period and you should strongly consider an earlier return.

Otherwise, you should tell IRCC in the portal 1 email that you are outside of the country and wish to complete the process at your local/nearest Canadian embassy. They will continue the process through the embassy. Note that this path may extend the application processing time and when you are sent to the embassy, you can not return to Canada until that process is complete.

So the option is up to you. Generally it is advised that you do not travel or travel for a very extended period while you are at the edge of a PR decision.

Thanks so much for this answer!

To confirm - If my travel is less than 30 days, that shouldn't be a problem then?
On the portal is there a mechanism to let them know that I'm currently out of the country but will be back in a few weeks or do I need to inform the government prior to my travel that I will be leaving the country? and if the latter - how do I go about that?

 

[_V_K_]

I have a valid work permit that expires in August 2024, and a valid V-1 visa in my passport.

I got my invitation to apply for PR under CEC earlier this year, and submitted my official PR application in July 2023. I am still waiting to hear back on my decision for PR and wondering if I can travel to my home country while I await a decision?

On this link (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/pr-confirmation-portal.html) it says that if you are approved for PR you have to confirm that you are physically in Canada and that they can't confirm your permanent residence status if you are out of the country.

So my questions are:

1. Will I be able to re-enter Canada with a valid visa and work permit if I am still awaiting my decision on PR?
2. If my PR is approved while I am OUTSIDE Canada - what do I do then? Can I confirm it from outside? How long do we have to confirm it - can I wait till I return to Canada?

Thanks!

You can travel. I travelled twice this year with a valid PGWP and a valid TRV while my pr application was in process (inland spousal). No issues at the border at all. Before travelling I messaged the IRCC on twitter (it was in March) and they confirmed travelling is no problem if your PGWP and TRV are valid upon arrival back to Canada. They also suggested that if I was expecting my PR approval while I am outside Canada, I could have raised a webform before leaving Canada and let the IRCC know my travel dates. Hope it helps

 

[Chasechs]

Thanks so much for this answer!

To confirm - If my travel is less than 30 days, that shouldn't be a problem then?
On the portal is there a mechanism to let them know that I'm currently out of the country but will be back in a few weeks or do I need to inform the government prior to my travel that I will be leaving the country? and if the latter - how do I go about that?

Given the short travel time, in the event you receive the portal request before travel or while outside of Canada, simply respond to the portal email with all the info they ask for. Also declare that you will be travelling or currently outside of Canada and note your exact return date. They will create your profile and send you the credentials sometime after you return. You can also send a follow up email to them when you land in canada to notify them.

 

[Pearrlee]

P1 on Jan 10th, 2024
P2 on February 13th, 2024
Declaration (inside Canada), address and photo submitted on February 15th, 2024
Hasn't received a copy/notification of eCOPR yet (as of March 28th, 2024)
On IRCC Tracker, I can see the COPR information with the number starts with T********.

I am planning to travel outside Canada from May 13th - 18th, 2024.
On IRCC website (https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/pr-confirmation-portal.html), it says to inform IRCC if travelling outside Canada while waiting for eCOPR.

Main questions:
- Has anyone tried to inform IRCC after declaration?
- What are the steps/process on this part?
- Would you recommend messaging IRCC? Or should I wait for a bit to receive both eCOPR and PR Card until May? Technically I don't think these two will meet my travel time, so I thought pausing eCOPR would be more beneficial for my vacation. I still have a valid PGWP to cross the border.