Indian passport renewal on sponsorship application

[hardy2895]

Happy new year everyone. My common-law partner is indian citizen. She is currently out of status and we have a sponsorship application in process. Her Indian passport is expiring in couple months. There is a possibility that her sponsorship application would get approved before the passport expires but in case the application takes longer, is there anyway to file renewal application for indian passport?

Thank you.

 

[armoured]

Happy new year everyone. My common-law partner is indian citizen. She is currently out of status and we have a sponsorship application in process. Her Indian passport is expiring in couple months. There is a possibility that her sponsorship application would get approved before the passport expires but in case the application takes longer, is there anyway to file renewal application for indian passport?

Can't answer your question about Indian passport, butFYI, I believe not having a valid passport when it's approved is not an issue for the virtual landing, i.e. she can become a PR before renewing the passport - as long as she remains in Canada. Once a PR, I think being in-status would allow her to renew the passport then.

 

[hardy2895]

Can't answer your question about Indian passport, butFYI, I believe not having a valid passport when it's approved is not an issue for the virtual landing, i.e. she can become a PR before renewing the passport - as long as she remains in Canada. Once a PR, I think being in-status would allow her to renew the passport then.

My understanding was that you need to have a valid passport for sponsorship application. If the passport is expired before everything is finalized then the application can be declined.

Is that not true?

 

[armoured]

My understanding was that you need to have a valid passport for sponsorship application. If the passport is expired before everything is finalized then the application can be declined.

My understanding is that it is needed to file the application, but for an inland application, it is not actually needed to complete the process.

I encourage you to check where you can, I cannot state this with certainty.

 

[hardy2895]

My understanding is that it is needed to file the application, but for an inland application, it is not actually needed to complete the process.

I encourage you to check where you can, I cannot state this with certainty.

It makes sense what you're saying. I'll do some research. Thank you so much.

 

[hardy2895]

My understanding is that it is needed to file the application, but for an inland application, it is not actually needed to complete the process.

I encourage you to check where you can, I cannot state this with certainty.

So I contacted a lawyer and they said a valid passport with atleast 6 months validity is required. They advised to apply for renewal and update IRCC.
Now we just have to figure out how to apply for Indian passport renewal without a valid status.

 

[armoured]

So I contacted a lawyer and they said a valid passport with atleast 6 months validity is required. They advised to apply for renewal and update IRCC.
Now we just have to figure out how to apply for Indian passport renewal without a valid status.

I hesitate to contradict a lawyer, but: it's important to draw a distinction between the formal requirements and what/when the requirements actually take effect.

As I've stated: yes, you need a valid passport to submit an application. You already did that.

As of NOW - while you wait for the final approval - the question is whether physically/administratively they will REQUIRE you to present your valid passport, or go back and see that your previously-presented passport remains valid.

And I repeat: it is my understanding and experience from following threads on this for quite some time, is that those who are IN and remain in Canada are not asked to do so. Instead the procedure is that they receive an invitation to complete a virtual landing, in which they need to submit (scans of) photos for the PR card, and ... no requirement to present a passport. You complete that process, you get an eCOPR confirming you are a permanent resident, and in due course you get the PR card.

Anyone you ask might well say 'need to have a valid passport to apply' and that's true. But they're not answering the question of whether you need it at the particular stage you are at.

Now, OF COURSE, please pursue in parallel ways to renew your Indian passport. My understanding is that this is quite problematic for those who are out of status. If you find a way to do so while in Canada, great, let others know.

But I'd suggest you can also check the various threads for in-country applicants / virtual landing and inquire whether ANYONE has been asked to submit a valid passport at the moment they get the invitation to the virtual landing portal through to getting their PR card. Because that's the relevant question.

 

[canuck78]

So I contacted a lawyer and they said a valid passport with atleast 6 months validity is required. They advised to apply for renewal and update IRCC.
Now we just have to figure out how to apply for Indian passport renewal without a valid status.

You won’t be able to apply for a new passport from Canada while out of status. Having a valid passport would be much better but given the situation unless your spouse is willing to leave Canada your only option is to wait and see how fast sponsorship is processed and whether she will be able to be able to get approved if her passport is expired by that time. How long has she been in Canada if she is without status and with a passport close to expiry? What is her immigration history?

When did you start living together and when did you land as a PR. It appears as though you started living together in 2018 which could be problematic if you were common law when you landed as a PR. Why did you not apply to sponsor much earlier?

 

[hardy2895]

I hesitate to contradict a lawyer, but: it's important to draw a distinction between the formal requirements and what/when the requirements actually take effect.

As I've stated: yes, you need a valid passport to submit an application. You already did that.

As of NOW - while you wait for the final approval - the question is whether physically/administratively they will REQUIRE you to present your valid passport, or go back and see that your previously-presented passport remains valid.

And I repeat: it is my understanding and experience from following threads on this for quite some time, is that those who are IN and remain in Canada are not asked to do so. Instead the procedure is that they receive an invitation to complete a virtual landing, in which they need to submit (scans of) photos for the PR card, and ... no requirement to present a passport. You complete that process, you get an eCOPR confirming you are a permanent resident, and in due course you get the PR card.

Anyone you ask might well say 'need to have a valid passport to apply' and that's true. But they're not answering the question of whether you need it at the particular stage you are at.

Now, OF COURSE, please pursue in parallel ways to renew your Indian passport. My understanding is that this is quite problematic for those who are out of status. If you find a way to do so while in Canada, great, let others know.

But I'd suggest you can also check the various threads for in-country applicants / virtual landing and inquire whether ANYONE has been asked to submit a valid passport at the moment they get the invitation to the virtual landing portal through to getting their PR card. Because that's the relevant question.

Hey thank you so much for your perspective on this. It turns out, we needed a valid passport with more than 12months of validity. IRCC requested renewed passport. Lucky for us, we were able to get the passport.

 

[hardy2895]

You won’t be able to apply for a new passport from Canada while out of status. Having a valid passport would be much better but given the situation unless your spouse is willing to leave Canada your only option is to wait and see how fast sponsorship is processed and whether she will be able to be able to get approved if her passport is expired by that time. How long has she been in Canada if she is without status and with a passport close to expiry? What is her immigration history?

When did you start living together and when did you land as a PR. It appears as though you started living together in 2018 which could be problematic if you were common law when you landed as a PR. Why did you not apply to sponsor much earlier?

We had some personal reasons which made us delay the application. I just wanted to give an update that we were able to apply for a new passport and IRCC did request us to have a renewed passport with 12month validity.

 

[hardy2895]

Anybody who is in similar situation, we were able to apply for passport renewal while being out of status. We had to write an email to the Indian consulate requesting for permission to apply for passport renewal. We had to attach AIP(Approval in Principle) with the Principal Applicant name. When filing for the application, we had to print the email reply from the Consulate giving us an approval to apply.

At this time, IRCC does require a valid passport with 12 month validity. We were requested to update the passport just 2 weeks from today.

 

[armoured]

Hey thank you so much for your perspective on this. It turns out, we needed a valid passport with more than 12months of validity. IRCC requested renewed passport. Lucky for us, we were able to get the passport.

Thanks for letting us know and glad you were able to renew. Just for info: in what way did they require or request the renewed passport? Did you have to submit the passport, just a scan or copy, or they just asked you?

 

[hardy2895]

Thanks for letting us know and glad you were able to renew. Just for info: in what way did they require or request the renewed passport? Did you have to submit the passport, just a scan or copy, or they just asked you?

I had to submit an attachment webform with a scanned copy of the new passport.

They provided 2 ways to submit a scanned copy, either upload on your IRCC secure account or send a webform.

Sponsorship applications don't allow uploading files on IRCC accounts so I had do a webform. Took them 3 days to receive it.

 

[armoured]

Thank you, very helpful to know. I don't recall any applicant before specifying they'd had to provide up-to-date passport information (when previous expired) for inland applications.