PR Card expired

[sandton123]

My Dad is a Canadian citizen and my Mom South African. They have been living in Canada for around 6 years. My Mom is about to come out to South Africa to visit and has just realized her PR card has expired. She has UK & South African passports. It is too late for her to apply for a renewal of her PR card before she flies out to South Africa. Would it be easier when she returns to Canada, after her visit, to do so on her UK passport and then once back in Canada apply for the PR card renewal then?

Thanks.

 

[scylla]

How long is she planning to be in SA?

There's nothing stopping her from applying to renew her PR card now. She can go on her trip using her UK passport (she should have no issues re-entering Canada using her UK passport).

 

[sandton123]

Thanks for your reply. She is visiting South Africa for a month. Unfortunately she only realized her PR card had expired on the day she was due to fly.. I see that she could go and apply for a Travel Document at the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria but having been there myself it is terrible and would be a huge mission to do. If it would be no problem for her to re-enter Canada on her UK passport that would be preferable. But then she would have to enter as a "tourist" even though she is actually a resident and I'm worried the border security guys wouldn't like that.

 

[Leon]

Thanks for your reply. She is visiting South Africa for a month. Unfortunately she only realized her PR card had expired on the day she was due to fly.. I see that she could go and apply for a Travel Document at the Canadian High Commission in Pretoria but having been there myself it is terrible and would be a huge mission to do. If it would be no problem for her to re-enter Canada on her UK passport that would be preferable. But then she would have to enter as a "tourist" even though she is actually a resident and I'm worried the border security guys wouldn't like that.

She doesn't have to and shouldn't enter as a tourist. She should fly as a tourist, UK passport, no problem going to Canada. However, once in Canada, going through immigration, she should tell them she is a PR and show her expired card. She will not have a problem.

 

[sandton123]

Great - thanks a lot!

 

[Rob_TO]

Just to stress, do NOT show the expired card to the airline in South Africa. If they see an expired PR card, they may deny her boarding. To the airline, she should just state she's flying to Canada as a tourist on her visa-exempt UK passport.

Only when back in Canada should the expired PR card be shown to CBSA.