Returning to Canada without PR card. But only with Landing Papers in hand.

[sanchalanam]

Hello There,

[First: I apologize for the length of this post]

I landed in Canada way back in 2009 to complete landing formalities and to get the PR Status. After landing I stayed in Canada for 2 days, during this stay i applied for SIN card and opened a bank account. After that i returned back to US to continue my employment in US (i am living in US on work visa).
For some reason i didn't receive my PR Card in 30 days and i couldn't contact customer service from outside Canada to followup on my PR Card.
Now, its almost 3 years since i landed in Canada, but i still didn't receive my PR Card. i will be moving to Canada for good sometime in May-June this year (just before the completion of 3 years from my landing date). I have so many worries and questions in my mind. To start with,

1) Do i still have valid PR Status?
2) Since i don't have my PR Card. Are there any possible issues at the port of entry that i should be aware of?

In addition to the above, i recently found a phone number to contact CIC from outside Canada. When i enquired about my PR Card they said PR Card was never mailed as i didn't submit Passport size photos (which they never advised me to submit, if i remember it correctly ). Also, from that discussion i understood that they donot have my correct local address in their system, appt# was incorrect. But when i double checked my landing papers, the local address in Landing Papers shows correct. But first they asked me to submit another application for address correction (they sent this link for more info: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/certcopy.asp ) and then submit another application to get the PR Card (http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5545E_A.asp)

3) When my landing paper is showing correct address. Why do i need to submit application for address correction?
4) Can i apply for my PR Card from outside Canada so that i will have the PR Card almost ready by the time I relocate to Canada (as the process takes 180 days)?
5) Is the PR Card application process smooth or do i have to expect any queries/question or any other complexities to prove my PR Status?

If every think above works out well, I want to sponsor my spouse and children under family based immigration category to Canada.
6) do i need my PR Card in hand to sponsor my family?
7) Can i submit the PR Card application and the Family Sponsorship application at the same time?

Thanks in advance,
Sanchi

 

[Leon]

1) Yes, as long as your PR has not been revoked, you still do and you even still meet the residency requirements so there would be no reason to revoke your PR status.

2) They might grill you about not living in Canada but because it will be less than 3 years since you landed, it is not possible for you to have lost your PR due to not meeting the residency requirements yet. They may advise you that you should not leave Canada for the next 2 years. This is true.

3) Because they entered it wrong in the first place and now feel that they can't change it unless you submit an application.

4) Grey area. A PR card application must come from within Canada. Whether the applicant must be in Canada is a different story. See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/enf/enf27-eng.pdf - Page 13 where it says among other things: However, it is recognized that the Regulations do not specify physical presence in Canada for purposes of filing a PR card application. Applications cannot be refused solely on the basis of evidence that the applicant was not in Canada when the application was filed.

So do you have an address in Canada? A reliable person who you can mail your PR card application to and they can mail it in for you? Who will handle your correspondence and let you know when you must come and pick it up? If not, you should probably wait with the application until you have arrived. You should be able to take care of most things with your landing papers.

5) In some cases, PR card applications can take longer if you have not yet spent 730 days in Canada. For all they know, you are just planning to get your PR card and then leave again but if you are applying less than 3 years since you became a PR, it is also not possible for you to have failed to meet the residency requirements yet so they can not really refuse. Ask for a passport stamp when you enter. That way, you can prove later the date you arrived without a doubt. Also keep tabs of your travel dates in the future should you leave Canada. This will be important if you apply for citizenship or apply to renew your PR card.

6) No.

7) Yes but they are not going to the same address. Your PR card will be processed in Sydney, Nova Scotia and your family sponsorship in Mississauga, ON and at the visa office outside Canada which is relevant to your area. I suppose your family is in the US so you would probably choose Buffalo as your visa office. If your family is visa exempt to Canada, they can come with you or come later after you have found housing but they are not allowed to move officially until they have their PR's so arriving with all their possessions in a U-haul would be asking for trouble. You could however do that if you want to. As a PR moving to Canada, you may want to bring your list of goods brought and goods to follow to avoid paying duty.

If your family is not visa exempt to Canada, it is unlikely that they will get a visit visa to come to Canada with you. You may have to consider what their status will be in the US after you leave. Are they on their own visas or are their visas tied to you? If they lose their status when you leave, it may be better that they go to your homeland to wait. If that is the case, then you would choose that visa office instead of Buffalo. Processing times can also matter. Your homeland could be slower or faster than Buffalo.

 

[sanchalanam]

Leon,
Thank you so much for all the details!!


"5) In some cases, PR card applications can take longer if you have not yet spent 730 days in Canada. For all they know, you are just planning to get your PR card and then leave again but if you are applying less than 3 years since you became a PR, it is also not possible for you to have failed to meet the residency requirements yet so they can not really refuse. Ask for a passport stamp when you enter. That way, you can prove later the date you arrived without a doubt. Also keep tabs of your travel dates in the future should you leave Canada. This will be important if you apply for citizenship or apply to renew your PR card."

a. What is the best way to prove that i will continue my stay in Canada? I don't want to wait for one year or so to apply for the PR Card to prove this.

b. Other than for traveling outside Canada where else is the PR Card needed? After moving i am planning to rent an apartment or buy a house (mortgage loan), buy a car (apply for Car loan), apply for drivers license, of course..search for a job , apply for CreditCard, Sponsor my family to Canada, probably open accounts with utility companies, get telephone/internet/tv service etc.,. I hope PR Card is not needed for any of these? Also, If there is anyone reading this post with any first hand experience in getting all or some of items without having to use PR Card, please share your experience.

c. Also, if the process can take longer to get the PR Card if i haven't already spend 730 days in Canada, what is the expected delay? can it take longer than year?
again, if anyone with first hand experience who are in similar situation please share your experience.

Thank for all your help.

Sanchi

 

[steaky]

You don't need PR card to travel outside Canada, but you need it or travel document to re-enter the country!

Well I don't see you have Canadian credit history and you are looking for a job, you probably would have difficulty in applying for renting apartment (especially from property management companies), get mortgage loan to buy a house, get a car loan and need to pay a deposit for getting utilities account. I would suggest you get a room (e.g. from safehomestay.com) to settle down first and slowly start your Canadian credit history.

 

[sanchalanam]

Steaky, Thank you for the advice. But is a PR Card required? or will be requested? for any of the items (as listed in my previous port under 5.b) that i want to accomplish after relocating?

SafeHomeStay link you shared seems a good fit for me for the first few months - i will have all i need like telephone, internet etc., but the overall cost for the stay seems a bit high.

Thanks,
Sanchi

 

[steaky]

For driver licence, check requirements from the licensing office of your province. Usually showing the landing paper alone suffice. After you got your provincial driver licence, you can do the rest of the items slowly. Getting all of them done within a short period of time would just hurt your credit history.

If you don't have your PR card, I think you need your landing papers in order to sponsor your family for permanent residence in Canada.

 

[vhlaeck]

Hi sanchalanam - can you share the contact number you called to inquire of the status of your PR. I am also outside of Canada and I made my first entry on December 4, 2012 yet I still have not recieved my initial PR card.
I am a bit worried considering the processing time in the website to be just 35 - 75 days.

Thanks,

 

[jessie_michael]

Hi there,
I wanted to share my experience with you, since I had the same issue last week and after reading comment after comment, I decided to just gather up some courage and go and see what happens!
I'm not from a Visa-exempt country; in fact, Canada is very strict on the citizens of my country. I had my Immigrant Visa on my passport which was issued to me in order for me to complete my PR status. It was scratched up and there was a thin line with an exacto knife on it! And when I went on my trip, I asked people at home to mail me my PR card when it arrives but it took longer than the time stated, so when it was time for me to return to Canada, all I had was my Confirmation of PR and that scratched Visa.
The airline examined the visa and gave me my boarding pass, and in the connecting city, I passed border control with suspicious looks, but she still let me pass after scanning the visa and noticing it is not fake. I passed 3 passport control with that visa and no one questioned anything.
At Pearson, I told the officer that my card didn't arrive, but I still have my visa which hasn't yet expired, and my COPR. She was very nice and sent me to the second screening for visitors. The second officer was also nice. She told me I was lucky the airline let me in, but at our border, they're pretty lenient. She also said next time it won't be like this and I need to remember it. I just said, OK, sure, fine, thanks.... ;D and I entered Canada! I guess I was lucky, but as long as you can board the airplane and can pass passport control, I don't think the border would give you that much of a hard time.
Also, I had some other documents ready in case they needed to see them - my partner's passport photocopy, my lease, my income tax papers, etc. to prove I live here.

 

[amjad1002]

For driver licence, check requirements from the licensing office of your province. Usually showing the landing paper alone suffice. After you got your provincial driver licence, you can do the rest of the items slowly. Getting all of them done within a short period of time would just hurt your credit history.

If you don't have your PR card, I think you need your landing papers in order to sponsor your family for permanent residence in Canada.

Hey
I am in My PR process and i dont have visa exampt passport,
My PR Hope fully granted in Nov or Dec and after my first landing i will leave Canada for 5 months and then will come for good thats mean i will leave Canada with out PR CARD so how can i reinter Canada without PR CARD?

 

[scylla]

Hey
I am in My PR process and i dont have visa exampt passport,
My PR Hope fully granted in Nov or Dec and after my first landing i will leave Canada for 5 months and then will come for good thats mean i will leave Canada with out PR CARD so how can i reinter Canada without PR CARD?

Either someone in Canada has to send you your PR card or you will need to get a Travel Document.