PGP PR Residency Obligations - Mother can not travel due to family emergency

[amolsk11]

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for some guidance regarding my mother’s Canadian PR status and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has experience with this process.

In 2020, I applied for permanent residence for my mother, and thankfully, her application was approved in 2021. We were extremely happy and grateful that she received her PR. She completed her landing formalities in 2021.

Unfortunately, at the time of her PR application, my father was suffering from dementia. We disclosed his medical condition and the relevant details as part of the application process, and my mother’s PR was subsequently approved.

After receiving her PR, my mother was unable to relocate to Canada because my father’s health continued to deteriorate, and she needed to stay with him and care for him. Sadly, my father passed away last year. Given the circumstances, she has still not been able to move to Canada.

My mother’s PR card is expected to expire in August 2027, and I’m becoming increasingly concerned about her situation. She has not lived in Canada since completing her landing formalities, so she has not met the residency obligation of being physically present in Canada for 730 days within a five-year period.

There are also some significant family commitments coming up. I have two younger sisters who are likely to get married soon, and these commitments may make it difficult for my mother to relocate to Canada immediately.

I would be very grateful for advice on the following questions:

1. Is there any way to renew or extend her PR card given that she was unable to relocate because of my father’s serious illness and eventual passing?
2. Since she has not met the residency obligation, are there any humanitarian or compassionate considerations that could apply in her circumstances?
3. If she is unable to travel to Canada before August 2027, what options would she have to preserve her PR status?
4. Would it make sense to consult an immigration lawyer now, and are there any steps we should take before her PR card expires?

I understand that family commitments alone may not be sufficient grounds for an exception, but the prolonged illness and eventual passing of my father were genuinely difficult circumstances that prevented my mother from moving.

We are very grateful that she was granted PR, and we want to understand whether there is a legitimate way to preserve her status given what our family has been through.

If anyone has faced a similar situation or can share guidance based on their experience, I would sincerely appreciate it.

Thank you in advance for your time and help.

 

[canuck78]

Hello everyone,

I’m looking for some guidance regarding my mother’s Canadian PR status and would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has experience with this process.

In 2020, I applied for permanent residence for my mother, and thankfully, her application was approved in 2021. We were extremely happy and grateful that she received her PR. She completed her landing formalities in 2021.

Unfortunately, at the time of her PR application, my father was suffering from dementia. We disclosed his medical condition and the relevant details as part of the application process, and my mother’s PR was subsequently approved.

After receiving her PR, my mother was unable to relocate to Canada because my father’s health continued to deteriorate, and she needed to stay with him and care for him. Sadly, my father passed away last year. Given the circumstances, she has still not been able to move to Canada.

My mother’s PR card is expected to expire in August 2027, and I’m becoming increasingly concerned about her situation. She has not lived in Canada since completing her landing formalities, so she has not met the residency obligation of being physically present in Canada for 730 days within a five-year period.

There are also some significant family commitments coming up. I have two younger sisters who are likely to get married soon, and these commitments may make it difficult for my mother to relocate to Canada immediately.

I would be very grateful for advice on the following questions:

1. Is there any way to renew or extend her PR card given that she was unable to relocate because of my father’s serious illness and eventual passing?
2. Since she has not met the residency obligation, are there any humanitarian or compassionate considerations that could apply in her circumstances?
3. If she is unable to travel to Canada before August 2027, what options would she have to preserve her PR status?
4. Would it make sense to consult an immigration lawyer now, and are there any steps we should take before her PR card expires?

I understand that family commitments alone may not be sufficient grounds for an exception, but the prolonged illness and eventual passing of my father were genuinely difficult circumstances that prevented my mother from moving.

We are very grateful that she was granted PR, and we want to understand whether there is a legitimate way to preserve her status given what our family has been through.

If anyone has faced a similar situation or can share guidance based on their experience, I would sincerely appreciate it.

Thank you in advance for your time and help.

Was your father part of the PGP application? If his health prevented them from relocating to Canada it is surprising that your mother received PR since his health issues would be part of the application. That said your father’s health issues could be part of an H&C consideration for not meeting her RO but once he passed away she would be expected to move to Canada. When exactly did your father pass away last year? Canada doesn’t expect people to move to Canada the week after someone passes away but a death doesn’t mean you have unlimited time to relocate to Canada. If your father passed away in 2025 it may have been over a year since his passing and it would be difficult to justify that your mother couldn’t have moved to Canada by now. Remaining in a home country for events like a wedding would be viewed as a personal decision. If her priority is retaining her PR status she should move to Canada as soon as possible, hope she isn’t reported and plan on remaining for 2 years. She should also have proof of your father’s illness and why she was unable to travel until after his death to try to avoid being reported when entering Canada. If she doesn’t return to Canada before her PR card expires and doesn’t return to Canada due to commitments like weddings that will make retaining her PR status much more difficult. Even if able to enter without a valid PR she will likely run into other issues like difficulty getting a health card in many provinces. She hasn’t met her residency requirement so even if she previously obtained a health card she needs to reapply for a new one when she returns to Canada. Does she have a US visa? If she does attempt to renew her PR card without meeting her RO based on H&C reasons processing times can be very long with no guarantee of approval and she should remain in Canada during processing. It is much safer to remain in Canada for 2 years without leaving since processing for PR cards based on H&C reasons often can take around a year to get an approval/refusal and you still have to remain compliant with your RO even if you get approved so she couldn’t leave Canada without risking her PR status again right after approval.