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Will I lose my PR status if I have been outside of Canada for 4 years because of my parents?

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rish888

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Canuck78 brought up a valid point. Alternatively you can apply for a photo card if the province you're heading to issues one. If you want a driver's license and you're heading to BC study before hand so you can get it before your PR card expires.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
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Canada doesn't have a national or provincial photo ID. The most commonly used photo ID are passport, health card and driver's license.
 

zxxha

Member
Dec 19, 2017
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Those are all really good schools.

Just some final tips:

I'm guessing along with your PR card you have your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document?

In case you to Waterloo, UoT, or McGill, you can get essential documents and prove your PR status with your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document.

In BC on the other hand they will only accept a PR card as proof of status for health care and a driver's license. Therefore if you go to BC apply for these documents quickly before your card expires.

Wherever you go the first thing you should apply for is a Social Insurance Number (if you don't have on already) since you can only get this while your PR card is still valid. (in all provinces)

Once you get all your essential documentation it doesn't matter if your PR card expires. Your day to day ID will be your driver's license. Perhaps the only time where you'll need to prove your PR status again while you're in uni is when applying for student aid, if you choose to do so. Ontario and Quebec take the Confirmation of Permanent Residence document as proof of status. BC Student Aid probably takes it too but I'm not sure.

Good Luck!
I do have a social insurance number but I have to ask my dad about the Confirmation of Permanent Residence document. Today I finished applying to McGill, U of T and Waterloo (didn’t apply to UBC)

So you said that it won’t matter if my PR card expires. If my PR card expires in 2019 won’t I have a problem renewing it? My parents think that entering Canada will be the easy part for me, actually staying there after my PR a card expires will be hard. I’m pretty confused now
 
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rish888

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I do have a social insurance number but I have to ask my dad about the Confirmation of Permanent Residence document. Today I finished applying to McGill, U of T and Waterloo (didn’t apply to UBC)

So you said that it won’t matter if my PR card expires. If my PR card expires in 2019 won’t I have a problem renewing it? My parents think that entering Canada will be the easy part for me, actually staying there after my PR a card expires will be hard. I’m pretty confused now
All due respect, your parents are wrong. You'll have no trouble staying in Canada once your PR card expires, especially because you can do all the essential stuff (establish domestic tuition status, get a heath card and driver's license) before your PR card even expires.

As far as proving PR status, both Ontario and Quebec accept both the PR card and the Confirmation of Permanent Residence document. So if there ever arises a situation where you'd need to show a PR card, you can show your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document instead.

If you don't have your CoPR, I'd recommend obtaining a replacement from Immigration Canada. (You don't need to do this now, you can do it once you're in Canada.
 
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rish888

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UoT, McGill, and Waterloo are great schools. You could have still applied to UBC given that you have a valid PR card, but UoT is the top in Canada anyways, so I'd recommend going there if you get in.

Just fyi, if you choose to go to McGill, note that you'll pay Quebec tuition. ( ~4,000 a year) instead of Canadian tuition. (~ 8,000 a year.) See the Returning Permanent Resident Scenario for Quebec tuition, it's this scenario that applies to you.
 

zxxha

Member
Dec 19, 2017
15
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UoT, McGill, and Waterloo are great schools. You could have still applied to UBC given that you have a valid PR card, but UoT is the top in Canada anyways, so I'd recommend going there if you get in.

Just fyi, if you choose to go to McGill, note that you'll pay Quebec tuition. ( ~4,000 a year) instead of Canadian tuition. (~ 8,000 a year.) See the Returning Permanent Resident Scenario for Quebec tuition, it's this scenario that applies to you.
Oh wow I didn’t know I qualified for Quebec tuition, that’s nice to know.

Also, just to clarify, once my PR card expires in 2019, I won’t be able to renew it till I’ve stayed stayed in Canada for 2 years straight, right? Won’t it matter that it’s been expired for a year when I finally do renew it? That’s what my parents were worried about.
 

meyakanor

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Oh wow I didn’t know I qualified for Quebec tuition, that’s nice to know.

Also, just to clarify, once my PR card expires in 2019, I won’t be able to renew it till I’ve stayed stayed in Canada for 2 years straight, right? Won’t it matter that it’s been expired for a year when I finally do renew it? That’s what my parents were worried about.
Permanent residents are entitled to PR cards as a matter of right, but you are not required to have valid PR card to maintain your permanent resident status. Do not worry about your PR card expiring, and in fact, do NOT at all attempt to renew it before you have 731 days within the past 5 years.

If you will live outside of Ontario, finish up all administrative stuff such as healthcare, drivers license and tuition determination before your PR card is expired (Ontario is a bit more liberal in accepting CoPR as a proof of PR status, but other provinces, not so much).

The IRPA does not require permanent residents in Canada to hold a PR card nor to have one when they present themselves at a port of entry.

https://www.canada.ca/content/dam/ircc/migration/ircc/english/resources/manuals/enf/enf27-eng.pdf
PR cards are travel documents, which you need to show to commercial carrier before they can take you to Canada.

However, upon presenting yourself to the CBSA at the port of entry, technically, you don't even need it to enter Canada, so long they can eventually establish that you are PR. Once your identity has been established, they MUST let you in. Such is the right of permanent residents of Canada.
 
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canuck78

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Also wondering how she would qualify for Quebec tuition unless she lived in Quebec when she previously lived in Canada?
 

meyakanor

Hero Member
Jul 26, 2013
519
109
Visa Office......
CPP-Ottawa
App. Filed.......
16-02-2012
Doc's Request.
26-02-2013
AOR Received.
21-03-2012
Med's Request
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Passport Req..
16-04-2013
VISA ISSUED...
29-04-2013
LANDED..........
16-05-2013
Also wondering how she would qualify for Quebec tuition unless she lived in Quebec when she previously lived in Canada?

Situation 8 might apply, depending how long she was in Canada after landing

You are a permanent resident of Canada, who departs from Canada within the first three months of your date of landing and subsequently establish yourself in Quebec immediately upon your return to Canada.

http://www.mcgill.ca/legaldocuments/quebec
 

canuck78

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Missed that one. Not really being used as intended but yes I guess that works. I had to be born there and live there for years to qualify. Seems somewhat unfair especially if you haven't met RO.
 
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rish888

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Missed that one. Not really being used as intended but yes I guess that works. I had to be born there and live there for years to qualify. Seems somewhat unfair especially if you haven't met RO.
In fact the entire point of section 8 is for a PR/citizen whose never lived in Canada, thus the extremely stringent requirement of having lived outside Quebec for less than 3 months total. I guess the idea being that if Quebec is the first place where they establish themselves, it'll become their home. Another reason could be that Quebec's education system has been struggling in recent years, so this is a probably a way to entice individuals to study in Quebec over the other provinces.

Basically the OP would be using it exactly as intended. It's even named "Returning Citizen/Landed Immigrant" and the section applying to PRs is clearly targeted at FSW/PNP immigrants because having a CSQ automatically qualifies you for Quebec tuition under another situation.

I'm not sure when you went to uni and if the rules have changed since then, but as per the current regulations being born in Quebec automatically entitles you to Quebec tuition. (Regardless of however long you've lived there.)

There is another provision for people who were born outside Quebec but lived in Quebec for a while, however that's different to the born in Quebec situation.
 
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rish888

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@canuck78 and if you thought Quebec tuition was unfair, qualifying for Quebec tuition also allows you to apply for Quebec financial aid. That's not the interesting part though -- if you're parents live outside Canada, you're automatically classified as an independent student, which means 9k/year (around 50-75% of the total cost for tuition, room and board) in bursaries even if your parents a multi millionaires.

For some reason Quebec is the only province that grants independent status to students based solely on the fact that their parents reside outside Canada. Afe clearly didn't think this through. For the record, I really don't agree with this provision and think that the money being given to students who don't need it could be used in so many better ways.
 

zxxha

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Dec 19, 2017
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@canuck78 and if you thought Quebec tuition was unfair, qualifying for Quebec tuition also allows you to apply for Quebec financial aid. That's not the interesting part though -- if you're parents live outside Canada, you're automatically classified as an independent student, which means 9k/year (around 50-75% of the total cost for tuition, room and board) in bursaries even if your parents a multi millionaires.

For some reason Quebec is the only province that grants independent status to students based solely on the fact that their parents reside outside Canada. Afe clearly didn't think this through. For the record, I really don't agree with this provision and think that the money being given to students who don't need it could be used in so many better ways.
So I just got an admission offer from U of T, and I'll most likely be attending it. I will be applying for OSAP soon too. However, when my PR card expires in 2019, will I still be able to receive aid? I won't be renewing the pr card till 2020.
 
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rish888

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So I just got an admission offer from U of T, and I'll most likely be attending it. I will be applying for OSAP soon too. However, when my PR card expires in 2019, will I still be able to receive aid? I won't be renewing the pr card till 2020.
Congrats!

OSAP accepts landing papers as proof of PR status in addition to your PR card. (So does UoT for that matter) so you'll be ok.

On the other hand, I'm not sure if you qualify for OSAP due to provincial residency requirements. Probably prudent to check this out directly with them.
 

jun01

Newbie
Jul 7, 2019
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Hello,
I am currently facing the same problem. I do not meet the residency obligation, I only have 1 year.
I am a PR of Canada and have also received additional scholarships from the university I am planning to go to.
Due to my family situation, I was unable to travel earlier.
I just turned 18, could you please tell me how it turned out for you and the questions they asked?