Applied for PR Renewal, ecase Status shows approved - Need to travel

[frazme]

Hi Experts,

Need your advice.

I landed as an immigrant on Aug-2008 and have lived around 3 years in last 5 years. I travelled very frequently to middle east for projects and but I do meet the residency obligation. My PR card has expired on 20th Sep, 2013.

I applied for the new PR card using the normal process but did not submit copies of my passport as i had more than 150 stamps. My application was submitted on 20th May, 2013. I received a letter asking for all the passport pages copies, stamp translations into English/French (if any) and personal immigration record or movement record from the countries that i had visited.

I had mostly to middle east and most of those stamps were in Arabic.

I got all my passports stamps/visa translated and submitted along with a cover letter than i cannot get such movement record from these countries as they do not offer such record. Instead i attached an excel sheet that i keep for my records.

A week after submitting this record, the online status is showing as approved. Now the thing is that i need to travel again to middle east but my PR card is already expired. I do have a US visitor’s visa as i am not from a US visa exempted countries.

The eCASE online status is showing the following:

1.We received your application for a permanent resident card on May 20, 2013.
2.We started processing your application on July 20, 2013.
3.Your request for a permanent resident card was approved on September 19, 2013, and will be issued shortly. Although the majority of permanent resident cards are mailed directly to applicants, it is possible that a card be sent to a CIC office as part of the quality assurance program. If this is your case, you will receive a notice asking you to pick up your card at the CIC office nearest you.

Now the question is that how long do you think it will take to get my new PR card and what are the chances that I will receive it in the mail or if I will be asked to pick-up in person. If I am asked to collect new PRC in person, does it mean they will interview me and can my passport full of stamps can cause an issue?

I need to travel to middle east for my job within next 3-4 days. If I make a request for urgent PR now, will it help to receive the card prior to I leave. Or should I go to middle east without the PR and travel back from middle east to USA and then enter Canada via road on a one-way rented vehicle using my Expired PR and CORP? If I show the CBSA officer my online status of approved, will they still questions my residency obligation? Is it advisable to use this option to travel back into Canada by road. Does this pose any risk of getting my residency or PR renewal in question.

Thanks ALL

 

[Msafiri]

Urgent PR requires re-submission of application with proof of travel and the travel date has to be in 3+ weeks as I recall - you don't have time. Apply for a TD or return via the US unless your card is mailed prior to your return then get it sent to you by family/ friends via courier.

 

[frazme]

Thanks for the reply.

As I understand from cic website, urgent applications are re-submitted in case if the PR app is still waiting in queue to be opened. But for cases which are already in-process, one just need to email proof of travel with urgent processing reason and they expidite the processing.

In my case, the decision has already been made and ecase status shows that PR has been approved. So applying for urgent would not get me the PR within next couple of days for sure. So the question is will the normal process can still take very long to receive the card or shall I apply for urgent anyways. I am asking because if I travel out without a card, then I would need to return on 22nd Oct and if urgent processing can make it faster so that my family can recieve it in mail and send it to me so I can use it to re-enter. I do not think TD is feasible in my case.

If I decide to enter Canada via USA using a rented car, and show my expired PR card, CORP and ecase online status print out that shows new PR approved. Will I get a hard time at the border by road and shall I take this risk?

Thanks