Applying for my first PR Card - Work history

[alexandrus]

I've been a permanent resident of Canada for a few years but I've never had a PR Card. Now I'm finally in the process of applying for one since I need it to travel outside of the country.

The application asks for my work history for the past five years, though. I've been able to find my record of employment copies for all jobs I've had for the past 5 years except one. I tried calling this particular company several times but the boss is a c*** and he's acting like he's got no time to check the start and end dates when I started working. The thing is that I need this done urgently because I have to leave Canada in June/July...my question is: can I just write down an approximate date of when I started working there in that particular section of the form or does it need to be the exact day?

Also, now that I've written this I realized something: I don't really need my PR Card to leave Canada, right? It's only required if you're entering Canada, or am I wrong? If this is the case, would I be doing anything illegal or shady by leaving the country in June without a PR Card and then have my family here mail it to the country I'm going to whenever they get the card in the mail?

Thank you in advance,
Alex

 

[bonty]

You may face a problem if CIC calls you to pick your card from local CIC office, though 95% of PR cards are mailed on the residential/mailing address of the applicants. but you never know if you are in 5% or 95% as the QA program randomly selects cases.
Try to be as accurate as possible on the dates you mention about your stay in Canada, in the absence of accurate employment dates you may use the dates to the best of your knowledge/memory. If your days count is in well excess of 730 days then there are less chance of any issues. Good luck.

 

[Msafiri]

1. Unusual not to have a PR Card if you have been a PR only for a few years given this is issued as part of the landing process post 2003 unless there were issues with its production e.g photo quality and you failed to respond to CIC.

2. The onus for recording employment dates is really on you though the boss doesn't help...based on the forums this scenario tends to be for cash jobs where the boss/employee cut out the tax man. Approximate the dates as best as you can..if paid by say direct deposit it may indicate start and end dates. Having proof for at least 730 days in theory should take care of any absences but the problem is that if CIC has any doubts they tend to discount anything presented and they take their time with the application. Have you filed taxes? Do you have provincial ID?

3. PR Card is under the IRPA a status document to facilitate re-entry into Canada when travelling by commercial carrier. There is inherent risk in leaving without the PR Card primarily as advised if you are required to pick it up in person. Other risks include if your application is delayed due to referral to the Local CIC Office. This is less of an issue for those with visitor visa exempt passports to Canada or are not visitor visa exempt but have a US visa to enable re-entry via a land border. This land crossing requires only your landing document (commercial vehicles excluded again with PR Card required). The forum has seen PRs leave without the card thinking they can easily apply and obtain a TD if need be but they have had either bureaucratic hold ups or outright refusals rightly or wrongly.

Traveler be ware!

 

[Leon]

Use your best guess for the dates and write a letter explaining that you do not recall the exact dates for this one job and can not get the info from your former boss, hence you are putting down approximate dates.

If you have proof of travel (tickets), you can apply for your PR card asking for expedited processing.

If you still don't have your card, you may leave and..

.. if your PR card arrives in the mail while you are gone, your family can mail it to you.

.. if it does not arrive or asks you to pick up in person, you may have a problem coming back.

.. if you are visa exempt, take with you a copy of your landing papers, board the plane back on the strength of your visa exempt passport but when you arrive in Canada, introduce yourself as a PR and show your landing paper copy and explain that you did not get your PR card in time

.. if you are not visa exempt but you are visa exempt to the US, have a visa to the US or can get one, you can travel to the US and enter Canada by land, showing your landing papers

.. failing that, you can apply for a travel document at the Canadian embassy in the country you are staying. Processing may however take long and sometimes people have been unjustly refused in which case you'd have to appeal and wait even longer.

 

[alexandrus]

Thank you all for your answers.

Msafiri, that was exactly what happened - when I first came to Canada in 2005 I got a letter in the mail saying that the photos I sent were not acceptable. I never bothered replying or sending new ones, so I never got my PR Card. I have since moved to another province. Which brings me to another question I forgot to ask: should I be applying for my 'First PR Card' or for a 'Never received PR Card'? I assume that by 'never received' it is understood that the card was issued but somehow it was never received in the mail, right? Because there is a section I would have to fill out if I declare that it's a never received card in which I need to enter my PR Card number. I don't have a card number as I obviously never had a card in the first place. Am I doing it right applying for a new one then?

Sorry for all the questions and I do realize this is a weird case.

 

[Leon]

Your first card was never issued because you didn't give them new photos so you would now be applying for your first.

 

[alexandrus]

Your first card was never issued because you didn't give them new photos so you would now be applying for your first.

Thank you.