Confused about moving to Canada. Any help would be great

[Kiv El]

Hi all,
I wonder if anyone can help me Im from the UK and here is my situation

In 1997 my family applied for immigration to Canada and were successful, in October of 1997 we travelled to Toronto and completed the landed immigrant process.
Also whilst in Toronto we received our Social insurance numbers which has no expiration. A week later we returned to the UK with the plan to move permanently in 1998.
Due to changes in situations with work and school we never fully moved.
I believe this makes me a landed immigrant.

Now I myself have decided move and live in Canada and am looking to relocate in September of this year to Calgary.
I have with me my social Insurance Number/Card and I guess all I need to know is there anything I need to do before arriving Canada or is there anything I need to inform Immigration when arriving in Canada.

As I understand it, the immigration process was completed and I should be able to find a job and start working when I arrive in Canada.

Although the last thing I want is to have my stuff shipped over and pay for my flight and then find out I will have to come back to the UK.

Looking back throught he documentiation we have in 1997 I was on my Mother passport so my current passport does not show any details. Also the stamp on her passport does not have an expiration.

I have tried to contact the hign commision here in the Uk and they have been responding asking me to apply for a permanant resident card.
Although everywhere i look the PR card states must be phisycaly in canada. Also it states the time i need to spend in cananda in orde to obtain this. when does this timer start? Can i just land and stay for two years then apply.

Any help any information more that i can provide i will but this is so confusing me.
Thanks in advance

 

[Leon]

To keep your permanent resident status, you need to live in Canada for 2 years in every 5. Back in 1997 and until 2003 or so, it was actually more strict and you would have had to spend 6 months out of every 12. Because you didn't, you actually lost your permanent resident status probably in 1998 already.

If you were to get into Canada undetected and live in Canada for 2 years without leaving, you could apply for a PR card and your status would be reinstated. I'm not sure how you'd get into Canada undetected though as you don't have a PR card. If you were to apply for a PR travel document now which is what you can get when you are outside Canada, you would draw their attention to the fact that you haven't met the residency requirements causing them to officially cancel your permanent resident status if they haven't already. If you were to just go to Canada showing your old landing documents, they would definitely ask you why you don't have a PR card and as soon as you tell them that you haven't been in Canada since you landed, they would start proceedings to cancel your PR.

 

[Kiv El]

Thanks for that info Leon, Looking at the potential of getting into canada undetected wouldnt be that difficult as when the immigration was applied for i was on my mothers passport and since then i have travelled to Canada on buisness with my own passport and never been flagged up by immigration. my mother on the other hand ws stopped and questioned 5 years ago when she arrived for her sisters funeral.
all that said i think im going to have to apply for the Returning resident visa as i dont wont any risk it issue of getting in undetected, there is a section on there to describe why i was absent all it was otherwise i think i may have to apply for immigration again.

 

[Leon]

When you say returning resident visa, you probably mean PR travel document. Yes, you can apply for that but you will almost certainly be refused. You can appeal but I very much doubt they will find your reasons for being absent from Canada that long to be valid but of course like you said, you can always look for a way to apply for PR again.

 

[Kiv El]

Thanks again Leon, Yes i did mean the PR travel document.
I did look through this document and it only ask for the last 5 years must total a minmum of 730 days.
Now i have only been physically present in Canada for 70 days in this period however i am working for a Candian Company outside of canada which equates to 1408 days.
This puts me well over the limit.
from all things i can see on the document it only asks for the last 5 years so potentially the period before that i dont have to mention.
Correct me if im wrong.

 

[Leon]

The "working for Canadian company outside of Canada" clause is narrowly defined by immigration and usually only accepted if you had been working for this Canadian employer in Canada before and this Canadian employer has transferred you to an overseas office. However, it might be worth a try.