Expired passport

[Retaj]

Hello everyone,

My passport is about to expire and don't intend to renew my passport for I have to finish military service in my country (which I didn't) in order to renew it.
Will that affect applying for either permanent residence and later on citizenship? Do I have to have a valid passort when applying for either permanent residence or the Canadian citizenship?


Thank you very much in advance.

 

[scylla]

It's mandatory that you have a valid passport to apply for PR. Your PR application will be automatically refused without a valid passport.

 

[Retaj]

It's mandatory that you have a valid passport to apply for PR. Your PR application will be automatically refused without a valid passport.

Then how many years at least do I need to have in the passport to apply for the PR?

 

[scylla]

Then how many years at least do I need to have in the passport to apply for the PR?

You must have a valid passport at the time you apply. Once CIC is ready to approve the application and issue the PR visa, your passport is still supposed to be valid for six months. So factoring in application and processing times, I would say you want to have a passport that's valid for another two years (or be able to renew your passport).

 

[Retaj]

You must have a valid passport at the time you apply. Once CIC is ready to approve the application and issue the PR visa, your passport is still supposed to be valid for six months. So factoring in application and processing times, I would say you want to have a passport that's valid for another two years (or be able to renew your passport).

Ok. Thank you very much. Just one more question please, do I still need to have a valid passport when applying for the citizenship?

 

[scylla]

Ok. Thank you very much. Just one more question please, do I still need to have a valid passport when applying for the citizenship?

No - you don't.

 

[Retaj]

Thank you very much. God bless you.

 

[Retaj]

You must have a valid passport at the time you apply. Once CIC is ready to approve the application and issue the PR visa, your passport is still supposed to be valid for six months. So factoring in application and processing times, I would say you want to have a passport that's valid for another two years (or be able to renew your passport).

Forgive me I just want to make sure I got this right. I know that the processing time takes only about 2 months then why do I need to have 2 years in my passport?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Forgive me I just want to make sure I got this right. I know that the processing time takes only about 2 months then why do I need to have 2 years in my passport?

The processing time is 6 months, not 2 months, and that is just a target time, so it is very possible that your app could take longer. It will take months on top of that to actually get the app prepared, to send your passport and get it back, to deal with any requests for further info etc. And of course, there is always the possibility of making a mistake and having your app returned, which would add months.

 

[scylla]

Forgive me I just want to make sure I got this right. I know that the processing time takes only about 2 months then why do I need to have 2 years in my passport?

It's not 2 months. You're probably confusing applying for PR with PR card processing times.

Processing is at least six months - but can take well over a year. This doesn't include the time it will take for you to prepare and submit your application - or be selected out of whichever pool you're applying through. On top of that your passport is supposed to be valid for six months when the PR visa is approved at the end of the process. So passport validity should be at least two years.

 

[Retaj]

OK. I got it now. It is good understand it fully. Thank you very much.