Few Questions regarding Canadian PR Card Renewal 2021

[CookieMaster]

Hello Everyone,
I have few questions regarding Canadian PR Card Renewal (2nd Renewal)

#1) I am spouse of a Canadian Citizen and Parent of Canadian Children living outside Canada accompanying Canadian Spouse / Children

#2) Due to Covid (Corona Restrictions) I cannot fly back to Canada just to apply for my PR Card Renewal which will expire in August 2021 (We are now in April 2021)

#3) I have filled the PR Card Renewal form with all supporting documents and mailed to Case Processing Centre (From outside Canada) for URGENT Processing

#4) Case Processing Centre received it on 22 March 2021

#5) Using CIC webform I have emailed CIC to check if they have received my application or not

#6) CIC Webform replied on 1st April 2021 with the following:

We have received your request for the urgent processing of your Permanent Resident card (PR card). However, we are unable to proceed at this time because your application is not in process yet.

You may verify the status of your application using the e-Client Application Status (e-CAS) online tool. Once your application is in process, you may ask for urgent processing by filling out the IRCC Web form and choosing Request urgent processing of renewal or replacement card and have already applied located in the drop down menu under the heading Enquiry.
We need approximately 30 days to complete the urgent processing of a PR card.


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My Questions

#1) What do they mean by "Not in process yet"
Is there a waiting time period before they start processing ?

Is it same as the CIC processing time, as this is confusing
(which one is Processing Time (1) or (2) ? )
(1) you could have waiting time before they start processing the application
(2) once they start the processing of application the number of days required to finish it

#2) I have Photo taken outside canada as per the specifications and requirements
I mean photos for Passport renewal outside canada have almost same requirements like PR Card Photo Specifications
( Stamp address of the photo shop, name, date, etc...)

So is it required to have the photo taken inside canada or outside canada is ok if it as per the specifications

#3) Address given for application process
I have given the local address (Canadian Address) for application process

#4) As of today 14 April 2021 (application was received on 22 March 2021) e-CAS online tool or link application to my GCKEY account doesn't show any application.

Any thoughts ?

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Few Replies:

 

[CookieMaster]

I had posted this in the wrong thread and here are few responses:

IMO the PR card renewal won't be processing since you are outside of Canada (you are supposed to be inside of Canada to apply for a PR card renewal). If you cannot return to Canada by August 2021, then you would simply apply for a PRTD (PR Travel Document) once you are ready to return / travel back.

IMO you got lucky with the first approval being processed while you were outside of Canada. Who knows - you might get lucky again.

I'm very familiar with RO rules. The time you spend living outside of Canada with your Canadian citizen spouse counts towards RO. You have no issues there. (FYI - You cannot count this time based on having a Canadian citizen child. It's because of your spouse that you can claim the time. The child rule only works the other way - meaning that a child who is a PR can retain PR by living with a Canadian citizen parent outside of Canada. A parent who is a PR cannot meet RO solely by living with a Canadian citizen child outside of Canada.)

Anyway - the question isn't whether you meet RO and qualify to renew your PR card. You definitely meet the requirements. The issue is applying from outside of Canada. This technically isn't allowed. As said before, best to post your questions to the right section of the forum. You'll get the most responses there.

Reply

[1] Checked Processing Time: to address my point #1 (question#1)
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html
Permanent Resident cards
Renewing or replacing a PR card
71 days
If you require your PR card urgently, follow these instructions.
This processing time tells you how long it took us to process most complete applications, in the past. Your application may be delayed or returned if it’s not complete.
Your processing time starts the day we receive your complete application and ends when we make a decision. It may vary depending on how many applications we receive.


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[2] My other older post https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/renewal-of-pr-card-for-non-resident-accompanying-a-canadian-citizen-family-membe.412888/page-2#post-9338010

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[3]
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5445-applying-permanent-resident-card-card-first-application-replacement-renewal-change-gender-identifier.html

You may also count days outside of Canada as days that you meet the residency obligation in these situations:
Situation 1. Accompanying a Canadian citizen outside Canada
You may count each day you accompanied a Canadian citizen outside Canada as long as this person is your spouse, common-law partner or parent (if you were a child under 19 years of age before October 24, 2017 or under 22 years of age after October 24, 2017).

 

[CookieMaster]

Here is also something relevant
https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=030&top=3

Why can’t I see my application status in the Client Application Status tool?
There are a few reasons why you may not be able to see your case status in the Client Application Status (CAS) tool.
We haven’t started processing your application
Your status will only show once we start processing your application. There’s a delay between the date we receive your application and the date we open and process it.
We removed your application from the tool
After we make a decision, we eventually remove your application from the CAS tool. The length of time depends on the type of application.

• Permanent resident applications: 180 days after you arrive in Canada
• Permanent resident card applications: 30 days after you get your card
• Citizenship applications: 180 days after we make a decision
• Visa applications: 365 days after you were refused, you withdrew or your application expired

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=028&top=4
How can I check if my application has been received?
If we begin to process your application, we’ll send you an acknowledgement of receipt letter or email with an application number.

We don’t send an acknowledgement of receipt until we have opened your application and checked that it’s complete. There may be a delay between the date we receive your application and the date we open it.

Your application will be returned to you if

• it’s incomplete
• fees are missing or
• it’s received after a program is paused, closed or a cap is reached

 

[dpenabill]

#1) What do they mean by "Not in process yet"
Is there a waiting time period before they start processing ?

Is it same as the CIC processing time, as this is confusing
(which one is Processing Time (1) or (2) ? )
(1) you could have waiting time before they start processing the application
(2) once they start the processing of application the number of days required to finish it

#2) I have Photo taken outside canada as per the specifications and requirements
I mean photos for Passport renewal outside canada have almost same requirements like PR Card Photo Specifications
( Stamp address of the photo shop, name, date, etc...)

So is it required to have the photo taken inside canada or outside canada is ok if it as per the specifications

#3) Address given for application process
I have given the local address (Canadian Address) for application process

#4) As of today 14 April 2021 (application was received on 22 March 2021) e-CAS online tool or link application to my GCKEY account doesn't show any application.

Your subsequent posts suggest you have already found answers to some of these questions . . . such as the IRCC website information regarding what AOR is and when it happens. So you probably understand, now, that there is a period of time between the date the application arrives at the CPC and the date it is actually opened and put into process, and until the latter happens there is nothing in your GCMS records, nothing in eCAS, regarding the application.

For now, until your application is actually opened and put into process, it is very difficult to foresee how this is going to go. Even apart from the request for urgent processing, this is not a typical PR card renewal scenario. Leading to . . .

Your posts suggest some disregard for following the instructions. Not sure that is intentional or due to a misunderstanding or . . . well, it is not clear. @scylla has already addressed this in part.

Among indications you are not following instructions, you cite and link the guide for making the PR card application, for example, where it clearly states

"To be eligible for a PR Card, you must: . . . be physically present in Canada"​

And yet it is clear you were NOT physically present in Canada when you made the application.

The consequences for making an application for a new PR card without being physically present in Canada are NOT consistent and NOT clear. (Your previous application illustrates this.) The policy itself is clear. The legal authority for enforcing it, however, is not clear. The practical application of the policy in actual cases appears to vary. Moreover, there are ways of fudging information that make getting away with not following the instructions somewhat easy. So actual case outcomes vary. (Note: best to ignore misinformation such as the nonsensical noise posted by @steaky in the other, older topic; that appears to be a deliberate effort to confuse or obfuscate or otherwise spread erroneous information; again, contrary to @steaky there is no doubt about the policy, and that the policy is to be eligible to be issued a new PR card the PR needs to be physically present in Canada when making the application.)

In any event, the IRCC policy clearly prefers that PRs living abroad utilize the PR Travel Document procedure to facilitate travel to Canada, and that they WAIT until they have returned to and are living in Canada BEFORE they apply for a new PR card. BUT how this is going to affect your PR card application this time remains to be seen. At the least there is a significant risk that processing will be, at the least, subject to non-routine procedures. Sometimes IRCC will refer the PR card application to Secondary Review when they discern the PR is abroad and wait for the PR to return to Canada to process the application.

How it will go might depend on a number of other factors. Again, it may be fine, and all go well. There are, however, aspects of your situation which suggest potential issues. I do not mean to probe. After all, I am no expert and not qualified to offer advice. But it appears you may not have ever actually resided in Canada, which is a circumstance that might trigger an IRCC examination of your PR history more closely than is usual for PRs. I have NO IDEA whether there is an issue, but for example if you have never actually resided in Canada, that would make it logically impossible to accompany a spouse abroad (to go abroad with a spouse).

Again, I do not mean to be probing, or trying to dig up problems that may not exist at all. But of course what appears to be a somewhat blatant disregard for following the instructions (making the application when not in Canada), in conjunction with at most (it appears) a minimal amount of time actually living in Canada since becoming a PR, suggests the prospect that there have been previous occasions in which you have, so to say, wandered outside the lines.

The request for urgent processing for the PR card is another example. If you really have an "urgent" need to travel to Canada (the only thing you would need a PR card for), obviously an application for a PR Travel Document would have been the faster and more appropriate approach. The discrepancy tends to be glaring.

Which leads to this, and perhaps the main point of this post: assuming you do in fact have an urgent need to travel to Canada, the proper and faster way to accomplish getting the necessary documentation is to apply for a PR Travel Document.

It is possible that this PR card application will be processed smoothly and a new PR card issued, and that card mailed to the Canadian address you have provided. And someone there can then courier it on to you abroad. That is possible. That might be how it goes.

And if you have been somewhat regularly traveling to Canada, at least occasionally, over the last five years, that probably increases the chances the PR card application will go OK.

However, since it is obvious on its face that you were NOT in Canada when you made the application, the risk of things going non-routine are probably high . . . best PROBABLE case scenario, frankly, is they issue the PR card but require it to be picked up in person at a local office IN Canada. Which would make it still necessary to apply for a PR Travel Document (unless you can travel to Canada via the States, which currently, under Covid-19 restrictions, involves separate challenges).


OBSERVATION about the photograph:

As long as the photo meets the specifications, it suffices. BUT of course a photo taken abroad tends to further highlight the fact the PR is abroad, not physically present IN Canada.

Part of the reason why there are a significant number of reports about PRs abroad successfully applying for and being issued PR cards even though they have made the application contrary to IRCC policy is that many of them fudge the information they give IRCC. A lot of PRs, in effect, get-away-with-it.

But there can be many clues alerting IRCC and raising suspicion. In your situation, for example, you have given a residential address in Canada where you do NOT maintain a residence. This time around it is probably far more obvious that is not your residential address. And including a photograph taken abroad will be one more clue you are not making the application from IN Canada.

Ultimately I do NOT know how this will go. It could be fine. There are reasons, however, for apprehending that it might not go well.

 

[001876]

@dpenabill

I have to submit my PR renewal but confused over two things. I had applied for my wife's sponsorship application last year where it required similar details.

1) My employer was an employment agency which was located in city A however I used to work at their client location in city B. Both cities are of the same province, however, T4, ROE, and Pay stubs have city C which is their headquarter in a different province. When I applied for the sponsorship application of my wife I wrote city A address as that is where my employer was located and also the form asked for the employer address/phone number. Shall I now write city A where the employer was located or city B where I actually used to work - their client location.

2) I additionally worked for 3 weeks on a small project by incorporating in 2017. At that time corporation address was my previous home address however corporation still exists and now the business address is my current residential address. I never worked through my corporation after those 3 weeks but maintaining the corporation.

When filling sponsorship application last year I wrote the current address and my phone number in it though it was not required in the form to write your business address later I realized it. What shall I write now? Current corporation city or previous city which was in 2017.

In both cases, do I need to write a letter of explanation? I do not want them to get confused by seeing my past sponsorship application if they match the applications so wanted to do this right. Please advise.

Thanks.

 

[steaky]

best to ignore misinformation such as the nonsensical noise posted by @dpenabill in the other, older topic; that appears to be a deliberate effort, contrary to OP that she had her first PR card renewed which expires August 2021 while NOT physically present in Canada.

 

[dpenabill]

@dpenabill

I have to submit my PR renewal but confused over two things. I had applied for my wife's sponsorship application last year where it required similar details.

1) My employer was an employment agency which was located in city A however I used to work at their client location in city B. Both cities are of the same province, however, T4, ROE, and Pay stubs have city C which is their headquarter in a different province. When I applied for the sponsorship application of my wife I wrote city A address as that is where my employer was located and also the form asked for the employer address/phone number. Shall I now write city A where the employer was located or city B where I actually used to work - their client location.

2) I additionally worked for 3 weeks on a small project by incorporating in 2017. At that time corporation address was my previous home address however corporation still exists and now the business address is my current residential address. I never worked through my corporation after those 3 weeks but maintaining the corporation.

When filling sponsorship application last year I wrote the current address and my phone number in it though it was not required in the form to write your business address later I realized it. What shall I write now? Current corporation city or previous city which was in 2017.

In both cases, do I need to write a letter of explanation? I do not want them to get confused by seeing my past sponsorship application if they match the applications so wanted to do this right. Please advise.

Thanks.

First, this is an active thread addressing a particular situation, so to be polite it would be better to either post a query like this in its own topic or at least post it in a topic where it is more relevant and will not be, so to say, interrupting a discussion.

It is here now, so I will address the query . . .

Upfront, my sense is that all you need to do is focus on being as straight-forward and honest as you can be, according to your best understanding of what is asked and your best understanding of what is an honest response based on the facts as you know and understand them.

These applications are not tests. IRCC does not play gotcha-games. IRCC is not screening applications looking for technicalities to justify taking negative actions against a PR. For most PRs, simple honesty goes a long way toward doing it right.

Generally there is no need to overthink things.

In particular, if you are following the rules, and you are honest in giving IRCC information, just being upfront and honest should be OK. No need to overthink things.


That said . . . sure, for some PRs things can get more complicated. And of course for a PR who is cutting-it-close relative to inadmissibility, such as in regards to the PR Residency Obligation, or a PR who does not appear to be settling in Canada permanently, yes, for such PRs it is probably more important to pay attention to all details including smaller details.

That is . . .

. . . if you are well settled in Canada and solidly in compliance with the PR RO, it should be fine to simply provide the information as best YOU can, your *honest* account, no need to overthink things, no need to elaborate or offer much explanation. NO need for any advice.​

​

. . . if in contrast you recognize there may be some questions about you, some reason to apprehend you have not been complying with the RO, or reason to suspect you have previously made misrepresentations, or if you are not currently settled in Canada and are cutting-it-close relative to complying with the RO . . . yes, then it would be prudent to be more careful in completing the application, perhaps obtain advice from a qualified professional.​

After all, put things in common-sense context: if there is no reason for IRCC to be concerned about the truthfulness of your account of days in Canada, and that shows you have been in Canada plenty enough there is no concern about whether you are complying with the PR RO, a three week project in your employment history has very little significance. Yes, if being honest entails reporting this employment, of course you need to report it, and you need to provide the details (what, where, when, and if applicable, for whom). Similarly, you should honestly report the details about being employed by others, as specified in the questions in the application, but as long as you do so honestly, even if you make a mistake in this or that detail, as long as you are being as honest as you can, there should be NO problem.

It may warrant noting that IF IRCC has questions about this or that detail in your employment history information, it is likely there is some other reason for IRCC to have concerns about you. And in that case it is the reason why IRCC has such concerns that looms more importantly than whether you should have reported one address versus another.

REMINDER: I am NO expert and I am NOT qualified to offer personal advice. So I am not saying how you should fill in the application, what answers you should give. Other than to say that of course you need to be honest.

Unless you hire a qualified professional, YOU need to read the instructions, read the questions, and as best YOU can understand them, give honest, truthful, and complete information responsive to the questions asked TO the BEST of YOUR ABILITY.

 

[CookieMaster]

Thank you everyone for the replies, based on the above replies, I am either expecting CIC (IRCC) to either reject the application (because applied for PR Card while not in Canada -- Cannot travel to Canada because of lockdown / Covid) or they may process

Either way, I should receive a letter at my Canadian Address or Online

So Case Processing Centre received the application on 22 March 2021 and today is 18 April 2021 and still they haven't opened my application as I cannot see the application online.

Question: Does anyone know how much time it is usually taking to open the application after receiving it ?

 

[dpenabill]

Thank you everyone for the replies, based on the above replies, I am either expecting CIC (IRCC) to either reject the application (because applied for PR Card while not in Canada -- Cannot travel to Canada because of lockdown / Covid) or they may process

Either way, I should receive a letter at my Canadian Address or Online

So Case Processing Centre received the application on 22 March 2021 and today is 18 April 2021 and still they haven't opened my application as I cannot see the application online.

Question: Does anyone know how much time it is usually taking to open the application after receiving it ?

APART from URGENT Processing:

Current processing times reported by IRCC indicate 71 days for replacement PR card applications.

The processing time for PR cards tends to vary quite a bit, and can change month to month, but the processing time of two months plus a bit is among the more common and seems relatively steady of late.

Most PR card applications get AOR and a Decision Made either as of the same day or within a week or two. (AOR is, basically, the date the application is opened.)

So you might reasonably anticipate the application being opened and at least preliminarily screened by, approximately, some time in June, although perhaps as soon as late May.

While most applications are processed at once, thus the proximity of the AOR and Decision Made for most, applications which raise questions or concerns will at least go into a separate queue for further processing. Cannot be sure how it will go for you, but best guess is that you are not going to get a favourable decision made right away. Do not be surprised if there is no decision for quite some time. Negative or positive.


What about Urgent Processing?

How IRCC handles requests for urgent processing is less transparent and the forum sees rather few reliable accounts about how it goes in practice.

Urgent processing for replacement PR cards tends to be unusual since the PR has the available option of obtaining a PR Travel Document to facilitate travel back to Canada.

As noted above, if your urgent need for a PR card is to facilitate travel to Canada somewhat soon, the better approach, and the one that IRCC pushes, is to apply for a PR TD. (And if that is not why you have requested urgent processing, it is not likely yours qualifies for urgent processing.)

 

[CookieMaster]

Current processing times reported by IRCC indicate 71 days for replacement PR card applications.

Thanks, I found this thread very useful : https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/pr-card-new-renewal-processing-timeline-2021.724984/unread
Regarding Processing Times