I forgot PR Card

[martol]

Hi all
After a huge fire in my neighbourhood I put all my important documents in a bank deposit box, in a bank which was supposed to be open 7 days/week. Since Remembrance Day, it is closed today and tomorrow. I have my passport at home; I needed it few days ago and I took it from the deposit box but forgot about PR Card. I am supposed to fly Europe tomorrow but I don't know what to do in this situation, will I be able to return? Changing the date of departure 24h before is too expensive for my budget. What would you recommend? Not to fly? To fly and apply in local Canadian Embassy for a temporary document (what kind)? How long would it take, I will be there 2 weeks.
I am devastated and don't know what to do
Please help.

Matya

 

[computergeek]

Hi all
After a huge fire in my neighbourhood I put all my important documents in a bank deposit box, in a bank which was supposed to be open 7 days/week. Since Remembrance Day, it is closed today and tomorrow. I have my passport at home; I needed it few days ago and I took it from the deposit box but forgot about PR Card. I am supposed to fly Europe tomorrow but I don't know what to do in this situation, will I be able to return? Changing the date of departure 24h before is too expensive for my budget. What would you recommend? Not to fly? To fly and apply in local Canadian Embassy for a temporary document (what kind)? How long would it take, I will be there 2 weeks.
I am devastated and don't know what to do
Please help.

Does anyone else have access to your deposit box? If they do, you could have them forward it to you.

Are you visa-exempt? If so, you just need to get on the plane home. The border officer doesn't have to have your PR card to establish you are a PR. The airline is actually much more strict than the border officer. (ENF 4 goes over this and even describes how a border officer can confirm you are a PR without any documentation at all.)

If you are not visa exempt you will need to obtain a PR travel document. You don't mention which country you will be in, but those documents can take months to get. I just looked up Brazil's processing time while answering someone's question about travel documents and they take two days. So it does vary a bit.

The generic application for a PRTD is here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

You need to check the visa office specific website to find out the processing time.

 

[martol]

I called bank and they say no one else can access my box under any circumstances unless they have court order

Yes, I am visa-exempt, I am Polish citizen and I will be in visiting Poland

 

[computergeek]

If you can get to the POE, you shouldn't have a problem returning. Read Section 11 of ENF 4:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/enf/enf04-eng.pdf

A PR Card is sufficient, but not necessary for a border officer. It is necessary for someone who is not visa exempt because it is the only thing that the airlines will accept.

Warsaw posts 8 weeks processing time for a PRTD: http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/poland-pologne/visas/processing-traitement.aspx?view=d