PR card expired whilst working out of the country

[jonjo024]

Hi,

My PR card was due to expire on the 24th May 16 so I submitted my renewal application by courier to the nearest (Sydney NS) office and was received and signed for on the 02nd February 16. I currently work out of the country on a 6/3 rotation fly in/out basis and had to return to work and leave Canada on the 13th May (I included a letter with my application stating all this and any other relevant facts of my situation and travel). I was not in receipt of my new card by the time I had to leave and now find myself out of the country with no valid PR Card to get back in.

As my card is in the system and they have sent me email confirmation of receipt of my application with a Unique Client Number will they allow me to travel back and enter into Canada.

I work in a remote location in Zambia and there is no way of being able to apply for Permanent Resident Travel Document.

Thanks

Can anyone advise on how I can re enter the country, I am a UK Citizen with a valid UK passport

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi,

My PR card was due to expire on the 24th May 16 so I submitted my renewal application by courier to the nearest (Sydney NS) office and was received and signed for on the 02nd February 16. I currently work out of the country on a 6/3 rotation fly in/out basis and had to return to work and leave Canada on the 13th May (I included a letter with my application stating all this and any other relevant facts of my situation and travel). I was not in receipt of my new card by the time I had to leave and now find myself out of the country with no valid PR Card to get back in.

As my card is in the system and they have sent me email confirmation of receipt of my application with a Unique Client Number will they allow me to travel back and enter into Canada.

I work in a remote location in Zambia and there is no way of being able to apply for Permanent Resident Travel Document.

Thanks

Can anyone advise on how I can re enter the country, I am a UK Citizen with a valid UK passport

Your only problem is with the airline, as they will not care about your PR renewal application. All an airline cares about is if you have a valid PR card or PR Travel Doc and that is it.
But until Sept 29, the eTA system is not yet mandatory so you can most likely fly to Canada on just your visa-exempt UK passport, by posing as a foreign national to the airline. If you attempt this you should NOT mention anything about your PR status to the airline. After Sept 29 you'll require an eTA to travel on just a passport, which PRs are not eligible for.

Once back in Canada, CBSA can easily determine your PR status by just your passport and COPR if you have it. You don't need a physical PR card. Hopefully you meet the residency obligation at the time you return to Canada.

 

[dpenabill]

Hi,

My PR card was due to expire on the 24th May 16 so I submitted my renewal application by courier to the nearest (Sydney NS) office and was received and signed for on the 02nd February 16. I currently work out of the country on a 6/3 rotation fly in/out basis and had to return to work and leave Canada on the 13th May (I included a letter with my application stating all this and any other relevant facts of my situation and travel). I was not in receipt of my new card by the time I had to leave and now find myself out of the country with no valid PR Card to get back in.

As my card is in the system and they have sent me email confirmation of receipt of my application with a Unique Client Number will they allow me to travel back and enter into Canada.

I work in a remote location in Zambia and there is no way of being able to apply for Permanent Resident Travel Document.

Thanks

Can anyone advise on how I can re enter the country, I am a UK Citizen with a valid UK passport

No problem entering Canada: as a PR, you are entitled to entry into Canada.

Could be a problem getting to Canada, since PRs are required to present either a valid PR card or a PR TD before boarding a flight to Canada. While there have been a tiny number of reports that some visa-exempt PRs are still being allowed to board a flight using just their passports, there is no guarantee the rule will not be enforced against any particular visa-exempt PR.

I reiterated this just today, with explanation; see

Short answer:

It appears that at least some visa-exempt PRs are still being allowed to board flights to Canada without presenting either a PR card or PR TD. Who, how, or why is NOT clear, despite some claims here otherwise. . . .

. . . Whether to attempt traveling without a valid PR card or PR TD is a personal judgment call, the prudence of which varies depending on the particular individual's personal circumstances.

You can attempt to board a flight using your visa-exempt passport. Worst case scenario: denied boarding. Best case scenario: no problem.

Alternatively you can fly to the U.S., to a location close to the Canadian border (New York, N.Y.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Seattle) and travel by private vehicle to the border.



Potential collateral PR RO issue:

You do not mention how long you have been working on a 6/3 rotation, or mention the extent to which you have otherwise been present in Canada the last five years.

You also do not mention any concern about compliance with the PR Residency Obligation.

You also do not mention, but it appears you did not apply for urgent processing.

Thus, unless you have only recently been working abroad on a rotation, or the company you are employed by is a Canadian business actually doing business in Canada (not just incorporated in Canada for example) and your employment is an assignment from a base in Canada, there is the potential for PR Residency Obligation concerns.

Note, for example, since the normal processing time for PR card renewal applications has passed by several weeks, there may be some possibility yours is not being routinely processed.

In any event, unless your employer and employment qualify for credit toward the PR RO while you are abroad, over the course of five years a 6/3 rotation will leave you short of meeting the PR Residency Obligation (over a five year time frame, a 6/3 rotation will leave an individual about four months short).

IF, if this is potentially an issue for you, that is if there is a potential issue about your compliance with the PR RO, while you are entitled to entry into Canada, upon arrival at the PoE you could, nonetheless, be examined about compliance with the PR RO and, if found to not be in compliance, be reported and issued a Departure Order, which you would have to appeal and win in order to retain PR status. Note again that even if reported (at the PoE) for PR RO breach, you would still be allowed to enter Canada.

 

[jonjo024]

Thanks for your responses. With regard to my 6/3 rotation I became a PR in May 2011 but have only been working overseas since July 14 I have only been working

 

[jonjo024]

Sorry meant to state that I have been out of the country for a total of 639 days (work and vacation) in the 5 years from the issue of my PR card (May 11) to the expiry date (24th May 16).

I was under the impression that I had to be out of the country for a total of 1095 days in the 5 year period to have failed to meet the Residency Obligation.

Thanks again for your assistance.

 

[Rob_TO]

Sorry meant to state that I have been out of the country for a total of 639 days (work and vacation) in the 5 years from the issue of my PR card (May 11) to the expiry date (24th May 16).

I was under the impression that I had to be out of the country for a total of 1095 days in the 5 year period to have failed to meet the Residency Obligation.

Thanks again for your assistance.

You are fine. You can be outside the country for up to 3 years before you would be in violation of the residency obligation.

 

[jonjo024]

Thanks for your comments