PR card renewal questions

[a nervous applicant]

Hi everyone,

I had some questions for PR card renewal online.

1) If I apply online, how do I sign the forms? It says I need to fill them out virtually, but I can't sign the bottom unless they're printed?
2) Is online application slower than paper based?
3) I am a PR since 2021. It says I need to prove residency and I'm confused. Can I send phone bills since 2021? Would they count?

Thanks so much,

Sophie

 

[scylla]

Hi everyone,

I had some questions for PR card renewal online.

1) If I apply online, how do I sign the forms? It says I need to fill them out virtually, but I can't sign the bottom unless they're printed?
2) Is online application slower than paper based?
3) I am a PR since 2021. It says I need to prove residency and I'm confused. Can I send phone bills since 2021? Would they count?

Thanks so much,

Sophie

Is this for a lost PR card?

 

[a nervous applicant]

Is this for a lost PR card?

Yes

 

[Ponga]

Hi everyone,

I had some questions for PR card renewal online.

1) If I apply online, how do I sign the forms? It says I need to fill them out virtually, but I can't sign the bottom unless they're printed?
2) Is online application slower than paper based?
3) I am a PR since 2021. It says I need to prove residency and I'm confused. Can I send phone bills since 2021? Would they count?

Thanks so much,

Sophie

3)
How would a phone bill prove residency? The bill, itself, would have your billing address and a list of calls that were made/received, but would not show that you were actually in Canada, right?

I always suggest that a PR provide a bank statement showing `active' activity in and around their home. Having a statement showing ATM activity at a machine close to where you live, or a local merchant, is far better than a statement showing recurring subscriptions or an online purchase from an out of town, or international seller.

 

[dpenabill]

Hi everyone,

I had some questions for PR card renewal online.

1) If I apply online, how do I sign the forms? It says I need to fill them out virtually, but I can't sign the bottom unless they're printed?
2) Is online application slower than paper based?
3) I am a PR since 2021. It says I need to prove residency and I'm confused. Can I send phone bills since 2021? Would they count?

Thanks so much,

Sophie

Just about anything showing your address should suffice because your date of landing itself is enough to prove you are in compliance with the PR Residency Obligation . . . there are more than two years left until the fifth anniversary of your landing, which means there are enough future days left, in the first five years since landing, to meet the RO even if so far you were here just one day.

Obviously you have NOT been outside Canada for more than 1095 days, so the only supporting documents necessary to include with the application (to make it complete), in regards to proof of meeting the Residency Obligation, are two pieces of evidence showing residency. A phone bill showing your residential address in Canada on the bill will, of course, constitute ONE such piece of evidence . . . as long as the address on the bill is actually your residential address of course.

If you have been in Canada since 2021 it should be easy to submit another piece of evidence showing your residency in Canada. Again, no need to worry how much it shows your residency in Canada, as there is no question or doubt about meeting the RO at this time; you just need to submit enough to check off this item in the checklist.

3)
How would a phone bill prove residency? The bill, itself, would have your billing address and a list of calls that were made/received, but would not show that you were actually in Canada, right?

I always suggest that a PR provide a bank statement showing `active' activity in and around their home. Having a statement showing ATM activity at a machine close to where you live, or a local merchant, is far better than a statement showing recurring subscriptions or an online purchase from an out of town, or international seller.

That's a bit of overkill and a distraction, generally, but particularly here given the OP meets the RO just based on date of landing. Apart from the fact that a utility bill showing the PR's address, including a phone bill, is a piece of evidence showing the person's residency (if it does in fact have the person's residential address on it, not the address of family or friend the PR can use though not living there).

 

[Ponga]

That's a bit of overkill and a distraction, generally, but particularly here given the OP meets the RO just based on date of landing. Apart from the fact that a utility bill showing the PR's address, including a phone bill, is a piece of evidence showing the person's residency (if it does in fact have the person's residential address on it, not the address of family or friend the PR can use though not living there).

How is suggesting a bank statement, showing local activity, a distraction? Does it not at least show that it has more credence than a phone bill?

Again, the 'Residency Obligation' part of IRCC's inconsistent messaging leads me, personally, to suggest a single document (i.e. aforementioned bank statement) that not only shows a name and residential address (which a bank statement clearly would), but that also shows the person is actually `active' in the community, meaning they must be residing there.

 

[dpenabill]

How is suggesting a bank statement, showing local activity, a distraction? Does it not at least show that it has more credence than a phone bill?

Again, the 'Residency Obligation' part of IRCC's inconsistent messaging leads me, personally, to suggest a single document (i.e. aforementioned bank statement) that not only shows a name and residential address (which a bank statement clearly would), but that also shows the person is actually `active' in the community, meaning they must be residing there.

The requirement for submitting supporting documents for a PR card application, by a PR who has not been outside Canada for more than 1095 days (since landing or, if after fifth year anniversary, within the previous five years) is simple and straight-forward. Even more so in the context here, a PR who meets the RO just based on the landing date and the calendar.

If you cannot see how challenging the use of a telephone bill in this scenario is a distraction, and how parsing the relative strength or weight or persuasiveness of different items of evidence showing the PR has been residing in Canada is overkill, review some of the other discussions about overthinking this requirement and, in particular, explanations for dismissing the need to worry about what will PROVE Residency Obligation compliance, since all that is required is a couple items of evidence SHOWING residency.

I get there is a tangent in this forum that insists on complicating the "proof" aspect in regards to satisfying IRCC they meet the RO. UNFORTUNATELY. But only if IRCC or CBSA is questioning (challenging) the PR's report of travel history is there any need to even get close to navigating the weeds in regards to what is sufficient evidence, or "proof," to meet the PR's burden of proving RO compliance on a balance of probabilities. Otherwise, the "proof" tangent is a distraction, and as too often addressed here misleading in a way that tends to cause totally unnecessary worry.

By the way, the language may be "inconsistent" but absent overthinking it is nonetheless easily understood (but for too much overthinking diversion from forum participants who, frankly should know better). It is less inconsistent, for example, than that used for many years prior to 2022, when it referred to providing proof of the "residency requirements."

In any event, to focus on the topic of this thread, and the inquiry posed here, @a nervous applicant really has NO need to be nervous about what is submitted as RO compliance supporting documents. Just about anything showing the address of their residence will easily suffice. No need to make this any more complicated than that.