PR Obligations not met, w/ expired pr here in Canada

[popoy30]

Hi guys, I hope you can help me.

I received my PR Card year 2005. I went back to my country and stayed there for 4 years. I came back here in Canada September 2010, few months before my PR Card expires. The immigration officer at the airport just asked me why i stayed outside Canada that long, i said i was studying, and told me that i have to renew my PR Card and she let me in(i was expecting something worse than that).

My PR Card expired last January and i have not applied for renewal until now. Am i illegally staying here in Canada right now?

Can I still renew my PR Card?

Thanks.

 

[Leon]

You are not staying in Canada illegally because until someone officially takes your PR status away, you are still PR, regardless of your PR card being expired or not.

If you try to renew your PR card now, you have a problem because you have not met the residency requirements. They could decide that they will revoke your PR and send you home. If you want to avoid this, you should stay in Canada until you have 2 years which would be September 2012 and then apply to renew. When you apply, they only look at the previous 5 years before you applied so they would see you have 2 years in Canada during that time and therefore meet the requirements so they would have to renew.

 

[Alabaman]

... and as you wait for 2 years to renew, make sure you keep documents to show that you are acutally here. Receipts, paystubs, bank statements, phone bills etc.

 

[popoy30]

Ok. Thank you for the advice. I really appreciate it.