Hi All
I recollect the dreadful time (2013-2015) when I did not listen to the experts in this forum and applied for my first PR renewal in 2013 and left the country without receiving the card.
What followed was a questionnaire, PRTD, PRC lost in post, declaration, new PRC and a red flag each time I return to Canada.
Now the time to renew has come again in 2019.I have a strong feeling that my case will alert IRCC, especially with my past records.
I request responses from experts to help me avoid any secondary reviews and determination of residency this time.
Please let me know how many days of presence in Canada would be ideal to apply for renewal to save me from the ordeal. 730 / 800 /1000 /1050 or 1095 and above?
Thank you,
DK
I am NO expert, but I can offer some observations . . .
There are many, many factors other than simply the number of days the PR has been present in Canada which can trigger elevated scrutiny, non-routine processing, or overt concerns even suspicions.
Other than meeting the minimum PR Residency Obligation, and being able to prove it, the most salient tipping point is living permanently in Canada, or not, along with related elements like at least living in Canada at the time the PRC application is made, and the longer the most recent period of presence in Canada the better.
In other topics I have gone into depth about what seems to be oft overlooked common sense logic: if a PR has spent MOST of his or her time abroad in the last five years (less than 900 days of presence in Canada), and THEN IF THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS OR DOUBTS about any period of time, the REASONABLE inference is that the PR was OUTSIDE CANADA during that time, or at the very least, it is POSSIBLE the PR was outside Canada during that period of time. This can tip the scales toward requiring actual proof of presence, and at the very least that means non-routine processing.
There is a rather strangely common but rather unfounded approach to maintaining PR status that focuses way, way too much on just meeting the MINIMUM presence requirement, when in contrast IAD decision after decision emphasizes that the RO is indeed a minimum, intended to accommodate UNUSUAL contingencies in life, NOT to accommodate living abroad for convenience.
If the question is about what is SAFE for purposes of keeping PR status, proof of 730+ does it, so a margin at 800 helps catching some sleep at night. BUT if the question is about avoiding non-routine processing and delays when applying for a new PRC, the big difference tends to be whether it APPEARS the PR is settled in Canada at least long-term, and in the absence of this appearance the risk of non-routine processing and delays climbs . . . all, again, subject to many other factors. (A key factor oft overlooked is the importance of making the information in the application accurate and complete . . . if IRCC identifies any discrepancies, that tends to skewer the bet; similarly incongruities, like having a Canadian residence address for lengthy periods of time spent abroad unless there is an apparent reason, like immediate family living in Canada.)
