PR validity and revival

[dheepav]

Hi
We hold a Canadian PR that expired in Dec 2006. We did live in Edmonton, Canada from July 2004 to May 2005. Despite our plans to stay on we had to leave the country due to personal circumstances.
We now intend returning to Canada. Could you please advise if the expired PR can be renewed? If yes, could you please point us in the right direction?

Thank you

 

[Leon]

If you are visa exempt to Canada, you can go to Canada and take your chances at the border. If they allow you in without reporting you for not meeting the residency requirements, you can stay for 2 years and then your PR will be in good standing again and you can apply to renew your PR cards.

If you are not visa exempt, but you had humane and compassionate grounds for not being able to meet the residency requirements, you can apply for a PR travel document listing those reasons. If you are approved, you can return to Canada. If you are denied, you will most likely lose your PR. Another option would be to try to get a US visa and then enter Canada from the US in a rented car. You would then have to take your chances with immigration at the border. If you show an expired PR card and tell them you don't meet the residency requirements but you had a good reason, they could decide to let you in and you could stay 2 years and be good again or they could decide to report you for not meeting the requirements in which case you would have to appeal for your PR.