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PRTD Help Please

East

Full Member
Dec 8, 2009
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Grand Cayman
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Hi there, my PR card ran out in July 2016. Can I come back to Canada without a PRTD and renew my residency when i'm back and am I able to work?
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
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East said:
Hi there, my PR card ran out in July 2016. Can I come back to Canada without a PRTD and renew my residency when i'm back and am I able to work?
Even if you are visa exempt to Canada, you would now need an eTA and they don't give you an eTA if you are a PR so if you don't want to apply for a PR TD, you would need to fly to the US and enter Canada by land in a rented or private car or on foot.

The next question would be whether you meet the PR RO or not. When you cross with an expired PR card, immigration will ask you that. If they don't think you meet it, they can report you.

If you don't meet the RO and they don't report you, you should not try to renew your PR card but rather wait until you meet the RO again. If you do meet the RO, you can apply to renew your PR card any time. You can work even without renewing your PR card because you are still a PR even though your card has expired. You just need a SIN.
 

East

Full Member
Dec 8, 2009
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Hi there, I do meet all the requirements. I'm from the UK if that helps. I just need to get back asap. Would you mine explaining your abbreviations. Eg. ETA, PR RO.
I already have a SIN.

Thank you so much for your help.
 

Buletruck

VIP Member
May 18, 2015
6,687
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ETA- electronic travel authorization
OP- original poster (you)
PR RO- permenent residency obligation (rolling 2 years in 5)
 

Leon

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Jun 13, 2008
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East said:
Hi there, I do meet all the requirements. I'm from the UK if that helps. I just need to get back asap.
In that case, just fly to the US and then cross into Canada by land. Best rent a car and drive across or if you can go to a border town in the US and have someone you know in Canada come and pick you up there, that's an option too.

In earlier days, a UK citizen would have been able to fly into Canada just based on having a UK passport and being visa exempt but now that eTA (electronic travel authorization) is needed and you can't get it if you are a PR, you can only fly directly into Canada with either a valid PR card or a valid PR travel document.
 

Rob_TO

VIP Member
Nov 7, 2012
11,427
1,551
Toronto
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Seoul, Korea
App. Filed.......
13-07-2012
AOR Received.
18-08-2012
File Transfer...
21-08-2012
Med's Done....
Sent with App
Passport Req..
N/R - Exempt
VISA ISSUED...
30-10-2012
LANDED..........
16-11-2012
East said:
Hi there, I do meet all the requirements. I'm from the UK if that helps. I just need to get back asap. Would you mine explaining your abbreviations. Eg. ETA, PR RO.
I already have a SIN.

Thank you so much for your help.
2 Ways:

1. Quickest way is as mentioned, fly to US and cross into Canada by car. This option can be inconvenient depending where you're going in Canada.

2. Apply for a PR Travel Document from the UK visa office. With the PR TD you can board a plane to fly directly to Canada. Getting the PR TD may take a few weeks though (more or less). Can be quicker if you can go to visa office in person to drop off passport and app & pick up passport/PRTD instead of mailing.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/travel-document/
 

East

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Dec 8, 2009
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Thank you for all your advice. I will be traveling from Honduras not the UK so I will have to go to a visa office here.

I do have couple more questions if you don't mind. Flying into the US and driving could work. Will I need a return flight to enter the USA? And why is this way easier than flying to Canada? I'd hate to get in trouble and be left stranded in the USA.

I was in Canada for 4 years before I left and i've been away for 2.5 is this ok? I was with my Canadian husband the whole time but will be traveling by myself.
 

zacklib

Star Member
Jan 29, 2016
77
2
As already mention by others above, the US border crossing option comes in because you have No PR Card, PRTD or ETA (Since you're a PR you don't qualify for ETA) Without either PR Card or PRTD the airline won't allow you to board the plane to Canada. Only PR's travelling from USA by land can cross the border to canada without PR card or PRTD thats why this was brought up. Again you have only two options here to retain to canada. 1. Get a PRTD at the Canadian consulate in UK, in this case you can fly directly to canada. 2. Fly to USA and cross the border by land.

You can retain with No issues even after being away for 2.5 years

Good luck

East said:
Thank you for all your advice. I will be traveling from Honduras not the UK so I will have to go to a visa office here.

I do have couple more questions if you don't mind. Flying into the US and driving could work. Will I need a return flight to enter the USA? And why is this way easier than flying to Canada? I'd hate to get in trouble and be left stranded in the USA.

I was in Canada for 4 years before I left and i've been away for 2.5 is this ok? I was with my Canadian husband the whole time but will be traveling by myself.
 

Naheulbeuck

Hero Member
Aug 14, 2015
315
191
East said:
Thank you for all your advice. I will be traveling from Honduras not the UK so I will have to go to a visa office here.
To answer your question, the problem is not with immigration Canada, it is with the airline (provided you meet your RO, which it seems you do for multiple reasons). The border agents do not need your PR card to confirm you are a PR, the airline does however to allow you to board the plane.

That's why the US border option exist as it gives you the option to reach the border without going through any airline/traveling company.

As long as you are a PR (which does not expire and can only be revoked) and you have a valid option to enter the US, the US option will not get you stranded and will let you enter back in Canada.
 

Leon

VIP Member
Jun 13, 2008
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East said:
I do have couple more questions if you don't mind. Flying into the US and driving could work. Will I need a return flight to enter the USA? And why is this way easier than flying to Canada? I'd hate to get in trouble and be left stranded in the USA.

I was in Canada for 4 years before I left and i've been away for 2.5 is this ok? I was with my Canadian husband the whole time but will be traveling by myself.
The US may ask you if you have a return flight and you would have to explain to them that you are going to go to Canada and will fly back from there. Since you are visa exempt to Canada, that shouldn't be a problem. If you have already arranged a rental car and can show them email correspondence with a car rental about getting a car to drive across the border and returning it in Canada, I am sure that would help. However, it's quite possible that you'll just walk through and nobody will ask you anything.

You will under no circumstances get stuck in the US. Because you are a PR, Immigration Canada can not refuse you entry. Worst they could do is report you if they think you don't meet the RO and you do so if that happens, you appeal and win.
 

Rob_TO

VIP Member
Nov 7, 2012
11,427
1,551
Toronto
Category........
FAM
Visa Office......
Seoul, Korea
App. Filed.......
13-07-2012
AOR Received.
18-08-2012
File Transfer...
21-08-2012
Med's Done....
Sent with App
Passport Req..
N/R - Exempt
VISA ISSUED...
30-10-2012
LANDED..........
16-11-2012
East said:
I was in Canada for 4 years before I left and i've been away for 2.5 is this ok? I was with my Canadian husband the whole time but will be traveling by myself.
Spending 2.5 years outside Canada meets the Residency Obligation so you should have no problems entering Canada at a land border. In general 2.5 years outside Canada is cutting it a bit close, since the max allowed in a 5 year stretch is 3 years.

However since you've been with your Canadian (citizen I assume) husband all this time, the time you've spent outside Canada actually counts towards your RO.

Since you're entering after being gone almost 3 years, a lazy/incompetent CBSA officer may notice this and decide to report you and let CIC actually figure out if you met the RO or not. If this happened you would need to appeal and while you would certainly eventually win, it would be a big hassle to go through.

So to be extra cautious I suggest to bring on your person as much proof as possible that you've been living with with your Canadian husband all this time (copy of marriage cert, joint accounts or home, mail to same address, a letter from him, etc). Showing this to a CBSA officer may make the entry process a bit easier in case they start asking questions about your RO.
 

East

Full Member
Dec 8, 2009
32
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Grand Cayman
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Thank you for all you help.

I'm going to Victoria from Seattle. It's much faster to take the ferry. Would this be possible do you think?
 

canadakg

Full Member
Jan 15, 2016
21
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AOR Received.
27-11-2015
HI All,

I have done short landing and it has been 3 months. I had given my friends address for PR card, but it hasn't been delivered yet.
Now, I am trying to apply for PRTD and it seems 2 pieces of evidence showing my PR status are mandatory. But, I do not have anything other than CoPR.

So, is there anyone on the forum who has faced same situation but have got PRTD ? Does anyone know chances of refusal for PRTD ?

Appreciate any help.