Still waiting for PR card but need to leave country for emergency?

[lexceo]

I am from the U.S. Been in Canada for over a year and a half. Am married to a Canadian citizen and he is my spousal sponsor. I am still waiting for my PR card, but I have recently received a letter from immigration saying I have been approved for Temporary Resident Status with an expiration date of 2 years from now, and an Open Work Permit (same expiration), but both say not to be intended for travel.

I keep reading recently the laws have changed and to leave and to return to Canada you need to carry your PR card with you.

My father is in the hospital back in the states and I need to get home ASAP. Can I leave and if so, can I come back to Canada without having my PR card yet? I want to be able to come back home to my husband in Canada. It says they may not let me back in if I leave and I also do not want to screw up my immigration chances when I have waited this long already.

Anyone have any info?

Anyone know a CIC number that you can actually talk to a real person and ask a question like this?

Thanks so much!

 

[steaky]

Since you are American, you can just use your US passport.

 

[lexceo]

Since you are American, you can just use your US passport.

You have not seen the recent immigration changes online that in order to leave or re-enter Canada you must carry your PR card at all times. So what do you do when you are in the interim? You cant just use your passport.

 

[Ldonasci]

Go back to the US, take all the papers you need with you and when you get back, if they stop you, you have the explanation why. You are not leaving for vacations, it is a serious reason and they would not have reasons to make it a problem for you.

Wish the best to your family. Take care

 

[Bs65]

I am from the U.S. Been in Canada for over a year and a half. Am married to a Canadian citizen and he is my spousal sponsor. I am still waiting for my PR card, but I have recently received a letter from immigration saying I have been approved for Temporary Resident Status with an expiration date of 2 years from now, and an Open Work Permit (same expiration), but both say not to be intended for travel.

I keep reading recently the laws have changed and to leave and to return to Canada you need to carry your PR card with you.

My father is in the hospital back in the states and I need to get home ASAP. Can I leave and if so, can I come back to Canada without having my PR card yet? I want to be able to come back home to my husband in Canada. It says they may not let me back in if I leave and I also do not want to screw up my immigration chances when I have waited this long already.

Anyone have any info?

Anyone know a CIC number that you can actually talk to a real person and ask a question like this?

Thanks so much!

…
So this is confusing given on one hand you say you are waiting for your PR card which assumes you have landed as a PR and then you say you have been granted temp residence with work permit. You cannot be both a PR and a temporary resident , one or the other.

If you are in fact a PR then you need a PR card to board a plane back to Canada. Although there is nothing official on the CIC website some US passport holders have reported on this forum taking their chances using just their US passport when flying back from the US but there is no guarantee with that should checkin apply the rules. As a PR you would always be entitled to enter Canada once you reach the border so without a PR card people show their COPR, a PR card is not mandatory to enter Canada, just to board a flight.

As an alternative to flying without a PR card people are recommended on the return to head for the nearest US/ Canada land border and enter that way.

If on the other hand you are simply a temporary resident with a work permit then much simpler given you can just board a plane to come back with your US passport and work permit. The latter simply says cannot be used as a travel document given some people who are not visa exempt also need a temp residence visa in addition to the work permit to travel to Canada.

Only PRs and citizens have the right to enter the country so temporary residents are always advised that they will be assessed on each new entry to the country. But that is just standard language for any country border check and generally with the correct documentation in hand should be no issues.

If in fact you are still waiting on your spousal sponsorship then the fact you have authorisation to reside as a temp resident with a work permit should have no impact on your PR application or coming back in. However having said that if your application is an inland application it is generally advised not to stay out of Canada for too long during processing.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I am from the U.S. Been in Canada for over a year and a half. Am married to a Canadian citizen and he is my spousal sponsor. I am still waiting for my PR card, but I have recently received a letter from immigration saying I have been approved for Temporary Resident Status with an expiration date of 2 years from now, and an Open Work Permit (same expiration), but both say not to be intended for travel.

I keep reading recently the laws have changed and to leave and to return to Canada you need to carry your PR card with you.

My father is in the hospital back in the states and I need to get home ASAP. Can I leave and if so, can I come back to Canada without having my PR card yet? I want to be able to come back home to my husband in Canada. It says they may not let me back in if I leave and I also do not want to screw up my immigration chances when I have waited this long already.

Anyone have any info?

Anyone know a CIC number that you can actually talk to a real person and ask a question like this?

Thanks so much!

You are not a PR and therefore do not require a PR card to travel to Canada.

As an inland applicant, you are advised not to leave Canada. Keep the visit to a few weeks, as anything more could lead to a determination that you no longer reside in Canada and therefore don't qualify for inland sponsorship.

There is no point in calling the IRCC call centre.

 

[lexceo]

…
So this is confusing given on one hand you say you are waiting for your PR card which assumes you have landed as a PR and then you say you have been granted temp residence with work permit. You cannot be both a PR and a temporary resident , one or the other.

If you are in fact a PR then you need a PR card to board a plane back to Canada. Although there is nothing official on the CIC website some US passport holders have reported on this forum taking their chances using just their US passport when flying back from the US but there is no guarantee with that should checkin apply the rules. As a PR you would always be entitled to enter Canada once you reach the border so without a PR card people show their COPR, a PR card is not mandatory to enter Canada, just to board a flight.

As an alternative to flying without a PR card people are recommended on the return to head for the nearest US/ Canada land border and enter that way.

If on the other hand you are simply a temporary resident with a work permit then much simpler given you can just board a plane to come back with your US passport and work permit. The latter simply says cannot be used as a travel document given some people who are not visa exempt also need a temp residence visa in addition to the work permit to travel to Canada.

Only PRs and citizens have the right to enter the country so temporary residents are always advised that they will be assessed on each new entry to the country. But that is just standard language for any country border check and generally with the correct documentation in hand should be no issues.

If in fact you are still waiting on your spousal sponsorship then the fact you have authorisation to reside as a temp resident with a work permit should have no impact on your PR application or coming back in. However having said that if your application is an inland application it is generally advised not to stay out of Canada for too long during processing.

This isn't confusing at all. I landed in Canada a year and half ago as a visitor with my then Canadian boyfriend. We got married here a year ago. Then I applied for spousal sponsorship for him and PR for me from within Canada. I applied for an Open Work Permit at the same time. They typically grant you your work permit while you are still waiting for PR approval.

 

[KBH]

This isn't confusing at all. I landed in Canada a year and half ago as a visitor with my then Canadian boyfriend. We got married here a year ago. Then I applied for spousal sponsorship for him and PR for me from within Canada. I applied for an Open Work Permit at the same time. They typically grant you your work permit while you are still waiting for PR approval.

Your phrasing was confusing, but ultimately it doesn't matter. What you are concerned about does not impact you. Only permanent residents need a PR card to re-enter Canada. If you are not a PR then you do not need a PR card to enter.

Typically when people say they are "waiting for their PR card" it means they have already landed as a PR and are just waiting to receive the card in the mail, hence the confusion.

 

[lexceo]

Your phrasing was confusing, but ultimately it doesn't matter. What you are concerned about does not impact you. Only permanent residents need a PR card to re-enter Canada. If you are not a PR then you do not need a PR card to enter.

Typically when people say they are "waiting for their PR card" it means they have already landed as a PR and are just waiting to receive the card in the mail, hence the confusion.

Ok I get what you are saying but at the same time, I am in the middle of waiting for my PR card and it specifically states not to leave the country until you have one. Since I do not have one yet and am waiting, but need to leave for an emergency, I am worried about a) getting let back in, and b) it messing up my immigration application because I did leave the country while it was still processing.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Ok I get what you are saying but at the same time, I am in the middle of waiting for my PR card and it specifically states not to leave the country until you have one. Since I do not have one yet and am waiting, but need to leave for an emergency, I am worried about a) getting let back in, and b) it messing up my immigration application because I did leave the country while it was still processing.

No, you are not waiting for your PR card. Only PRs can wait for a PR card. It is like saying you are waiting for a bank card when you haven't even opened the bank account yet.

You are waiting for your PR app to be approved.

 

[KBH]

Ok I get what you are saying but at the same time, I am in the middle of waiting for my PR card and it specifically states not to leave the country until you have one. Since I do not have one yet and am waiting, but need to leave for an emergency, I am worried about a) getting let back in, and b) it messing up my immigration application because I did leave the country while it was still processing.

I am not sure if you even read my post.

You are not a PR yet, so you are not waiting for your PR card. You cannot get a PR card until you become a PR. You only need a PR card to enter Canada if you are a PR. You are not a PR.

 

[Rob_TO]

You have not seen the recent immigration changes online that in order to leave or re-enter Canada you must carry your PR card at all times. So what do you do when you are in the interim? You cant just use your passport.

First off, there is no rule change for US passport holders.

And second, you are not a PR yet you are just a temporary resident visitor/worker, so any rule around PR cards at this point is completely irrelevant to you.

If you leave Canada, then you would be re-entering Canada as a visitor, with just your US passport. Technically you aren't supposed to leave Canada with an inland app in progress since if you were denied re-entry, the inland app would be cancelled. However it's very rare US citizens are denied entry in your case so for a short trip you shouldn't face any problems.

 

[lexceo]

First off, there is no rule change for US passport holders.

And second, you are not a PR yet you are just a temporary resident visitor/worker, so any rule around PR cards at this point is completely irrelevant to you.

If you leave Canada, then you would be re-entering Canada as a visitor, with just your US passport. Technically you aren't supposed to leave Canada with an inland app in progress since if you were denied re-entry, the inland app would be cancelled. However it's very rare US citizens are denied entry in your case so for a short trip you shouldn't face any problems.

Thank you