TOP URGENT

[injau]

Dear Leon and other members,
I landed in Canada in sep 2006, left 24 Oct 2006, came back may 2007 stayed until dec 4 2007, came back on 23 may 2009, my pr card expires on sept 2011. i have to travel again for urgent matter, when can i apply for pr card renewal?
i have family and two of kids are canadian.
your feedback is highly appreciated
regards

 

[Baloo]

I am no expert ...

To meet your residency obligation, I believe that you need to show that you can meet the minimum of 730 days physical presence in Canada at the five year point.

Do not apply early.

Applying for a permanent resident card (PR Card) — Initial application, replacement or renewal (IMM 5445)

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EA.asp



Also see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/prcard.asp

 

[Alabaman]

Dear Leon and other members,
I landed in Canada in sep 2006, left 24 Oct 2006, came back may 2007 stayed until dec 4 2007, came back on 23 may 2009, my pr card expires on sept 2011. i have to travel again for urgent matter, when can i apply for pr card renewal?
i have family and two of kids are canadian.
your feedback is highly appreciated
regards

So if you landed September 2006, your first 5 year window to fulfill 730 day obligation is September 2011 (which coincides with your card expiration date). From the dates you stated above, you should have roughly 830 days of presence from the day you landed up until today. Is this correct? If so, then you are OK to renew your card.

If you are going to be back before September 2011, then I would advice you travel and renew immediately you come back.

 

[injau]

Thanks to you all, any other feedback?
regards

 

[Leon]

What Alabaman said. If you meet the residency requirements already for your first 5 years, you can apply to renew now if you want to. You do not have to send your PR card with your application to renew unless it is already expired so you can keep it and travel on it until you get your new one. I did the same thing, applied well in advance and they actually timed my pick up appointment right at the expiry of my old card.

 

[toby]

What Alabaman said. If you meet the residency requirements already for your first 5 years, you can apply to renew now if you want to. You do not have to send your PR card with your application to renew unless it is already expired so you can keep it and travel on it until you get your new one. I did the same thing, applied well in advance and they actually timed my pick up appointment right at the expiry of my old card.

I understand that the first Permanent Residency card is mailed to the Permanent Resident's (PR) address. This is handy if the PR must be out of Canada in less than the time it normally takes for Canada to produce and mail the card.

But upon renewal, the PR must pick it up in person! How does this work for a PR who must be out of the country -- either temporarily, or with his/her Canadian spouse who works abroad?

 

[Leon]

When I applied to renew, they sent me a letter giving me a pick up date. I can not remember how much notice they gave me to pick up, maybe a month but I had applied way early to make sure I would have my new card before expiry of the old one and they timed the pick up right at my expiry. If I had not been in Canada at that time and not been able to make that date, I suppose I could have contacted them later and asked for a new date but I also think that their must be a time limit how long your local office keeps your PR card before they decide you must not be interested and must apply again. The time limit for first free PR card is 6 months so this one might be as well but I really don't know.

If you are living overseas, you can not apply to renew your PR card as it is a requirement that you are in Canada to apply. If you have an address in Canada, I suppose you could go, apply for new card, leave and make sure somebody is checking your mail. I have heard of PR card applications being denied because they were posted from outside Canada. Never heard of one that was denied when sent from within Canada using a Canadian mailing address even if the person was not living in Canada. However, could also have happened even though I haven't heard of it.

 

[PMM]

Hi

When I applied to renew, they sent me a letter giving me a pick up date. I can not remember how much notice they gave me to pick up, maybe a month but I had applied way early to make sure I would have my new card before expiry of the old one and they timed the pick up right at my expiry. If I had not been in Canada at that time and not been able to make that date, I suppose I could have contacted them later and asked for a new date but I also think that their must be a time limit how long your local office keeps your PR card before they decide you must not be interested and must apply again. The time limit for first free PR card is 6 months so this one might be as well but I really don't know.

If you are living overseas, you can not apply to renew your PR card as it is a requirement that you are in Canada to apply. If you have an address in Canada, I suppose you could go, apply for new card, leave and make sure somebody is checking your mail. I have heard of PR card applications being denied because they were posted from outside Canada. Never heard of one that was denied when sent from within Canada using a Canadian mailing address even if the person was not living in Canada. However, could also have happened even though I haven't heard of it.

Probably has happened when the PR shows up at the CIC, presents their passport and the IO notes they haven't been in Canada.

 

[Leon]

Are there actual cases where people who meet the residency requirements have been refused a PR card pickup on the basis that they do not currently live in Canada?

 

[Alabaman]

What Alabaman said. If you meet the residency requirements already for your first 5 years, you can apply to renew now if you want to. You do not have to send your PR card with your application to renew unless it is already expired so you can keep it and travel on it until you get your new one. I did the same thing, applied well in advance and they actually timed my pick up appointment right at the expiry of my old card.

True

 

[toby]

OK, but -- to use a personal example -- my wife is a PR. We live for the moment outside Canada. When the time comes, she will qualify to renew her PR because she has spent her time outside Canada with me, her spouse, a Canadian citizen, and so this time can be counted toward her PR quota.

However, must she go to Canada just to submit the PR renewal, or (using subterfuge) have someone in Canada mail it for her?

Then must she travel to Canada just so she can pick up her new PR card in person?

(We plan to spend a few months in Canada for the first two years, then move there full-time, but this question is to plan for the contingency that our business may prevent full-time in Canada until after the first 5 years.)

 

[Leon]

Toby, it's a grey area. They say you must be in Canada to renew your PR card. Is it enough that you are in Canada for one day to mail your application? Could be. Interpret it how you will. It gets grayer when you say ok, let us cheat a little bit and have uncle Joe mail the application from inside Canada so it looks like she was there even if she wasn't. Would they ever find out, who knows?

With uncle Joe's mailing address, you will get her letter to pick up her new PR card so she can then go to Canada and do that as long as her old PR card is still valid or she gets a travel document.

 

[toby]

Thanks, Leon.