Just a warning that not getting stopped by CBSA doesn’t mean they won’t have any problems. Many people run into problems when applying for citizenship or PR card renewal. Never a good idea to use your home country passport unless you are prepared to lose your status.
Refugee Travel Document - Questions and Answers
- Thread starter rainbowbee
- Start date
Hello,
I called the IRB concerns RTD application since September 2022. I was told that my application has been flagged as urgent. I was also told to buy a plane ticket and couriering it to the Quebec location as further proof of travel. Did anyone have a similar experience and if so did you receive your Travel Documents after sending in the airline ticket?
I called the IRB concerns RTD application since September 2022. I was told that my application has been flagged as urgent. I was also told to buy a plane ticket and couriering it to the Quebec location as further proof of travel. Did anyone have a similar experience and if so did you receive your Travel Documents after sending in the airline ticket?
Well about two or three days ago I will guess because that is when I first spoke to them.
Ohh that's good. I thought they flagged as urgent months ago but still you did not receive your rtd. I hope you will receive it soon.
Mr. RAINBOWBEEI created this topic to share my knowledge and experience with all of you. I will try to answer some important questions and concerns regarding travel as a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person living in Canada.
I’m not a lawyer, just a person who likes clarity. I am very proud to call Canada my new home. I want continue traveling and explore the world, but at the same time stay I want to stay mindful, and avoid doing anything wrong that would compromise my PR or Refugee status here. Some terms are below being simplified.
As most of you know, when you make your refugee claim, your passport is being seized by CIC or CBSA.
When my refugee claim was accepted I discovered that there are certain things we are not advised to do:
• Do not travel back to your home country
• Do not renew your home country’s passport.
• Do not travel on your home country’s passport, even to a third country, such as USA for example
• Just simply don’t have any contact with embassy of your home country.
All those things could put you at risk of losing your refugee status, because CBSA may interpret those actions as you no longer fear your home country, so you no longer need Canada’s protection.
I am not able to specify which law applies here and so on, but I know for sure that there are legal cases in which government took action and stripped or tried to strip person’s protection because they did one of above mentioned things.
Also it’s a matter of interpreting the law, so I think we should take those warnings seriously, it’s our lives and protection we are talking about.
If you want to get more information, I would suggest checking out Canadian Council for Refugees and other websites.
After I received a positive decision on my refugee claim, soon I applied for RTD and was able to get it. It says that the RTD validity period is determined by the issuing office. In my case it was issued for 2 years. I personally know at least four other cases, where people applied for RTD before becoming PRs and received it also for 2 years. So I guess it’s safe to assume that majority of people, before PR will get it for 2 years.
When I was applied for it, I noticed that on application form it says: “I understand that if I am issued a Canadian travel document and later obtain a passport issued by my country of citizenship, I am obliged to return the Canadian travel document to Passport Program, Citizenship and Immigration Canada.”
Obviously I started to get worried, because once I become a PR, CIC will return my national passport and in theory I must return RTD. I will have no choice, but to use my national passport to travel, but I don’t want to do that! What should I do?!
After more than two years, I got my PR interview, I got my passport back, at the end of my interview I decided to ask officer in person about my RTD dilemma.
So I did, I called them and I talked with call center agent at first, and explained my situation:
So finally after several minutes of back and forth, agent agreed to put a special call back request directly from “Certificate of Identity Section - Passport Program” located in Gatineau, QC.
Next day I received a call and talked with a senior officer from that department, I explained my situation to him and finally I got the missing peace of a puzzle.
Some important points and additional information:
• As a Convention Refugee or a Protected Person in Canada we do have a right to travel.
• In order to be able to travel internationally, we must have a valid Travel Document.
• The only Travel Document we entitled to is a Refugee Travel Document, forget about Certificate of Identity
• In order to apply for RTD you need to use an application form “[PPTC 190] Adult travel document application form”, form is universal and is used to apply for both – RTD and COI.
• After becoming a Permanent Resident, you are still considered to have a refugee status in Canada
• RTD issued for 2 years before PR and after becoming PR for 5 years
• If you got your national passport back when you became PR, do not use it, instead send it to “Certificate of Identity Section - Passport Program” along with your explanation letter
Travel Document - is an identity document issued by a government and allowing us to travel internationally. Generally, Travel Documents look like a passport-like booklets. The most common Travel Document is a Passport.
Government of Canada has a special department responsible for issuing Travel Documents for Refugees and Stateless Persons, and it’s called: “Certificate of Identity Section - Passport Program”, located in Gatineau, QC
That department is issuing two types of a Travel Documents:
1. Refugee Travel Document (light blue) (United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951 and its Protocol of 1967): issued to persons in Canada with protected person status, including Convention refugees and persons in need of protection
2. Certificate of identity (grey or formerly brown): issued to permanent residents of Canada who are not yet Canadian citizens, who are stateless or who are unable to obtain a national passport.
Personally I would advise everyone including myself, travel only using RTD, we shouldn’t put ourselves at risk. Getting RTD for 5 years is a great solution and hopefully by the time we need to renew it, we will have our Canadian Citizenship
I will mention it again, I am not a lawyer, just sharing summary of my findings with you. If you have additional questions or information, you are welcome to ask and contribute.
I really appreciate your effort to write here and keep us informing about critical and indetaild information about Travel Document and other home country’s passport.
Thank you very much. ( really good work )
Hi everyone,
I hope all of you are doing well and get your RTD soon.
My friend got rejection of his refugee case but he got the PR because of his wife had PR as she was before in PP status.
The concern is, can my friend apply for RTD as he didn't return his original passport and he don't want to use it at all.
If anyone has experience in this issue and can feedback to me.
Thank you in advance.
Regards
I hope all of you are doing well and get your RTD soon.
My friend got rejection of his refugee case but he got the PR because of his wife had PR as she was before in PP status.
The concern is, can my friend apply for RTD as he didn't return his original passport and he don't want to use it at all.
If anyone has experience in this issue and can feedback to me.
Thank you in advance.
Regards
His refugee case wasn't approved so to the best of my knowledge, an RTD is not possible. Only protected persons qualify for RTDs.
Hi. They did bring it to the address today but I was working. Receiver needs to sign. I will go to the pick up location tomorrow
Congratulations! Hopefully, I get mine soon
I applied to RTD on 25 march 2023, I sent the urgency application before 10 days and today the fees of the application appeared on my credit card. From your previous experience, does this mean that the application is processed ? after how many days I may get it ?
thank you
thank you