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Should I carry old passport with me for immigration?

Part_time_Larry

Full Member
Dec 11, 2022
25
1
I am a permanent resident of Canada. I landed at Delhi Airport last week and was asked to show my old Indian passport. I only brought my new passport and PR card for immigration. Will I be asked to show old passport at T3?
 

bellaluna

VIP Member
May 23, 2014
7,405
1,781
Unless you have a valid Canadian visa stamped in your old passport, Canada, unlike India, does not care about your old Indian passport.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,301
8,902
Unless you have a valid Canadian visa stamped in your old passport, Canada, unlike India, does not care about your old Indian passport.
I agree with this BUT: if the PR was granted under the old passport, it can be useful - only mildly, and only occasional - to have a photocopy of the biopage from the old one, just to show that you-are-you. (Photocopy here to include a scan on phone)

Now I'm not suggesting anyone should stress if they have lost the old one or don't have it. But if you have the option at home when you're getting ready to go, take-a-copy-or-not, it won't hurt and in rare occasions might help save you time.

Circumstance would be officer at passport examination asks some question that seems to indicate they're looking at your data in computer and they say something like "you got this passport just recently?" or "you got your PR card before this passport was issued?", you offer to show them a copy of the old passport.

This would be pretty infrequent occurrence, though. And if you don't, it's not the end of the world - just answer the question - perhaps you might go to secondary and spend a bit of extra time, perhaps they ask another follow up question or two, or quite possibly your answer was sufficient anyway.
 

Part_time_Larry

Full Member
Dec 11, 2022
25
1
Thank you guys for your response. Appreciate it!

I have copies of my old passport in case needed. My old passport is in Canada which I can ask my roommate to ship to India? Do you think customs will not allow passport to go through? I know that if you are in India you are not allowed to ship passport to another country but not sure if from Canada you are allowed to send your passport to India?
 

Miss bee

VIP Member
Mar 24, 2020
4,968
1,648
Thank you guys for your response. Appreciate it!

I have copies of my old passport in case needed. My old passport is in Canada which I can ask my roommate to ship to India? Do you think customs will not allow passport to go through? I know that if you are in India you are not allowed to ship passport to another country but not sure if from Canada you are allowed to send your passport to India?
As i told you when you are coming back to Canada they just check your current passport and most importantly they check your PR card . Don’t ship it to india because it will be seized by customs. Your old passport is cancelled and you won’t have any issues boarding flight back to Canada.
 

Part_time_Larry

Full Member
Dec 11, 2022
25
1
Thanks. I am stressed out because when I landed the immigration officer asked me if I have the old passport? I said my old passport is invalid now so I don't carry it. He didn't ask anything further. My worry is when I go through immigration from T3 I might run into a difficult officer who may insist to show him the old passport.

Where do I find the information on immigration website to be 100% sure that not having the old passport won't stop me from leaving India? Is there any email or phone number I can call?
 

Miss bee

VIP Member
Mar 24, 2020
4,968
1,648
You are PR of Canada. They won’t ask you for old passport. You just need a valid passport and PR card to board flight. If they ask simply say passport expired and don’t have it . They won’t stop you for boarding flight. Your old passport is not connected to your PR card . Trust me .
 

Part_time_Larry

Full Member
Dec 11, 2022
25
1
You are PR of Canada. They won’t ask you for old passport. You just need a valid passport and PR card to board flight. If they ask simply say passport expired and don’t have it . They won’t stop you for boarding flight. Your old passport is not connected to your PR card . Trust me .
That's true because my old passport was not stamped for PR card.
 

Part_time_Larry

Full Member
Dec 11, 2022
25
1
What if immigration officer say that I received PR card when I had the old passport? Can I just say that PR card is not stamped in passport so it doesn't matter.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,301
8,902
What if immigration officer say that I received PR card when I had the old passport? Can I just say that PR card is not stamped in passport so it doesn't matter.
You are overthinking this. It is completely normal to get a new passport, and you're not the first person. As far as Canada's concerned, just tell the truth - you got a new passport. The PR card is not 'linked' to the passport in any meaningful sense. You got a new passport. That's the whole story.
 
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