Leaving Canada before receiving PR card

[Kearnixer]

Hello everybody,

I know this question has probably already been asked in numerous other threads but since the rules and regulations are constantly changing I wanted to be safe and make this post once more. And apologies for posting it in here but I feel the express entry section is much more responsive than any other in this forum.

So to my question. Can I do the following:

1) Land in Canada as a PR (together with my wife who will also be a PR) with the respective immigration visa in my passport which usually is valid until 1 year after your date of medicals

2) Immediately kick off the application process for the PR card

3) Leave Canada after let's say 2 weeks BEFORE receiving the PR card to return to my home country (my wife stays in Canada)

4) Continue working in my job in my home country. My wife mails me the PR card once she receives it.

5) I somewhen resign from my job (probably within the following 6 months) and travel to Canada again but WITH my PR card. After re-entering Canada I will stay for good.

Would that work? Or would that be any harm to my permanent residency status? If I re-enter WITH the PR card, the expired immigration visa does not matter anymore, does it? The reason for this question is that I wanted to stay longer in my home country than the expiry date of my immigration visa. Please note that I am from a visa-exempt country.

Thanks for your advice on this!

 

[Kearnixer]

Anyone?

 

[ajithj]

No issues. You can do that.

 

[kateg]

@ajithj is correct.

Your PR card and your PR status have nothing to do with other, other than your card being presumptive proof that you have status.

Leaving and coming back without a PR card no effect on your status, and you can even live in Canada for 20 years and never renew your card if you want, and it won't be a problem as far as your PR status is concerned. You might have difficulties proving your status for things like driving licenses, or getting on a plane, but your status is fine. It's also legal to mail PR cards (as far as Canadian law is concerned).

To keep your residency status, you need to live, in Canada, two years out of every five (counted by day). You can leave for a year, come back, with or without a card, and your status will not be in jeopardy. You might need a PR travel document to get on a plane to Canada, but legally you have the right to come, and the right to get a status document (card or travel document).

If, at any point in time, you were gone three years and one day outside Canada in the past 5 years, crossing the border or applying for a PR card starts to become a risk. Time before you were a PR is fine, and won't count against you. At that point, they can do a residency determination, and if at that point you don't meet the requirements, they can start the process to remove your status.

After landing, for the first three years, you can't screw things up, as you still have time to meet the obligation. 6 months is fine. A year is fine. A year and a half is fine. Two and a half years is fine. Three years and one day is not fine. The total is cumulative, and things can happen, so you can't go for two years, come back for a year, then go away another two years.

 

[Kearnixer]

Thank you so much ajithj and kateg! +1 for both of you!

Really nice to know that this would work. So the fact that I am still employed by the company in my home country at time of first landing and during the issuance of my PR card is not a problem either, correct?

 

[ajithj]

Thank you so much ajithj and kateg! +1 for both of you!

Really nice to know that this would work. So the fact that I am still employed by the company in my home country at time of first landing and during the issuance of my PR card is not a problem either, correct?

No not a problem.

 

[Kearnixer]

No not a problem.

Great, thanks a million!

 

[InUkCa]

Hi @ ajithj and @kateg
Very useful information.
But has any one of you (or you know) did this i.e. 3, 4 & 5
As someone told me that as the person left the PR card behind in Canada, they need to apply for PRTD even if it is possible to get PR card by courier in home country (or the country of stay).

 

[sea83]

Hi @ ajithj and @kateg
Very useful information.
But has any one of you (or you know) did this i.e. 3, 4 & 5
As someone told me that as the person left the PR card behind in Canada, they need to apply for PRTD even if it is possible to get PR card by courier in home country (or the country of stay).

If you enter reenter Canada after the landing by any way other than a personal car you would need PRTD.
I'm not sure the PR card can be mailed outside Canada not even to the US. You can put in the address of a friend or family in Canada or "rent" an address at a UPS store and they can ship it outside Canada. I'll be doing 3,4 and 5.

 

[ashu1710]

or "rent" an address at a UPS store and they can ship it outside Canada. I'll be doing 3,4 and 5.

Wait...what? How do you do this? Also, will IRCC ship your PR card to what is obviously a non-residential address?

 

[sea83]

Wait...what? How do you do this? Also, will IRCC ship your PR card to what is obviously a non-residential address?

I won't be doing that, I have some friends in Canada. I saw in this forum that you can get a box at UPS; it will show up as ups store address not as a Po box with post office.

 

[InUkCa]

If you enter reenter Canada after the landing by any way other than a personal car you would need PRTD.
I'm not sure the PR card can be mailed outside Canada not even to the US. You can put in the address of a friend or family in Canada or "rent" an address at a UPS store and they can ship it outside Canada. I'll be doing 3,4 and 5.

Hi sea83,
I'm referring again to steps 1-5 of the very first post of this thread.

And for step 3 restricting it to family / friend. That is family or friend in Canada receive the PR card. But the concerned person had already travelled out of Canada.

Step 4 : - Now it is possible for friend or family to mail the PR card to international destination. >>>> Is it allowed / Legal.

Step 5 : - The person now has his PR card and wants to travel back to Canada. >>> Has anyone checked with CIC will he be allowed to enter Canada with his PR Card and there is no need for PRTD. Please see the difference he has the PR Card but it was issued after he left Canada and posted to him outside Canada by family / friend.

Has anyone did the steps 3, 4 and 5.

 

[sea83]

Hi sea83,
I'm referring again to steps 1-5 of the very first post of this thread.

And for step 3 restricting it to family / friend. That is family or friend in Canada receive the PR card. But the concerned person had already travelled out of Canada.

Step 4 : - Now it is possible for friend or family to mail the PR card to international destination. >>>> Is it allowed / Legal.
I don't know about the legality but people have done it in the past

Step 5 : - The person now has his PR card and wants to travel back to Canada. >>> Has anyone checked with CIC will he be allowed to enter Canada with his PR Card and there is no need for PRTD. Please see the difference he has the PR Card but it was issued after he left Canada and posted to him outside Canada by family / friend.

Oh I see your point. You're saying if someone left Canada before getting PR card, then cic might question how he got the pr card once he comes back. People have done in the past and don't they had issues when getting back.
Personally I won't need a ptrd and will use my copr to drive there and pick up the card.

I think you're overthinking it...

Has anyone did the steps 3, 4 and 5.

 

[InUkCa]

Thanks sea83,
My reply in blue.

Hi sea83,
I'm referring again to steps 1-5 of the very first post of this thread.

And for step 3 restricting it to family / friend. That is family or friend in Canada receive the PR card. But the concerned person had already travelled out of Canada.

Step 4 : - Now it is possible for friend or family to mail the PR card to international destination. >>>> Is it allowed / Legal.
I don't know about the legality but people have done it in the past

Step 5 : - The person now has his PR card and wants to travel back to Canada. >>> Has anyone checked with CIC will he be allowed to enter Canada with his PR Card and there is no need for PRTD. Please see the difference he has the PR Card but it was issued after he left Canada and posted to him outside Canada by family / friend.

Oh I see your point. You're saying if someone left Canada before getting PR card, then cic might question how he got the pr card once he comes back. People have done in the past and don't they had issues when getting back. >>> I searched unsuccessfully through the forum just wondering if someone actually did this.

Personally I won't need a ptrd and will use my copr to drive there and pick up the card.

I think you're overthinking it...

Has anyone did the steps 3, 4 and 5.

 

[InUkCa]

Hi,
Please see below post wherein it is mentioned that IRCC saying it is illegal to mail PR card.

http://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/help-needed-pr-card-wont-arrive-by-the-time-i-leave-canada.505754/#post-6171140