Hi, I'm leaving tomorrow for a short trip out of canada and I just realized my residence card expired a week ago ( fail, I know). I am flying, and the airport I come back through has me going through immigration AFTER I land. I've met all requirements and have lived in Canada the last 5 years. Can I be denied entry? I'm freaking out a bit.
Expired residence card- urgent
- Thread starter padgett
- Start date
Not only that but some airlines may deny boarding without proper travel documents. The PRTD takes some time to process and you have to send your passport with the request, IIRC. You may want to make sure that you'll get that back in time or at least be able to delay your return until you receive it.
There are no "chances" to take. As you have an American passport, you are eTA-exempt and therefore can board a plane to Canada on the strength of just your passport. Do not mention to the airline that you are a PR, as they may refuse to board you without a valid PR card or PRTD.
Good point regarding boarding the plane back to Canada. However, it certainly is a chance to take when you're coming through Canadian Customs.
Not sure where you live, but if you are close to the border, you could drive to the US, take your flight within the US, then drive back across the border. You would likely be let back in even with your expired PR card. They'll give you some grief about it.
No, it isn't a chance. There is no legal requirement to have a PR card or PRTD to enter Canada; they are documents required to TRAVEL to Canada, not to enter. OP is a PR and has the right of entry.
From the CIC website:
Your PR card can be used to show that you have permanent resident status in Canada. If you travel outside Canada, you will need to show your card and your passport when you come back on a commercial vehicle, like an airplane, boat, train or bus.
PRs traveling outside Canada who do not have a valid PR card, or who are not carrying it, need to apply for a permanent resident travel document before returning to Canada by commercial vehicle.
When my son was in the US for Xmas with his mom, his PR card expired. There was no way to get it renewed that fast, nor get a PRTD. I talked to a couple people at CIC and they said he would likely get refused entry without the card or a PRTD. I ended up having to reroute him to Buffalo and go get him from there, as driving across in my own vehicle required alternative options.
Which is why you don't mention it to the gate agents when you board the plane. There is a reason they won't let you board, because they would be on the hook for flying you back should you be refused entry without proper travel documents.
Your quote from IRCC is simply reiterating what I said. The PR card or PRTD is required to board a commercial carrier to travel to Canada. It is NOT required to be granted entry to Canada. This is stated in the law.
The IRCC Call Centre staff are poorly trained and provide wrong information most of the time. Had you called CBSA, they would have told you "No problem". PRs have the right of entry and your son would not have been refused.
While the airline would be on the hook, that would not happen in this situation because, again, PRs have the right of entry. The airline can't be certain of the PR status without the PR card or PRTD and can't just take the person's word for it, so they can refuse to board them even though the person knows that they will not be refused entry.