Applying citizenship but home country passport is expired

[meyoutogether143]

Hi everyone,

Been in Canada since 2015 landed as PR and hasn’t leave in the country since then. My passport expired 2018 and didn’t renewed it since I didn’t leave the country. Now, I’m thinking of applying citizenship but my worries is if I’d be in trouble of not holding a valid passport of my home country when applying citizenship? Does anyone has similar issues I have?

 

[SideshowLoki]

Hey, I was in the same boat. I immigrated to Canada from the US and only got my passport (or rather, my dad got me a passport) to do so. I held an expired passport for the longest time and even submitted my application stating it was expired because I didn't want to go back to the US.

(Edited) While I did originally state that as a permanent resident you must have a valid passport, I can't 100% remember where exactly I saw it specified and quickly searching via Google isn't turning anything up. Removed the paragraph for now. That being said, you SHOULD still have one. You are not a citizen of this country yet and if you somehow manage to find yourself leaving the country for any reason, you will need one to return. If anything- even if I can't 100% source what I said about absolutely having to have a valid passport- you should absolutely still have a valid one. Either way, it doesn't hurt in the least to have one!

My advice is to indicate you do have an expired passport and explain it is expired because you haven't renewed it yet due to the fact you didn't really think you needed one, but are going to be getting it renewed as soon as possible. As soon as you get your new valid passport, you can photocopy it and email it to IRCC, if it goes into processing. Be aware that this might delay your application though.

(Edited to add) You should be able to get a passport renewed at your nearest embassy/consulate in the nearest capital city in the province you live. Depending on your age, you might even be able to do it via mail.

 

[Davek]

Hey, I was in the same boat. I immigrated to Canada from the US and only got my passport (or rather, my dad got me a passport) to do so. I held an expired passport for the longest time and even submitted my application stating it was expired because I didn't want to go back to the US.

The fact of the matter is as a Permanent Resident, you MUST hold a valid passport from your country of citizenship at all times. It is an actual legal requirement for you to have one.

My advice is to indicate you do have an expired passport and explain it is expired because you haven't renewed it yet due to the fact you didn't really think you needed one, but are going to be getting it renewed as soon as possible. As soon as you get your new valid passport, you can photocopy it and email it to IRCC, if it goes into processing. Be aware that this might delay your application though.

Please Please Please....don’t create unnecessary anxiety in people...

Which section of the Citizenship and Immigration ACT requires permanent residents to hold a valid passport at all time???
NONE

You don’t even need to have a valid PR card to maintain PR status...

All you need is to state in your application that your passport expired and you had no travel plans and you never renewed it... SIMPLE

 

[SideshowLoki]

Please Please Please....don’t create unnecessary anxiety in people...

Which section of the Citizenship and Immigration ACT requires permanent residents to hold a valid passport at all time???
NONE

You don’t even need to have a valid PR card to maintain PR status...

All you need is to state in your application that your passport expired and you had no travel plans and you never renewed it... SIMPLE

Let me look for it and report back. I'm fairly certain I did see that permanent residents have to hold a valid passport at all times while here in Canada.

 

[Davek]

Let me look for it and report back. I'm fairly certain I did see that permanent residents have to hold a valid passport at all times while here in Canada.

Read that
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=727&top=4

Nowhere does it say a valid passport is required or that if it expires and you don’t renew you loose status

 

[SideshowLoki]

Read that
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=727&top=4

Nowhere does it say a valid passport is required or that if it expires and you don’t renew you loose status

Because I can't seem to find anything to support what I said, I concede that you're correct. I can't shake the feeling I did in fact read it somewhere, but there isn't anything coming up search-wise. However, as I edited in my post above, you should absolutely still hold a passport. You never know if there is an emergency at home and you need to go back at a moment's notice; that actually did happen to me and I almost wasn't able to go back to the States because of my passport situation.

 

[Seym]

Because I can't seem to find anything to support what I said, I concede that you're correct. I can't shake the feeling I did in fact read it somewhere, but there isn't anything coming up search-wise. However, as I edited in my post above, you should absolutely still hold a passport. You never know if there is an emergency at home and you need to go back at a moment's notice; that actually did happen to me and I almost wasn't able to go back to the States because of my passport situation.

You've probably seen that in a forum or some other non official source. @Davek is absolutely right. The valid passport is not needed and most IRCC officers will have no issues with a simple "didn't plan to leave Canada" explanation.

 

[foodie69]

When I applied for citizenship, my "home" passport was expired, I explained it in the application. No issues, got my Canadian passport 6 months later.

 

[nagrish]

Because I can't seem to find anything to support what I said, I concede that you're correct. I can't shake the feeling I did in fact read it somewhere, but there isn't anything coming up search-wise. However, as I edited in my post above, you should absolutely still hold a passport. You never know if there is an emergency at home and you need to go back at a moment's notice; that actually did happen to me and I almost wasn't able to go back to the States because of my passport situation.

I do remember that your passport needs to be valid in the last stages of PR. When CIC asks for passport copy before they send out your CoPR. It stands to reason that you would need a valid passport to land.

 

[foodie69]

I do remember that your passport needs to be valid in the last stages of PR. When CIC asks for passport copy before they send out your CoPR. It stands to reason that you would need a valid passport to land.

Yes, but OP is not landing..s/he is applying for Canadian citizenship.

 

[nagrish]

I was just answering "sideshowloki" about not being able to remember where he/she saw the info about needing a valid passport. Nothing to do with citizenship, I know.

Yes, but OP is not landing..s/he is applying for Canadian citizenship.

 

[meyoutogether143]

Thank you for sharing all your opinion and experienced. I feel good now and I would be able to explain them why I’m not renewing my home country expired passport. I thought this would decrease my chances of applying citizenship but other than that I meet the rest of the requirements.