This is the revival of an old discussion. Recent comments call for clarification.
I believe the old card will grand you entrance to Canada provided it's valid, unless you receive the new PR it's valid (of-course you will receive it once you back to Canada).
A Permanent Resident does NOT need a PR card, any PR card, to obtain "
entrance to Canada." PRs are statutorily entitled to entry.
While the PR's experience at the PoE is less likely to involve elevated screening if the PR presents a valid PR card, presenting an expired PR card or even a passport plus copy of the CoPR will easily suffice for purposes of entry . . . compliance with PR Residency Obligation may be examined, but for purposes of being allowed to enter Canada, the expired PR card or copy of CoPR will readily work. In fact, if the PR can establish identity (a passport is usually sufficient), subject to only unusual exceptions, that will suffice to get "
entrance to Canada" since CBSA will verify the traveler's PR status in GCMS.
A valid PR card is what the PR needs (with some exceptions) to board an airline flight headed to Canada. An expired card will not work for this.
Technically the issuance of a new PR card results in making the old PR card invalid. Thus, for example, even if the date the old card expires has not happened yet, so the PR card might appear valid on its face, that is it has not expired, once a new PR card is issued the old PR card is no longer valid. It is then NOT valid. So it is NOT possible to present CBSA officers an old card that is "valid" if IRCC has issued a new card, since the old card is no longer valid by virtue of the new card being issued.
At the PoE itself, no big deal. If the PR has not physically received the new PR card, and shows the border officer the old (now invalid) PR card, the officer may or may not ask about it, such as why is the old card being presented. But the situation is easily explained: have not physically received the new card yet. Should be NO problem.
For purposes of boarding the flight headed to Canada, I do NOT know how this currently works. The discussion above was primarily about the situation back in 2017 or before. At that time the system for electronic screening of passengers boarding flights abroad was still in the implementation and ironing out the wrinkles phase. Some commented, for example, that upon boarding their flight to Canada it appeared the airline merely visually inspected the PR card, so that a PR card which appears to still be valid would work . . . even though technically the card is no longer valid because a replacement has been issued.
It is likely that today PRs boarding flights to Canada from abroad are electronically screened, same as eTA travelers. So I do not know if the anecdotal experiences referenced in 2017 apply today.
In any event, nonetheless, the PR does not need any PR card to obtain "
entrance to Canada," as long as the PR can physically get himself or herself to a PoE for Canada.
Any other experiences on this? With the current delays in processing, this is relevant for many people I guess.
Not sure how the delays in processing would affect this question, about whether or not a PR abroad can present his or her old PR card AFTER a new PR card has been issued.
The delay in processing is likely affecting the number of PRs getting stuck with an expired PR card and waiting for a new PR card. And some of these are likely to be abroad.
As noted above, they do NOT need a valid PR card to obtain "
entrance to Canada." But unless they can travel via the U.S., or have access to a private plane, or perhaps a private boat, that can carry them to Canada, they do need a valid PR card to board a flight headed to Canada . . . so the delay can indeed mean an increasing number of PRs are stuck abroad without means to get to Canada. They do have the option of obtaining a PR Travel Document. There are conflicting anecdotal reports about how much more difficult this is in these pandemic stricken days.
Unlike drivers licenses, health care cards, tags on vehicles, and other things which at least some provinces have unilaterally extended (in Ontario, at least, these are all extended "until further notice"), there is no indication that IRCC has extended the validity of expiring PR cards. So it is not likely, so far as the information at IRCC shows, that PRs abroad can use an expired PR card to board a flight.
