Travel plans and In limbo between PR renewal and citizenship applications

[victor58]

Dear Friends,

I submitted my citizenship application back in Oct 2019 and I recently passed the test over the weekend. When I check my status online, it shows "complete" for Background verification and Citizenship test. However, what is still "in progress" is Language skills, Physical presence and Prohibitions (no clue why as that should have already been validated).

My PR card expired in Feb 2021 and I applied for a renewal. My PR application status says "in process" since April 2, 2021. Now do I need to pursue my PR card renewal or not? Up until what date am I allowed to use my PR card?

I want to make some international travel plans for October 2021 and I am not sure how to go about this (I am currently in Canada). Would I travel with my PR card or Canadian passport so that I can return back to Canada (assuming I get either of them by then?).

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[k.h.p.]

You would need to travel with one of them if you intend to come back to Canada.

If you have neither, leaving Canada adds a layer of complexity to your travel, as getting back would require either (a) a PRTD if you are not yet a citizen, or (b) a passport, issued by a Canadian embassy, if you somehow take the oath and travel without a Canadian passport.

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Dear Friends,

I submitted my citizenship application back in Oct 2019 and I recently passed the test over the weekend. When I check my status online, it shows "complete" for Background verification and Citizenship test. However, what is still "in progress" is Language skills, Physical presence and Prohibitions (no clue why as that should have already been validated).

Those statuses will be set to "Completed" when an officer makes a decision on your application. It can take a few weeks (sometimes months) from the date when the test was set to complete. But given that you are a 2019 applicant, it might happen sooner than later (but, of course, no guarantees).

My PR card expired in Feb 2021 and I applied for a renewal. My PR application status says "in process" since April 2, 2021. Now do I need to pursue my PR card renewal or not? Up until what date am I allowed to use my PR card?

You can use your PR card up until you take the oath of citizenship. Your PR card has to be cut in front of the camera (in front of IRCC officials) after you've taken the oath so you can't use it.

You can use your current PR card up until the date of expiry (you can return to Canada with your current PR card on or before the date it expires in Feb 2021) PROVIDED you don't become a Canadian citizen before that. I would STRONGLY recommend that you have at least 1 day buffer (For instance, if the PR card is expiring on 15th Feb, try to enter Canada no later than 14th Feb).

I want to make some international travel plans for October 2021 and I am not sure how to go about this (I am currently in Canada). Would I travel with my PR card or Canadian passport so that I can return back to Canada (assuming I get either of them by then?).

You can't apply for a Canadian passport until you've taken the oath of citizenship and you've received your original Canadian citizenship certificate. Citizenship certificate might take a few weeks to arrive after oath. You'll then have to apply for a passport, which could take up to a month to be delivered to you.

Remember that you can potentially have both the citizenship certificate AND the passport processed and sent to you urgently depending on your travel needs.

Like I said before, you CANNOT use your PR card after you've taken the oath of citizenship. If your PR card application is still in progress on the oath day, let the IRCC officials know and they will send a request internally to cancel it.

I would appreciate your thoughts.

Thanks!

 

[victor58]

Many thanks for your reply mate but I dont understand one point. My current PR card has already expired, it expired in Feb 2021 (maybe you are reading it as Feb 2022). I applied for a renewal of my PR card which says it is in progress since April 2, 2021. So I dont believe I can travel with my current PR card since it has already expired. Unless there is some special rule?

Currently I have no valid document in order to return back to Canada which is why I am not sure if I can go ahead with my travel plans. I plan to travel in October 2021 and return in Nov 2021

 

[scylla]

Many thanks for your reply mate but I dont understand one point. My current PR card has already expired, it expired in Feb 2021 (maybe you are reading it as Feb 2022). I applied for a renewal of my PR card which says it is in progress since April 2, 2021. So I dont believe I can travel with my current PR card since it has already expired. Unless there is some special rule?

Currently I have no valid document in order to return back to Canada which is why I am not sure if I can go ahead with my travel plans. I plan to travel in October 2021 and return in Nov 2021

You can't use an expired PR card to fly back to Canada.

You need to have citizenship and a passport by then OR a new PR card OR you can apply for a PR Travel Document from outside of Canada to return.

 

[victor58]

You can't use an expired PR card to fly back to Canada.

You need to have citizenship and a passport by then OR a new PR card OR you can apply for a PR Travel Document from outside of Canada to return.

thanks mate its clear now

 

[rajkamalmohanram]

Many thanks for your reply mate but I dont understand one point. My current PR card has already expired, it expired in Feb 2021 (maybe you are reading it as Feb 2022). I applied for a renewal of my PR card which says it is in progress since April 2, 2021. So I dont believe I can travel with my current PR card since it has already expired. Unless there is some special rule?

Currently I have no valid document in order to return back to Canada which is why I am not sure if I can go ahead with my travel plans. I plan to travel in October 2021 and return in Nov 2021

I'm sorry. I indeed read it as Feb 2022, my bad.

You can leave the country without the PR card but can't get back in. If you don't have a valid PR card, you'll have to apply for a PRTD.

In this case, unless you have your new PR card, I wouldn't recommend traveling in October unless it is ABSOLUTELY unavoidable (exceptional circumstances). You don't want to be stuck outside Canada without a PR card and then apply for a PRTD which might take a while to be issued.

 

[carl321]

PR card will be here before October and worse case scenario PRTD works too. Citizenship wise can’t really comment. I’m a June 2019 applicant got my cert in June 2021 (2yrs) thanks to the pandemic

 

[victor58]

Dear Friends,

As mentioned earlier, my PR card is currently expired and my citizenship application has been pending since October 2019.

I submitted my PR renewal application on Feb 22, 2021 and it has been close to 7 months and my application status still shows as "In Process" (the average time on the website says 132 days so we are well beyond that). For my citizenship application, I completed my citizenship test on July 4, 2021 and I have heard nothing further for 2.5 months. I have followed up on both applications via the web form and all I get is a copy paste answer.

I would like to travel to meet my family (its not urgent) but I am stuck in Canada as I will not be able to return to Canada.

Can I do anything to expedite my situation? Or is it just an endless waiting game?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

 

[bellaluna]

Dear Friends,

As mentioned earlier, my PR card is currently expired and my citizenship application has been pending since October 2019.

I submitted my PR renewal application on Feb 22, 2021 and it has been close to 7 months and my application status still shows as "In Process" (the average time on the website says 132 days so we are well beyond that). For my citizenship application, I completed my citizenship test on July 4, 2021 and I have heard nothing further for 2.5 months. I have followed up on both applications via the web form and all I get is a copy paste answer.

I would like to travel to meet my family (its not urgent) but I am stuck in Canada as I will not be able to return to Canada.

Can I do anything to expedite my situation? Or is it just an endless waiting game?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

Might there be something in your profile that could be holding up your PR card and citizenship applications? The PR card situation is very unusual.

You were already told about the PRTD option but the PRTD processing times in your country may be a crapshoot.

“I want to travel just because I’d like to see my family” usually isn’t a reason to get granted expedited processing. If there was an emergency situation that may be more likely

 

[victor58]

Might there be something in your profile that could be holding up your PR card and citizenship applications? The PR card situation is very unusual.

You were already told about the PRTD option but the PRTD processing times in your country may be a crapshoot.

“I want to travel just because I’d like to see my family” usually isn’t a reason to get granted expedited processing. If there was an emergency situation that may be more likely

Thanks for your response. I would seriously doubt if there is something in my profile as I dont believe there are any flags in my application and it is completely routine. Can I find out in anyway if there is something wrong? Plus I have not received any request for additional supporting documents from what I originally submitted with each application.

I have ageing parents that I havent met in 3 years but I guess that does not fall under emergency. Its just so unfair that delays on IRCC side are now resulting me in being completely stuck here.

 

[bluesami]

Dear Friends,

As mentioned earlier, my PR card is currently expired and my citizenship application has been pending since October 2019.

I submitted my PR renewal application on Feb 22, 2021 and it has been close to 7 months and my application status still shows as "In Process" (the average time on the website says 132 days so we are well beyond that). For my citizenship application, I completed my citizenship test on July 4, 2021 and I have heard nothing further for 2.5 months. I have followed up on both applications via the web form and all I get is a copy paste answer.

I would like to travel to meet my family (its not urgent) but I am stuck in Canada as I will not be able to return to Canada.

Can I do anything to expedite my situation? Or is it just an endless waiting game?

Thoughts would be appreciated.

We are in the same boat, my PR card is expired and my citizenship application has been pending since November 2018.

I submitted my PR renewal application on July 19, 2021 No AOR yet,

You have to wait my brother, we stuck in Canada.

 

[victor58]

We are in the same boat, my PR card is expired and my citizenship application has been pending since November 2018.

I submitted my PR renewal application on July 19, 2021 No AOR yet,

You have to wait my brother, we stuck in Canada.

I got my AOR for my PR renewal application in April 2021 (2 months after my application was submitted ) so you should get it soon....but I have heard literally nothing since April

 

[CDN1234]

Many thanks for your reply mate but I dont understand one point. My current PR card has already expired, it expired in Feb 2021 (maybe you are reading it as Feb 2022). I applied for a renewal of my PR card which says it is in progress since April 2, 2021. So I dont believe I can travel with my current PR card since it has already expired. Unless there is some special rule?

Currently I have no valid document in order to return back to Canada which is why I am not sure if I can go ahead with my travel plans. I plan to travel in October 2021 and return in Nov 2021

I have a very similar situation. My citizenship application is stuck, nothing is being processed. My PR card is expired and I applied for renewal.
However, you can still travel under certain circumstances. I asked CBSA via phone.

Common carriers, like airlines, won't let you enter Canada on an expired PR card. But as long as you can somehow travel on your passport to Canada, you should be fine. CBSA says as long as you have a valid PR status, they'll let you in, even if your PR card is expired. But that only works when you're there with CBSA, not with the airline agents. One scenario is crossing the border to the US via a private car, you can return to Canada via a private car as long as you can prove you have a valid PR status.

 

[bluesami]

I got my AOR for my PR renewal application in April 2021 (2 months after my application was submitted ) so you should get it soon....but I have heard literally nothing since April

Call them, most of the people here renew the PR card within a maximum of 4 months.