Applying for New PR Card

[Kyron.odonnell]

Hey, so I’m in a weird situation and haven’t been able to find good help to I’m hoping someone will be able to help me here.
So I was born in Australia, but moved to Canada in 2003 with my mother and Step Father (who is a Canadian). We lived there for 10 years as Permanent Residents, then relocated back to Australia. BUT when we moved back to Australia, my parents stupidly threw away my sister and I’s PR cards and all documents assuming we wouldn’t ever move back. Now I’m wanting to move back but I’m stuck because I don’t have any documents to support the fact I am a permanent resident, including the passport I had when we gained the PR. I have been back since, but had to drive over the border from the US since I didn’t have a PR card in which you can’t fly direct into Canada. I want to move back and work now, but I can’t get a SIN number without a PR card. It’s just a bit of a mess really.
Does anyone know how I can go about the process and how I can get a new PR card without any of the supporting documents, besides my step father being a Canadian? My mother is also still a PR but the process was easy for her since she is married to my step father.
Thank you!

 

[canuck78]

Hey, so I’m in a weird situation and haven’t been able to find good help to I’m hoping someone will be able to help me here.
So I was born in Australia, but moved to Canada in 2003 with my mother and Step Father (who is a Canadian). We lived there for 10 years as Permanent Residents, then relocated back to Australia. BUT when we moved back to Australia, my parents stupidly threw away my sister and I’s PR cards and all documents assuming we wouldn’t ever move back. Now I’m wanting to move back but I’m stuck because I don’t have any documents to support the fact I am a permanent resident, including the passport I had when we gained the PR. I have been back since, but had to drive over the border from the US since I didn’t have a PR card in which you can’t fly direct into Canada. I want to move back and work now, but I can’t get a SIN number without a PR card. It’s just a bit of a mess really.
Does anyone know how I can go about the process and how I can get a new PR card without any of the supporting documents, besides my step father being a Canadian? My mother is also still a PR but the process was easy for her since she is married to my step father.
Thank you!

You don’t qualify for a PR card because you haven’t met your residency obligation. You would need to enter Canada and wait 2 years before qualifying to apply for a PR card. Once you have your PR card you will be able to get a SIN. Assume you crossed the border as an Australian and your PR status wasn’t declared. How old are you?

 

[Kyron.odonnell]

You don’t qualify for a PR card because you haven’t met your residency obligation. You would need to enter Canada and wait 2 years before qualifying to apply for a PR card. Once you have your PR card you will be able to get a SIN. Assume you crossed the border as an Australian and your PR status wasn’t declared. How old are you?

I would say your right, but being with a Canadian citizen outside of Canada (my step father) counts as days in Canada in which case I would meet the requirements. And yes that’s correct, you just have to cross as an australian. I’m 22 years old.

 

[canuck78]

I would say your right, but being with a Canadian citizen outside of Canada (my step father) counts as days in Canada in which case I would meet the requirements. And yes that’s correct, you just have to cross as an australian. I’m 22 years old.

Actually you are required to declare your PR status. The computers should also pick it up. Then apply for PRTD. Would not move to Canada until you have the PRTD because without a SIN you won’t be able to work legally.

 

[Kyron.odonnell]

Yeah I mean the computers must have picked it up because the border officer let me straight through. All I know is that I’m still a PR, I just don’t have a card. The main question is that I’m not sure how I’m meant to apply for a PRTD without my initial passport etc... Do you know if you can get a SIN number with a travel document as evidence? Or do you have to have the PR as hard proof?

 

[canuck78]

Yeah I mean the computers must have picked it up because the border officer let me straight through. All I know is that I’m still a PR, I just don’t have a card. The main question is that I’m not sure how I’m meant to apply for a PRTD without my initial passport etc... Do you know if you can get a SIN number with a travel document as evidence? Or do you have to have the PR as hard proof?

You got waived through because of your Australian passport. As a PR you are supposed to enter as a PR and not using other passports. Your only option is to apply for a a PRTD. Your status will be on record. This is going to take time.

 

[Kyron.odonnell]

Yeah I that’s the only way I can enter back to see family, is as an Australian because without a PR card you can’t fly into Canada unless I renounce my residency which I don’t want to do.

 

[canuck78]

Yeah I that’s the only way I can enter back to see family, is as an Australian because without a PR card you can’t fly into Canada unless I renounce my residency which I don’t want to do.

I know that is the only way but you are supposed to declare that you are a PR. The computers should also pickup that you are a PR with your passport.

Assume you have been living with your stepfather. Not sure if the fact that you are 22 will be an issue.

 

[Islander216]

You should have asked for your information when you crossed the border, the border agent would have had it on the system and could have provided it to you.

There are a few things you should determine.

1. Did your step father formally adopt you? If he did you could get him to sponsor you after renouncing your PR status.
2. You could submit an application for a PTRD and provide a summary of your situation to your VO, if you left Canada as a minor they could be sympathetic to reviewing your application and allow you to renew your permanent residency from within Canada.

You should have looked into all of this when you entered Canada, because even if you don't fulfill the residency obligations, you don't lose your PR status until there is a review of your file. When then that happens, you could provide the information that you were a minor when you left Canada, and your parents did not understand the importance of your status. You could also submit that because you lived there for 10 years, you could have applied for citizenship but weren't guided to do so by your parents, and were too young to understand the implications of not doing so.

You have a lot to work with, but you need to start the process.

 

[canuck78]

You should have asked for your information when you crossed the border, the border agent would have had it on the system and could have provided it to you.

There are a few things you should determine.

1. Did your step father formally adopt you? If he did you could get him to sponsor you after renouncing your PR status.
2. You could submit an application for a PTRD and provide a summary of your situation to your VO, if you left Canada as a minor they could be sympathetic to reviewing your application and allow you to renew your permanent residency.

Good point. Forgot that it is a stepparent. This may be a PRTD based on H&C even if you were living with your mother and stepfather until now.

 

[Kyron.odonnell]

I know that is the only way but you are supposed to declare that you are a PR. The computers should also pickup that you are a PR with your passport.

Assume you have been living with your stepfather. Not sure if the fact that you are 22 will be an issue.

Correct. I meet the requirements for being with him, that’s not an issue. Applying for the PRTD is the confusing part now, because I

Good point. Forgot that it is a stepparent. This may be a PRTD based on H&C even if you were living with your mother and stepfather until now.

You should have asked for your information when you crossed the border, the border agent would have had it on the system and could have provided it to you.

There are a few things you should determine.

1. Did your step father formally adopt you? If he did you could get him to sponsor you after renouncing your PR status.
2. You could submit an application for a PTRD and provide a summary of your situation to your VO, if you left Canada as a minor they could be sympathetic to reviewing your application and allow you to renew your permanent residency.

Yeah for sure, I definitely should have asked but was not sure at the time.
I don’t think my step dad has formally adopted me, all I know for sure is that my mother had full custody of me at the time.
I think the PRTD option seems to be the best option right now, now the confusing part is going to be applying for the PRTD with all these different circumstances. Lol

 

[Islander216]

I edited by post to further elaborate on some of the elements you should include in your letter of explanation.

Here they are again:
You should have looked into all of this when you entered Canada, because even if you don't fulfill the residency obligations, you don't lose your PR status until there is a review of your file. Then when that happens, you could provide the information that you were a minor when you left Canada, and your parents did not understand the importance of your status. You could also submit that because you lived there for 10 years, you could have applied for citizenship but weren't guided to do so by your parents, and were too young to understand the implications of not doing so.

I can't stress enough that your parents were pretty negligent by not securing you Canadian citizenship at the time, i think an immigration officer will definitely view this as a mitigating circumstance.

 

[canuck78]

Correct. I meet the requirements for being with him, that’s not an issue. Applying for the PRTD is the confusing part now, because I



Yeah for sure, I definitely should have asked but was not sure at the time.
I don’t think my step dad has formally adopted me, all I know for sure is that my mother had full custody of me at the time.
I think the PRTD option seems to be the best option right now, now the confusing part is going to be applying for the PRTD with all these different circumstances. Lol

PRTD is your only option. When your stepfather sponsored your mother you were included as her dependent. You are no longer a dependent at 22.

 

[canuck78]

I edited by post to further elaborate on some of the elements you should include in your letter of explanation.

Here they are again:
You should have looked into all of this when you entered Canada, because even if you don't fulfill the residency obligations, you don't lose your PR status until there is a review of your file. Then when that happens, you could provide the information that you were a minor when you left Canada, and your parents did not understand the importance of your status. You could also submit that because you lived there for 10 years, you could have applied for citizenship but weren't guided to do so by your parents, and were too young to understand the implications of not doing so.

Not that simple. At 22 being removed as a minor isn’t guaranteed. Without a SIN it could be many months where OP can’t work and can’t get healthcare. Without a SIN it becomes much more difficult to come back to Canada and wait out getting a PR card.

 

[Kyron.odonnell]

I edited by post to further elaborate on some of the elements you should include in your letter of explanation.

Here they are again:
You should have looked into all of this when you entered Canada, because even if you don't fulfill the residency obligations, you don't lose your PR status until there is a review of your file. Then when that happens, you could provide the information that you were a minor when you left Canada, and your parents did not understand the importance of your status. You could also submit that because you lived there for 10 years, you could have applied for citizenship but weren't guided to do so by your parents, and were too young to understand the implications of not doing so.

Absolutely, this is a huge help. There’s 1 last problem I have ran into. In the initial post I made, I mentioned that my parents threw away most of our supporting documents. This includes the passport which I had when we first entered, and when I review the PRTD application it mentions that you need to submit that passport. Any information about how I would go about that by any chance? I have a bad feeling I have no grounds to work on without that.