Can anyone please help - PR renewal CIC office in Toronto

[karenps]

Hello all,
I have posted before and am desperately hoping someone on this board can answer my question. I submitted my parents' PR card renewal application on July 23 (the day their PR cards expired). They have been in Canada for 733 days in past 5 years, and the basic requirement to maintain PR status is 730 days. Our application was transferred to the local CIC office in Toronto. My parents are scheduled to travel in Oct and I have no idea what to expect from CIC. I sent them a detailed chart outling all the dates they were in and out of Canada and the number of days they've been in Canada. I sent their passport pages with entry stamps into Canada. They are almost 70 so do not have work and are solely dependent on me finanically and otherwise.

Have any ofyou had your files transferred to local CIC offices from case processing centers? What are the timelines like? Since they meet the basic requirement, do you think there isa chance their files may be expedited?

If you have any knowledge or experience you can share with me, I'll be most grateful.

Thank you so much for your time.
Karen

 

[MissE]

Hi,

I don't have much expertise in this area, but it seems your parents should not have any problems getting their PR Card. You still have some time until October, so just be patient. they say on their website that the average time for processing is 79 days or about 3 months. If worst comes to worst, you can try to delay their flight ticket. Just don't let them leave without the card.

 

[Leon]

With 733 days, they have exactly 3 days more than the minimum requirement so it is possible that immigration wants to make sure that they really stayed for 733 days. This can really delay the application. The normal processing time is 3 months but with a residency requirement, it can easily be a year. They should postpone their trip and wait it out.

 

[karenps]

Thanks for your help, all. Not sure how we can prove they were here for these number of days other than with their entry (arrival) stamps in Canada and entry stamps (back in their country) when they arrived back there from canada. We filed their income tax returns, but since they don't work, they had nothing to claim. I don't think they can stay here another year so we think we will have them stay long ebough so that we can apply for a travel document for them to come back to Canada next year. We will make sure they have 730 days in the past 5 year period so they can apply for the travel document.

I think if the minimun requirement is 730 days, CIC should honor that and not delay applications that are slightly over the limit since the limit IS met. I understand they need to verify these days, but the application of a person who has been here for 733 days should not be treated the same as the one who has been here 430 days.

Also, when they look up a person's PR card info in their immigration records, do they not see exactly when the person entered and left Canada? This should be stored in each PR card since the IO swipes it upon entry to Canada.

Oh well. We'll just have to see what they do.

Thanks again for your insights.

Karen

 

[Leon]

They don't always have complete records of peoples trips. Some time ago I heard they were planning on taking up exit checks because they haven't had them in the past so basically they might know when you had arrived but not when you left. On the land border with the US, both entry and exit checks have been lacking, that is they don't always swipe the PR card when you enter, let alone when you leave.

 

[karenps]

Thanks, Leon! Hopefully that'll change soon.

Also, in your experience, is it difficult to get a trave document when a PR card is being processed if they meet residency requirements?


Karen

 

[scylla]

Thanks, Leon! Hopefully that'll change soon.

Also, in your experience, is it difficult to get a trave document when a PR card is being processed if they meet residency requirements?


Karen

There's always a chance they could run into problems getting a TD. Remember that their PR cards have now expired. Also, as Leon mentioned, they just barely meet residency requirements. If they leave the country and end up applying for a TD, the embassy may also question if the have really met residency requirements and could refuse the TD.

If they want to retain their PR, your parents should remain in the country until their PR cards are renewed.

 

[karenps]

Thanks very much, all. I appreciate hearing from you.

Karen