Can I come back to Canada?

[vskingdvm]

Hi everyone,

I was a "landed immigrant" in Canada since 1966 when my parents emigrated from England. I was 1 and 1/2 years old when we moved to Ontario and I lived in Ontario until the end of 2001 when I moved to the USA and subsequently became a US permanent resident. I am not a US citizen but retained my British citizenship. I never renounced or officially "gave up" my Canadian permanent residency. At the time we landed, we had a piece of paper as the permanent residency "card". I never had one of the newer plastic cards.

I haven't been back to Canada since 2002. Obviously I don't meet the RO.

I would like to moved back permanently to Ontario at some point in the next 1-2 years. My question is do I have to apply thru the Express Entry or other Skilled Category, or do I have any legal status in Canada anymore?

Or can I come back to Canada on my "landed immigrant" paper, start working and wait 5 years to re-establish my residency?

Or, does anyone have any other suggestions???

Thanks so much in advance.

 

[scylla]

Hi everyone,

I was a "landed immigrant" in Canada since 1966 when my parents emigrated from England. I was 1 and 1/2 years old when we moved to Ontario and I lived in Ontario until the end of 2001 when I moved to the USA and subsequently became a US permanent resident. I am not a US citizen but retained my British citizenship. I never renounced or officially "gave up" my Canadian permanent residency. At the time we landed, we had a piece of paper as the permanent residency "card". I never had one of the newer plastic cards.

I haven't been back to Canada since 2002. Obviously I don't meet the RO.

I would like to moved back permanently to Ontario at some point in the next 1-2 years. My question is do I have to apply thru the Express Entry or other Skilled Category, or do I have any legal status in Canada anymore?

Or can I come back to Canada on my "landed immigrant" paper, start working and wait 5 years to re-establish my residency?

Or, does anyone have any other suggestions???

Thanks so much in advance.

You still have PR status.

If you want to try to retain your PR status, you would need to try to re-enter Canada through a land border using a private vehicle and hope you are not reported for failing to meet the residency requirement. If you manage to enter Canada without being reported, then you can remain in Canada for 2 years without leaving and then apply to renew your PR card. If you can do this successfully, you'll be able to retain your PR status.

Otherwise the only option would be to renounce your PR status and apply for PR through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry.

 

[vskingdvm]

You still have PR status.

If you want to try to retain your PR status, you would need to try to re-enter Canada through a land border using a private vehicle and hope you are not reported for failing to meet the residency requirement. If you manage to enter Canada without being reported, then you can remain in Canada for 2 years without leaving and then apply to renew your PR card. If you can do this successfully, you'll be able to retain your PR status.

Otherwise the only option would be to renounce your PR status and apply for PR through an economic immigration stream like Express Entry.

 

[vskingdvm]

Thank you Scylla. I appreciate your help very much.

How would I know if I got "reported"?

I don't have one of those newer PR cards....it's my original very fragile piece of old paper, so wouldn't the Ontario border officers be suspicious the minute I showed it to them? And I would be driving a car with a US license plate!

If I was successful, am I able to work right away as if I never left?

Sorry for all the questions.....

 

[scylla]

Thank you Scylla. I appreciate your help very much.

How would I know if I got "reported"?

I don't have one of those newer PR cards....it's my original very fragile piece of old paper, so wouldn't the Ontario border officers be suspicious the minute I showed it to them? And I would be driving a car with a US license plate!

If I was successful, am I able to work right away as if I never left?

Sorry for all the questions.....

You'll be told if you are reported and given paperwork stating so.

Assuming you have a SIN, yes, you'll be able to work immediately. Health care coverage may be more problematic. I believe many/most provinces now require a valid PR card to renew / obtain health care coverage.

You'll need to import your vehicle. Do some research on that to see what it involves and make sure you have clear title to your vehicle (i.e. not leased).

 

[IndianBos]

Thank you Scylla. I appreciate your help very much.

How would I know if I got "reported"?

I don't have one of those newer PR cards....it's my original very fragile piece of old paper, so wouldn't the Ontario border officers be suspicious the minute I showed it to them? And I would be driving a car with a US license plate!

If I was successful, am I able to work right away as if I never left?

Sorry for all the questions.....

Just a word of caution, I am being a Devil's advocate.
Given that you have been away for so long, the chances of you getting reported on the border are very high. You may be issued a departure order which you can appeal within 30 days. The appeal process can itself be between 1-2 years.

While you will be able to work, there will be a lot of uncertainty with your status given the appeal. If you are ok with the uncertainty, give it a try.

 

[canuck78]

Would add that you can't sponsor anyone until you are compliant with your RO. It's unclear if you are married or have children. Assume you have a SIN# to be able to work although it will be inactive at this point.

 

[vskingdvm]

Hi Canuck78,

I would be coming back to Canada by myself. I have no children. I do have a SIN (probably dormant at this point). Want to come back mainly to be with my remaining family members. I really miss Canada!

I tried to check my SIN thru a link from another post by a member on this site, but it wasn't a valid link. Do you know of a link to check if a SIN is valid?

 

[IndianBos]

I don't think there is a way to check for the dormant flag online. SIN is valid once issued and you can use it for work purposes. You cannot use it for online services or social assistance if there is a dormant flag on it.

There are a few ways to remove the dormant flag though, as mentioned on the link below.

https://discuss.settlement.org/topic40715-reactivate-my-social-insurance-number-sinhow.aspx

 

[canuck78]

Hi Canuck78,

I would be coming back to Canada by myself. I have no children. I do have a SIN (probably dormant at this point). Want to come back mainly to be with my remaining family members. I really miss Canada!

I tried to check my SIN thru a link from another post by a member on this site, but it wasn't a valid link. Do you know of a link to check if a SIN is valid?

Essentially you'll need to take the risk of trying to return. If you get reported you can appeal but you have been out of Canada for a very long time and you haven't even visited so you don't have very strong ties to Canada. Expect that it may be impossible to get provincial healthcare for 2+ years if you return to Canada.\ so you will likely have to pay for emergency medical insurance and pay for routine care and medication. If you get reported your time in Canada doesn;t count towards your RO unless you are able to keep your PR status.

 

[vskingdvm]

Hi Canuck78,

Thank you for your input. Sorry for the delayed response but I didn't get notified that I had a reply.

So, I guess it's probably best for me to renounce my previous PR status and reapply thru Express Entry.

 

[canuck78]

Hi Canuck78,

Thank you for your input. Sorry for the delayed response but I didn't get notified that I had a reply.

So, I guess it's probably best for me to renounce my previous PR status and reapply thru Express Entry.

That's your decision to make.

 

[scylla]

Hi Canuck78,

Thank you for your input. Sorry for the delayed response but I didn't get notified that I had a reply.

So, I guess it's probably best for me to renounce my previous PR status and reapply thru Express Entry.

Before you rush to renounce your status, please have a look at Canada's immigration programs and their criteria to determine if reapplying from scratch is feasible for you. Many of Canada's programs are now points-based (meaning those with the most points are selected). For Express Entry, you would need to score around 470 to have a good chance of being selected and this will most likely be quite challenging due to your age. You may be far better off trying your chances at the border.

 

[vskingdvm]

Hi Scylla,
Thank you for your response. Even though I am older, I am a veterinarian and think that I may have enough points to qualify for some of the programs that I have reviewed on the Canadian Immigration website. But, maybe I am totally wrong on that point. Granted I won't get any "bonus" point for my age!

 

[scylla]

Hi Scylla,
Thank you for your response. Even though I am older, I am a veterinarian and think that I may have enough points to qualify for some of the programs that I have reviewed on the Canadian Immigration website. But, maybe I am totally wrong on that point. Granted I won't get any "bonus" point for my age!

Run the numbers. Even with your veterinarian degree, I expect you will fall around or below 400 as an overall score. You lose significant points for your age, as well as the fact you have no Canadian education or work experience (I'm also going to assume you don't know French). IMO Express Entry direct is not going to be an option for you (you need around 470 for this to be feasible) and you'll need to look at the PNP programs instead which have a lot of restrictions in place right now and aren't a cake walk.

Here's the CRS calculator to determine your EE score:

https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/skilled/crs-tool.asp