Card expiry while abroad with Canadian spouse

[jamesinjapan]

Hello,

Apologies in advance if this issue has been raised many times before.

My wife's PR card is due to expire in April. We had to leave Canada for Japan soon after she got the card due to employment reasons, but I understand that as long as she's been accompanying me (a Canadian citizen), her status is still valid.

We cannot return to Canada in the near future, but we do not want to lose her PR status. So my questions are:

1) Is it possible to renew the card from outside Canada? (I've heard it's not)

2) Is my understanding correct that when we do go back, she can apply for a Travel Document using her expired card, and renew the PR card once in Canada?

3) Is there a time limit for getting the Travel Document and subsequently renewing the PR card once it has expired?

and finally... 4) If we made a short visit to Canada to visit family and she used her Japanese passport, but we didn't have time to stay and renew the card, would that have any bearing on the process later?

Thanks so much for any advice. We really don't want to see the PR card go down the drain, but at the same time, work is an unfortunate necessity..

 

[zygurn]

1. Not possible.
2. Yes, she can; but she can enter with her passport alone as a visitor.
3. No limit, your wife hasn't lost status as PR because she's married to you, a Canadian citizen. The card has an expiry date but this isn't expiry of her status, just the card itself. She could be 20 years in Japan but as long as she's married to you then she would still be a PR even if the card expired 15 years before and she never renewed it.
4. No bearing whatsoever since she can enter on her passport alone.

 

[Karlshammar]

1. No, but she can enter as a PR anyway with a travel document.
2. Yes.
3. No, like Zygurn said, because she is accompanying you (a Canadian citizen and her spouse) she will keep her PR indefinitely.
4. No, not at all. You can just get another travel document.

I wouldn't recommend entering on passport alone as a visitor because a) they can theoretically refuse this, and b) I am not certain what will happen, but it may look strange if she enters as a visitor and then claims PR privileges. Better to get a travel document and enter as a PR.

 

[jamesinjapan]

Thank you both so much for your prompt replies! You really put our minds at ease about this.
Much appreciated.