Citizenship or Pr Card and travelling via US

[Joe2013]

Hi guys,

it is a very long story but I'll try to make it short.

I have Italian passport.
PR since 1978, my dad left I was only 8 y.o. at the time)
May 2012 - Returned (with wife and son 1 year old) to Canada after a long absence. NO REPORT at the boarder.
May 2012 - Submitted a PR Card application with an attached signed letter about the reasons of my absence and return in Canada.
October 2012 - Left Canada for business for 2 weeks and returned without a PR Card, NO REPORT but they told me last time otherwise you will be reported.
Oct - Requested verification of status
Dec 2012 - Residency questionnaire never sent back because...
Jan 2013 - PR Application withdrawal
March 2013 - Received verification of status with NO Report.
June 2013 - Withdrawal accepted. And advice to re-apply only with RO.
Dec 2014 - Submitted inland family sponsorship wife (TFW since 2012 and now implied status with no ohip) and our son Visitor record attending JK.

Now.... I'm debating if I need to wait until May or June 2015 and apply for Citizenship or for a PR Card immediately.
I heard that applying for citizenship can lead me to lose my PR because of the long absence.
I know I have a red flag because of all this but NO REPORT.
I have Ohip card, Sin card and working regularly, NO criminal, no health conditions. I would like to travel to help my dad that lives in Italy.
Probably 1 week a year and I'm willing to fly from New York, I can drive until there, taking with me a photocopy (barely readable) of my IMM 1000 and my Verification of Status.

Any questions,advice or tips.

Thank you.

 

[CanV]

As I understand you have resided in Canada since May 2012 and only left for 2 weeks. In this case, you should apply for PR card as you meet RO. In few month when you qualify for citizenship you should apply too before the 4/6 come into force (expected June or July this year). You can have both applications processing the same time.

If you need to travel soon, apply for urgent PR. Instructions for urgent processing can be found on CIC website but badically you need to provide copy of flight reservation.

 

[era1521]

Hi guys,

it is a very long story but I'll try to make it short.

I have Italian passport.
PR since 1978, my dad left I was only 8 y.o. at the time)
May 2012 - Returned (with wife and son 1 year old) to Canada after a long absence. NO REPORT at the boarder.
May 2012 - Submitted a PR Card application with an attached signed letter about the reasons of my absence and return in Canada.
October 2012 - Left Canada for business for 2 weeks and returned without a PR Card, NO REPORT but they told me last time otherwise you will be reported.
Oct - Requested verification of status
Dec 2012 - Residency questionnaire never sent back because...
Jan 2013 - PR Application withdrawal
March 2013 - Received verification of status with NO Report.
June 2013 - Withdrawal accepted. And advice to re-apply only with RO.
Dec 2014 - Submitted inland family sponsorship wife (TFW since 2012 and now implied status with no ohip) and our son Visitor record attending JK.

Now.... I'm debating if I need to wait until May or June 2015 and apply for Citizenship or for a PR Card immediately.
I heard that applying for citizenship can lead me to lose my PR because of the long absence.
I know I have a red flag because of all this but NO REPORT.
I have Ohip card, Sin card and working regularly, NO criminal, no health conditions. I would like to travel to help my dad that lives in Italy.
Probably 1 week a year and I'm willing to fly from New York, I can drive until there, taking with me a photocopy (barely readable) of my IMM 1000 and my Verification of Status.

Any questions,advice or tips.

Thank you.

So your status now is visitor, it that correct?
How long have you been out of canada before May 2012 when returned?

 

[thecoolguysam]

Hi guys,

it is a very long story but I'll try to make it short.

I have Italian passport.
PR since 1978, my dad left I was only 8 y.o. at the time)
May 2012 - Returned (with wife and son 1 year old) to Canada after a long absence. NO REPORT at the boarder.
May 2012 - Submitted a PR Card application with an attached signed letter about the reasons of my absence and return in Canada.
October 2012 - Left Canada for business for 2 weeks and returned without a PR Card, NO REPORT but they told me last time otherwise you will be reported.
Oct - Requested verification of status
Dec 2012 - Residency questionnaire never sent back because...
Jan 2013 - PR Application withdrawal
March 2013 - Received verification of status with NO Report.
June 2013 - Withdrawal accepted. And advice to re-apply only with RO.
Dec 2014 - Submitted inland family sponsorship wife (TFW since 2012 and now implied status with no ohip) and our son Visitor record attending JK.

Now.... I'm debating if I need to wait until May or June 2015 and apply for Citizenship or for a PR Card immediately.
I heard that applying for citizenship can lead me to lose my PR because of the long absence.
I know I have a red flag because of all this but NO REPORT.
I have Ohip card, Sin card and working regularly, NO criminal, no health conditions. I would like to travel to help my dad that lives in Italy.
Probably 1 week a year and I'm willing to fly from New York, I can drive until there, taking with me a photocopy (barely readable) of my IMM 1000 and my Verification of Status.

Any questions,advice or tips.

Thank you.

Long story short, here are my questions:

Did you meet your residency obligation of staying 2 out of past 5 years in Canada?
If yes, have your lived enough (3 years out of last 4 years in Canada)?

 

[Joe2013]

Long story short, here are my questions:

Did you meet your residency obligation of staying 2 out of past 5 years in Canada?
If yes, have your lived enough (3 years out of last 4 years in Canada)?

Yes. I have over than 1050 days of physical presence in the last 5 years.

 

[Joe2013]

So your status now is visitor, it that correct?
How long have you been out of canada before May 2012 when returned?

No, I'm a PR.
I have been out way more than the RO.
But now I have almost 3 years of physical residence.

 

[Joe2013]

As I understand you have resided in Canada since May 2012 and only left for 2 weeks. In this case, you should apply for PR card as you meet RO. In few month when you qualify for citizenship you should apply too before the 4/6 come into force (expected June or July this year). You can have both applications processing the same time.

If you need to travel soon, apply for urgent PR. Instructions for urgent processing can be found on CIC website but badically you need to provide copy of flight reservation.

Thank you CanV,
I think I will do this way.
I will go through a questionnaire, do you know if it's still taking 14 months for non routine PR card?

 

[era1521]

No, I'm a PR.
I have been out way more than the RO.
But now I have almost 3 years of physical residence.

Your description sounds confusing; you mentioned something about PR application withdrawn; residency questionnaire never sent; do you have a PR card?

 

[Joe2013]

Your description sounds confusing; you mentioned something about PR application withdrawn; residency questionnaire never sent; do you have a PR card?

I'm sorry Era1521,
I was talking about PR card application. If you read carefully I wrote that I'm a Permanent resident since 1978.

Thanks.

I think I've got my questions answered.

Thanks again.

 

[era1521]

I'm sorry Era1521,
I was talking about PR card application. If you read carefully I wrote that I'm a Permanent resident since 1978.

Thanks.

I think I've got my questions answered.

Thanks again.

I understand that was the (PR) card you applied for and later on withdrawn the application; do you have a PR card now?
In what context did you received the Residency Questionnaire; when you applied for PR card?
What was the decision for wife sponsorship? You should have it by now if sponsored them in December and processing time is ~60days.

 

[Joe2013]

Hi Era1521,

at the moment my wife has received the open work permit for 1 year, and we renewed the health card as well.
I applied again for my PR card in Early may and no news for now.
The only communication we've received it's that CIC got our sponsorship application.

Best,

 

[MiriamT]

Hi Era1521,

at the moment my wife has received the open work permit for 1 year, and we renewed the health card as well.
I applied again for my PR card in Early may and no news for now.
The only communication we've received it's that CIC got our sponsorship application.

Best,

In regards to the PR Card, next time you'll hear from them is either when they mail the PR Card or have you pick up at a local office, or if they need extra documentation.

Right now they're processing requests received up to until late April: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm-card.asp

You don't currently qualify for citizenship, so no sense in applying before then.