Confirmation of the permanent resident status

[gertner]

Hi,

I get a job offer and my employer asked me for a copy of permanent resident card as a proof of my status in Canada. I sent it, but they commented that my PRC expired recently. I did not know that a valid PRC is a requirement for employment and I have not yet applied for a new PRC.
I told my potential employer that I will apply for a new card immediately, but I advised them that a wait time is usually more than 3 months. They said that there is no way to wait so long and I have to provide an evidence that I am still permanent resident of Canada as soon as possible. They are expecting to get this evidence for a couple of weeks.
Does anyone know if there is any other way to prove the PR status or it is the only application for a new PRC?
I am wondering if immigration lawyers could communicate with the CIC directly to help with obtaining some proof about my status?
Finally, is there any way to accelerate the process of getting the PRC?

Thank you!

 

[zardoz]

A PR card is not required by law for any activity within Canada. If you never leave Canada, you don't even have to be in possession of a PR card. If the employer insists on seeing a copy of an unexpired card, it's likely that it is to protect themselves against employing an illegal immigrant. A copy of your passport and COPR should be sufficient. You can request urgent processing of a PR card renewal.

 

[Leon]

It is not mandatory to have a PR card to live in Canada and there is no law that says otherwise. Your PR status does not expire with your card.

Tell the employer if your SIN check is coming back as active, that is the measure that you are in Canada legally because if you weren't, your SIN would have been deactivated. Ok, that may not be 100% true but may do the trick.

Otherwise, you may be able to convince the employer to call the CIC call centre and ask if you need a PR card to live in Canada or you could do it with the employer on speaker or you could call yourself and ask and tape the call and play it to the employer.

 

[gertner]

Thank you so much for your answers. This is very helpful.
They advised me that I should contact an immigration lawyer to get a proof of immigration status. Do you know if lawyers can check the validity of PR status quickly? If application for a PRC is only way and if I would ask for an urgent processing of a PRC renewal, how long time it may take?

 

[Leon]

If you prove to an immigration lawyer that you meet the RO and have a clean police record, they may be able to write a letter stating that there is no reason why you might have lost your PR. Other than that, the only confirmation you'd get from CIC would be a renewed PR card but that takes time.

You can only ask for an expedited renewal if you have impending travel and proof of it so you could buy cheap tickets for a flight to the US for example and use that as your proof of urgent travel in an attempt to expedite.