confused re: travel document's requirement - meeting residency obligation

[iamjfer]

Hi guys,

Hoping someone could enlighten me on the requirement of applying a travel document.
My husband and I are newly landed immigrants (landed on March 29), and we are waiting for our PR cards to be mailed to us. We need to go to the US to attend to my sister's wedding by May 29, and there is a chance that our PR card has not yet arrived (takes around 34 working days based on the cic website), hence we need a travel document to be able to go back to canada.

Reading the requirements for a travel document, we understand that we should be applying for the travel document once we arrive at our destination (in this case, it's in US). But we got confused on the "supporting documents that you are meeting the residency obligation".

Obviously, we have not met the residency obligation as we are newly landed immigrants. Does it mean that since we have not met the residency obligation (ie. stay in canada for 730 days in 5 yrs, i think), the only way for us to travel outside Canada and still be able to come back to Canada is only when we have our PR card?

I remember the immigration officer who stamped on our COPR has mentioned that if we need to travel outside Canada, and the PR card has not arrived, we can just apply for a travel document and it shouldn't be a problem.. so now I'm confused.

Any inputs would be appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Leon]

If you haven't been a PR for 5 years yet, the criteria is not that you already have 730 days in Canada but that you could still have 730 days in Canada at the end of your first 5 years.

Also, if you are visa exempt to Canada, you do not need a travel document, you can enter on your landing papers. If you are not visa exempt but travel by private or rented car, you also do not need a travel document.

 

[iamjfer]

If you haven't been a PR for 5 years yet, the criteria is not that you already have 730 days in Canada but that you could still have 730 days in Canada at the end of your first 5 years.

Also, if you are visa exempt to Canada, you do not need a travel document, you can enter on your landing papers. If you are not visa exempt but travel by private or rented car, you also do not need a travel document.

oh ok... so as long as I can still complete 730 days before the end of my first 5 yrs, I can travel outside Canada... that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

I need a Visa to return to Canada hence would be needing a travel documet. Now my next concern is whether I can quickly get that travel document (as in like on the same day), as I will only be in the US for 5 days and need to return to Canada already.

 

[Leon]

oh ok... so as long as I can still complete 730 days before the end of my first 5 yrs, I can travel outside Canada... that makes sense. Thanks for the clarification.

I need a Visa to return to Canada hence would be needing a travel documet. Now my next concern is whether I can quickly get that travel document (as in like on the same day), as I will only be in the US for 5 days and need to return to Canada already.

I have heard that some embassies like the one in Seattle can issue a travel document in a day. However, I don't know if you have to go there in person to get it that fast You should phone one of the embassies and ask them how it works. The application forms can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

 

[links18]

You could think about flying from/to a U.S. border city and driving across the border. Or you could think about driving for your trip.

 

[iamjfer]

Thanks Leon and links18. Will try to call Canadian embassy in Seattle then. We'll also see if we can consider driving from Seattle to Vancouver and taking our flight to Toronto from there.

 

[Loulou79]

Do not you have any friends in Canada so the PR cards could be sent to them.

Anyways, I landed 2 years ago and got a message saying that the sumbitted phto does not match the requirment-they do that when they feel u r out of the country. I applied for one from the Canadian embassy where I live and got my travel document today.

I did not go in person, I sent the paper with Aramex. Other than the documents listed on the website, the paper were sent back to me the first time with some more paper to be filled out.