Crossing borders with expired PR

[bill36]

Hi Everyone,


Me (a Canadian citizen) and my wife (her PR expired 3 years ago and she is citizen of a country that needs visa to travel to Canada) have been living abroad for seven years (she accompanied me as I worked abroad) and planning to return to Canada to settle down.

We will be in the USA next month for a quick visit (my wife has a visitor visa to USA) and we're planning to cross the borders by car of a Canadian relative who will come to pick us up.

My question is will my wife be allowed into Canada on an expired PR card?

 

[Ponga]

Only her PR card has expired, not her PR visa. Since you are a Canadian citizen, her time spent abroad (with you) still counts toward her PR Residency Obligation.

She should travel with her landing paper (CoPR), just in case she has an issue when reaching the Canadian border, but CBSA should already have her in the system as being a PR.

 

[bill36]

Thanks Ponga, just to make sure I got this right, could you please answer the following:

1- This means she doesn't need a travel document crossing from the USA into Canada?

2- I understand what you mentioned about my wife keeping her PR status because she was travelling with me, and we intend to renew her PR Card on that basis once we're back in Canada. This is a matter that will require time and documents. At the border we don't have much time to prove why we were overseas, and all CBSA would see on the system is that my wife's PR is expired, so will the CBSA/border officers allow us into Canada.

To rephrase, will they let into Canada so that we can argue our case with immigration Canada or will they simply turn us around and tell us to correspond with immigration Canada from overseas?

 

[canuck_in_uk]

At the border we don't have much time to prove why we were overseas, and all CBSA would see on the system is that my wife's PR is expired, so will the CBSA/border officers allow us into Canada.

To rephrase, will they let into Canada so that we can argue our case with immigration Canada or will they simply turn us around and tell us to correspond with immigration Canada from overseas?

CBSA won't see that her PR has expired because it hasn't. As said above, only her PR card has expired.

She is a PR and has the right of entry into Canada.

 

[bill36]

Only her PR card
She should travel with her landing paper (CoPR), just in case she has an issue when reaching the Canadian border, but CBSA should already have her in the system as being a PR.

Thanks guys for this, so all the documents we need at the time of crossing the borders is just CoPR and a valid passport from original country? nothing else?

 

[keesio]

Thanks guys for this, so all the documents we need at the time of crossing the borders is just CoPR and a valid passport from original country? nothing else?

And her expired PR card. She can tell border officers her PR card expired while living abroad with her Canadian husband and she should be fine

 

[Ponga]

The CoPR is not required, but she might as well bring it with her just in case there's a problem with CBSA's computers (not likely).

And...to make herself feel better, perhaps.

Just make sure she doesn't lose it!

 

[Rob_TO]

As others mention, you don't need a PR card in hand if crossing the border by private car.

However, CBSA may wonder if she meets the residency obligation. So you should bring proof with you to show CBSA that you've been living together while abroad such as shared lease, bill payments, shared mail, etc. If CBSA suspects she hasn't been living with you, they may report her to CIC for RO and it could be a hassle to sort out.

 

[bill36]

If CBSA suspects she hasn't been living with you, they may report her to CIC for RO and it could be a hassle to sort out.

Thanks everyone for your info, I really appreciate it.

Rob, so they would report the case to CIC but not deny her entry to Canada?

Most if not all of the documents you mentioned are in my name, but we're married and we have two kids. The main support for us living together is our passports indicating our travel history together and that will take extensive time in examining it, therefore I wouldn't mind providing everything to CIC after entry to Canada and letting them sort it out. I surely will provide all the documents I can gather to CBSA at the borders, and its up to them to decide reporting the case to CIC, what I do fear the most is CBSA denying my wife entry to Canada.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Rob, so they would report the case to CIC but not deny her entry to Canada?

As I already stated, she is a PR and has the right of entry into Canada.

 

[Rob_TO]

Rob, so they would report the case to CIC but not deny her entry to Canada?

Most if not all of the documents you mentioned are in my name, but we're married and we have two kids. The main support for us living together is our passports indicating our travel history together and that will take extensive time in examining it, therefore I wouldn't mind providing everything to CIC after entry to Canada and letting them sort it out. I surely will provide all the documents I can gather to CBSA at the borders, and its up to them to decide reporting the case to CIC, what I do fear the most is CBSA denying my wife entry to Canada.

Yes she will always be allowed entry as a PR. It's good if she has COPR document on her as well.
As I said the only concern is if CBSA thinks she wasn't living with you so wouldn't meet RO, which is why you should bring any proofs you can think of to show them if they ask. Though if she's traveling with you and your kids, they probably will not even question it.

 

[bill36]

Thanks everybody for your help, this is a great forum to be a part of.

 

[deweysmith]

Though if she's traveling with you and your kids, they probably will not even question it.

This. This is the most likely outcome.