Do I need to Live in Canada to renew PR card

[prquestion]

Hi,

I am a PR and currently living outside of Canada for 2+ years. My PR card expired a couple months ago and I have applied for a PRTD as I am travelling back to CA to visit relatives. I would like to renew my PR card as I intend on moving back to CA in a few years. I meet the residency requirements to renew (# of days present)
One of things to be eligible to renew is that I must be physically present in Canada. What does this mean? Do I need to be physically present to send in the application to renew or do I need to be living there at the time of application. In the for IMM5444E there is no option to put an international address or phone number.

 

[DavEd]

Hi,

I am a PR and currently living outside of Canada for 2+ years. My PR card expired a couple months ago and I have applied for a PRTD as I am travelling back to CA to visit relatives. I would like to renew my PR card as I intend on moving back to CA in a few years. I meet the residency requirements to renew (# of days present)
One of things to be eligible to renew is that I must be physically present in Canada. What does this mean? Do I need to be physically present to send in the application to renew or do I need to be living there at the time of application. In the for IMM5444E there is no option to put an international address or phone number.

Technically speaking you should be able to renew your card even if you are outside although you would need a Canadian address because IRCC does not mail PR cards to addresses outside Canada.

On the practical side your application will most likely inquire more scrutiny and has a very high chance of landing in the dreaded secondary review queue....

 

[Buletruck]

You have to apply in Canada. Not necessarily live here. They won’t mail/ship the card outside of Canada. They may also ask you to pick it up up in person.

 

[Rob_TO]

Hi,

I am a PR and currently living outside of Canada for 2+ years. My PR card expired a couple months ago and I have applied for a PRTD as I am travelling back to CA to visit relatives. I would like to renew my PR card as I intend on moving back to CA in a few years. I meet the residency requirements to renew (# of days present)
One of things to be eligible to renew is that I must be physically present in Canada. What does this mean? Do I need to be physically present to send in the application to renew or do I need to be living there at the time of application. In the for IMM5444E there is no option to put an international address or phone number.

I don't understand your math. If you've lived outside Canada 2+ years, how do you intend to move back to Canada "in a few years" and still maintain your Residency Obligation?
As soon as you spend 3 years outside Canada in any 5 year span, you would be in violation of the RO and could be reported and have your PR status terminated regardless if you have a valid PR card or what the card expiry date was. Note the RO does not reset to zero once you renew your PR card, you need to always be sure you have at least 2 years in Canada going back 5 years from any date you check.

As for the renewal, others have posted on this site they successfully applied for and renewed their PR card while they were living overseas. In the cases I've read, they met the RO by living with Canadian citizen spouse. In these cases IRCC usually asks you to come pick up the PR card in person from their office, meaning you'd need a PR TD, or use USA land border, to get back to Canada to get the card.

 

[xocomil]

We applied for a PR Card renewal for my family while in Canada last year. Got the cards, but need to pick them up in Canada at local immigration office. I'm a citizen so family met RO by being with me outside the country. Need to get a PRTD in order to board a flight.

 

[canuck78]

The only concern I have with your story and renewal is that you said you left Canada before your sponsorship of your wife and kids had completed the PR sponsorship process. Nobody noticed but during the renewal someone might notice. Not sure how soon you left Canada after starting the sponsorship process.

 

[prquestion]

I don't understand your math. If you've lived outside Canada 2+ years, how do you intend to move back to Canada "in a few years" and still maintain your Residency Obligation?
As soon as you spend 3 years outside Canada in any 5 year span, you would be in violation of the RO and could be reported and have your PR status terminated regardless if you have a valid PR card or what the card expiry date was. Note the RO does not reset to zero once you renew your PR card, you need to always be sure you have at least 2 years in Canada going back 5 years from any date you check.

As for the renewal, others have posted on this site they successfully applied for and renewed their PR card while they were living overseas. In the cases I've read, they met the RO by living with Canadian citizen spouse. In these cases IRCC usually asks you to come pick up the PR card in person from their office, meaning you'd need a PR TD, or use USA land border, to get back to Canada to get the card.

The time I have spent outside of Canada was time spent with my wife, who is a Canadian citizen. I understand those days also count towards RO.

 

[prquestion]

The only concern I have with your story and renewal is that you said you left Canada before your sponsorship of your wife and kids had completed the PR sponsorship process. Nobody noticed but during the renewal someone might notice. Not sure how soon you left Canada after starting the sponsorship process.

My wife is the one that sponsored me for the PR. She is a Canadian Citizen. I lived in Canada as a PR for about 3 years before leaving and my PR card only expired a couple months back. My kid is a Canadian Citizen by birth and was born shortly after we left Canada.

 

[Bs65]

The time I have spent outside of Canada was time spent with my wife, who is a Canadian citizen. I understand those days also count towards RO.

That’s correct as long as you keep records of your time outside Canada with your wife as per link below although none of this time counts towards a citizenship application.

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5445-applying-permanent-resident-card-card-first-application-replacement-renewal-change-sex-designation.html#appendixA

 

[qureishi]

The time I have spent outside of Canada was time spent with my wife, who is a Canadian citizen. I understand those days also count towards RO.

no way !!

 

[canuck78]

My wife is the one that sponsored me for the PR. She is a Canadian Citizen. I lived in Canada as a PR for about 3 years before leaving and my PR card only expired a couple months back. My kid is a Canadian Citizen by birth and was born shortly after we left Canada.

Sorry swear I read that you had left during the sponsorship process. Must have been another thread I read yesterday.