Entry of PR holder to Canada after 3 years stay outside of Canada

[Rustamjan]

Dear friends,

All my family members (my wife, two daughters and myself) received PR cards 3 years ago in November 2010. After one month of receipt of our PR cards (in December 2010) we left to our country at birth, Tajikistan. Currently we are planning to relocate to Canada permanently. Having information that PR cards are given for 5 years, I wonder if there are can be any problems caused by visa officer while entering to Canada. Some of my friends mentioned that visa officer may say that we do not meet residency requirement because we spend 3 years out of 5 outside of Canada. Please share information if you possess on this matter.

Thanks

 

[zardoz]

Dear friends,

All my family members (my wife, two daughters and myself) received PR cards 3 years ago in November 2010. After one month of receipt of our PR cards (in December 2010) we left to our country at birth, Tajikistan. Currently we are planning to relocate to Canada permanently. Having information that PR cards are given for 5 years, I wonder if there are can be any problems caused by visa officer while entering to Canada. Some of my friends mentioned that visa officer may say that we do not meet residency requirement because we spend 3 years out of 5 outside of Canada. Please share information if you possess on this matter.

Thanks

First, you must understand that the PR card expiry has nothing to do with the Residency Obligations.
If you have spent more than 1095 days outside Canada since the day you landed as a PR (or within the last 1825 days if you landed more than 5 years ago), you are at risk of being reported on entry for not meeting the Residency Obligations.

This is very clearly documented in the paperwork that came with your landing documents.

IF you are reported, you will then have to appeal to keep your PR status.
IF you lose the appeal, you will have to leave Canada and you will no longer be Permanent Residents.

People will tell you that you probably will not be reported. This may be true, but are you prepared to take that risk?