Hello, my PR card will expire as I travel outside of the country next week. I I live in Canada full time so i have no problems meeting the residency requirements. I applied for a renewal a couple months ago about still haven't received my card due to a backlog in Sidney. If I go ahead with my travels with an expired PR card, can I get the Permanent Resident Travel Document in the country (Japan) I am visiting expedited? I know it usually takes 10-30 days to process but I only plan on being in Japan for 1 week. I could potentially extend my trip for a few extra days. Or I could fly straight to the US and get in via private vehicle, but what documents do I need to get back into Canada if going through a vehicle border crossing? Basically I'm trying to decide if I should go on this trip or not. It would be great if I could but I also need to make sure I can return to Canada. Thanks in advance for your insight!
Has anyone traveled with expired PR card then tried to get back into Canada?
- Thread starter JD3235
- Start date
Others can comment but as a PR you are entitled to enter Canada and whilst CBSA might give some verbal grief at the land border for having an expired card and passport with you they will not deny you entry. As you have gathered with an expired card you cannot board a plane for Canada so the land border option is the only option available without a valid card or PRTD.
Cannot answer the expedite PRTD question although I expect although I do not know there are possibly some circumstances where they could expedite such as family emergency or death in family other than that they probably do not have much sympathy for letting PR card expire.
Cannot answer the expedite PRTD question although I expect although I do not know there are possibly some circumstances where they could expedite such as family emergency or death in family other than that they probably do not have much sympathy for letting PR card expire.
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They can expedite and i've seen some cases of PRTDs being processed in just a few days.
However this is a huge risk and you won't know until after you get there and apply. Every visa office is different and there is no standard for issuing PR TDs. It will be an easier process if you can go to the Visa Application Centre in Japan to ask questions and apply in person. But if the VAC needs to send the PR TD to another visa office for processing, or there are any delays, mistakes in app, etc etc everything may be delayed. And until you get PR TD back with your passport, you won't be able to fly to Canada.
The Japan VAC is in Tokyo. See if you can contact them to ask: http://www.vfsglobal.ca/Canada/japan/contact_us.html
Alternatively you can re-route all flights to travel back to USA and cross into Canada by land, and skip the PR TD process entirely. For this just your passport and expired PR card would be fine for CBSA to confirm your status at the border.
Exactly.
Couple weeks ago, my wife showed her expired PR card to CBSA officer at land border and returned back to BC from Washington state.
Thanks for both your insights. I did contact the Tokyo office and in their very standard response they said it would take between 10-30days. But I guess I was wondering if anyone had any experience expediting theirs. I think I will probably have to just change my return flight and go through the US. Can the CBSA revoke PR status for not applying for a renewal in time or for traveling with an expired PR card?
The CBSA weren't miffed about her not applying for a renewal in time? Or is this something they see often that it's not worth giving people a hard time for?
You need to get others experiences specifically from the Tokyo office. Stories of other visa offices expediting PR TD apps easily, may not be applicable to the Tokyo office.
And no, you can't have PR status revoked for traveling on expired card. Actually holding a valid PR card is not a requirement to being a PR, it's basically just a glorified travel document to board a plane to Canada.
No, the officer just asked these:
1) Do you know your card has expired?
2) Did you renew it and when?
From my understanding, the Tokyo office needs to send through all documents to Manila. They don't do any processing "in house" hence why they quote a 10-30 day turnaround. I have searched the forum, and most people are saying they have heard the same response from the Japanese office (10-30 days).
The more I think about it, I think I'll just need to enter via the US. Thanks again!
mats
Hero Member
- Nov 2, 2010
- 464
- 38
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- London
- NOC Code......
- 3113
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 21-01-2011
- AOR Received.
- 18-03-2011
- Med's Done....
- 18-03-2012
- Passport Req..
- Sent 19-03-2012
- VISA ISSUED...
- 30-Mar-2012
- LANDED..........
- 12-July-2012
My wife and my PR card is in process since 6 months and we have traveled via US couple of times, no problem. Just the expired PR card is enough. The officer asked the same questions mentioned by steaky earlier in this post.
I've also heard PR TD apps from that region are all done in Manila, and VAC just acts as the courier. Note that if you need to submit your passport along with the PR TD app (so can't do passport part in person at Japan VAC), you will basically be stranded in Japan with no passport until you get everything back.
So now that I know I will have to fly to the US from Japan, what should my reason of entry to the US be? I do have a work visa there but this obviously won't be a work trip. I'm literally going to go, then have my Canadian spouse drive across the border to pick me up at the airport. Should I be revealing that I am literally only going to the US to drive across the border because my PR card is expired? Or would they stop me from boarding my US bound flight because of this?
mats
Hero Member
- Nov 2, 2010
- 464
- 38
- Category........
- Visa Office......
- London
- NOC Code......
- 3113
- Job Offer........
- Pre-Assessed..
- App. Filed.......
- 21-01-2011
- AOR Received.
- 18-03-2011
- Med's Done....
- 18-03-2012
- Passport Req..
- Sent 19-03-2012
- VISA ISSUED...
- 30-Mar-2012
- LANDED..........
- 12-July-2012
Is there US preclearance in Japan? If not then, then it shouldn’t be a problem. The airlines in Japan will only check if you have a visa to travel to US. Not the purpose of travel. Only the US immigration /CBP agents will ask for purpose, so if that is happening after you land in US, especially a Canada bordering city like Seattle or NY, they very well understand that people land there to travel to Canada. Only once I was asked why I am coming and I said it worked out cheaper for me to fly to US and travel by road to Canada. Normally in my customs declaration card at US, I mention traveling to Canada, in the space where US address is to be written and they don’t ask anything else.
