How does a PR document their residency?

[AllisonVSC]

I am coming to the one year anniversary of landing in Canada as a PR. I reside here in Ontario and intend to continue to live here, but I've been out of Canada a total of 48 days since I landed. I anticipate being out of Canada next year for a total of 70-80 days due to planned vacations and getting married in France which requires 40 days of residency in the town where we will marry prior to the wedding date.

My question is what is my responsibility in terms of documenting residency? I've searched the internet and forums but only find the days required but no discussion of how to prove them. I started a spread sheet listing my departure and arrival dates, destination, number of days out of Canada, and whether or not I was accompanied by my sponsor who is a citizen. Should I also be keeping flight itineraries, a copy of my lease, etc? Or is it determined by the stamps in my passport? Should I not even worry about it unless I am intend to leave for an extended period of time?

I suppose I'm just worried that in four more years I will be required to remember and document exactly when I was here and when I was not and I'd like to be prepared. Thanks, Allison

 

[Leon]

It is not a bad idea to keep boarding cards and plane tickets in case somebody asks. A lease does not actually prove that you were in Canada. Having a job and getting pay slips listing how many hours you worked is a better proof. It is quite possible that they will just take your word for it though and will never ask you to prove anything.

 

[Alabaman]

Just keep all you can keep. Pay slips, receipts, credit card and bank statements, letters, boarding passes, leases, phone and utility bills, gym registrations, passport stamps etc... everything that has a date on it. That is what I do.

 

[AllisonVSC]

Thanks for the replies. I don't currently have a job; haven't had one since I've been here. The lease is in both our names but the landlord pays all utilities. The phone, internet and satellite are all in my sponsor's name because he gets a 30% employee discount. I have a joint banking account (and a debit card with my name on it) and do keep all my statements, but I don't see how that would be proof of residence. I am signed up for a French conversation adult learning class and a membership to the local community fitness center so I can keep receipts/cards for that, but again how would that prove residency? I can print a few past itineraries since Travelocity keeps them for 18 months and start keeping future ones, but I don't/haven't kept boarding cards and I can't even remember the last time I held a paper ticket. I have a car here so I guess I could keep copies of my registration, renewal, and insurance stuff in this file.

Passport stamps won't be a problem since my passport expires a year after my renewal date for the PR, but France doesn't stamp passports on entry (only exit), US wouldn't stamp because I'm a citizen, and Canada doesn't stamp either when I present my PR card.

Any other suggestions would be most appreciated, and any advice from others who have renewed their PR would be great. I asked our house guest this weekend; he's a PR and has renewed once, but he hasn't really traveled much out of Canada and is employed so it wasn't a problem.

Allison

 

[Leon]

I was not asked to prove anything when I renewed my PR card. Even if you don't have a paper ticket for a flight, you can print out an online ticket and keep that. If you get a certificate for your French class, that will prove that you were in Canada at the time you were taking it. Your partner being employed will also help. If necessary, you could probably also get some type of print out from the gym on when you have been there, records from the doctor and dentist as well. You can ask them how long they keep such records. Your cell phone bill could also help as well as your bank and/or credit card statements. There are many things that could not be considered absolute proof that you were in Canada but when added together make it a lot more likely than not.

 

[AllisonVSC]

Thanks, Leon. I wonder if I'm worrying over nothing since you weren't asked to prove anything and my friend this weekend said the same. I wonder if residency is only an issue for those PRs at the point of entry who are returning after long stays (years) in other countries. What is the process of renewal like? Just filling forms? Did you need your COPR? Allison

 

[cfabian]

One question on this matter....

I got my residency status and landed in 2005. I do not meet the 730 days obligation to renew my PR; however, before landing as PR, I studied my masters and lived for 2.5 yrs in Canada. I wonder if they can take into account the period you lived legally BEFORE your PR?

Thanks

 

[Leon]

To renew my PR, I just filled out the forms and sent them some new photos. Some months later, I got a letter in the mail giving me an appointment at the local CIC office to pick up my new PR card. Since I had gotten citizenship in the meantime, I phoned them to ask them to destroy it. Therefore I never went to pick it up but I assume they might have wanted to see my passport and COPR.

cfabian, they don't take into account time you spent in Canada before you got your PR. The residency requirements are 730 days in your first 5 years as a PR and 730 days in any rolling 5 year period after that. If you apply to renew your PR card, they will look at the previous 5 years from the time of your application. If you apply with less than 730 days, you are basically bring it to the attention of immigration that you don't meet the residency requirements. Therefore you should wait until you have 730 days before you apply.