How to enter in Canada with expired PR card and how to renew it?

[tayouri]

Hi
we came to Canada in 2002 with my family and we left the country in 2.5 months.I was 15 years old that time,that wasn't my decision
to left the Canada.My PR expired in 2007 .Is there any way to revive my immigration or I should reapply again
Now I have plans to go Canada on permenant basis. Please suggest accordingly.

Regards

sahar

 

[Leon]

So I suppose you are now 25? There is a possibility to apply for a PR travel document at the embassy based on having been removed from Canada by your parents as a minor child and returning at the first possible opportunity after reaching age 22 but it is not 100% guaranteed that you will get it.

Your other option is to come to Canada without a travel document and take your chances with immigration as you enter. You can tell them that you don't meet the residency requirements but you have good reasons and you will take this up with immigration when you apply to renew your PR card. If they report you for not meeting the residency requirements, you will have to appeal for your PR, again saying that your parents removed you from Canada as a minor child. If they don't report you, you might want to stay in Canada for a full two years before you try to renew your PR card because if you do, you will meet the residency requirements and not need to give any special reasons or count on immigration to accept them.

If you are visa exempt to Canada, it would be easy to come to Canada without a travel document. You get on a plane, show your passport, that's it.

If you are not visa exempt, it is harder because an airline will not let you board unless you have a valid PR card or travel document. In that case, if you can get a US visa, you can enter by land from the US.

 

[rpk]

Hi Leon,
Once removed as a minor, which age is in fact considered as the first opportunity for a child to apply for a TD, 18 years or 22 years?

 

[Leon]

A child can apply for a travel document starting at age 18. When they apply, immigration looks into if they were unable to meet their residency obligation because of having been removed from Canada by their parents. It is also looked at that they are returning to Canada first chance after reaching the age of 22.

However, if your children want to settle in Canada, they should preferably go to Canada right after high school to study because they will have a much easier time finding jobs in Canada with Canadian education. You might feel at that time that they are too young or that it would be less expensive for them to study in your country but if you do that, they will end up with the problems of us first generation immigrants, that is having a foreign education and having to bend over backwards to convince Canadian employers that it's worth something.

 

[rpk]

Thanks a lot