How to renew expired PR card outside of Canada?

[Shaanika]

Hello,
My Canada PR card expired few months ago, my husband is Canada Citizen, we live and work in US.
We planning on visiting family in Canada soon, my questions are :
1) can I renew my PR card outside of Canada, from what I have read, this is not possible, am I right?
2) what kind of visa / documents do I need to enter Canada, if I cannot renew my PR card?

Thank you very much for any reply.

regards.

 

[BCguy]

First of all you cant,But because you are living under one roof with a Canadian Spouse,That counts as residence in Canada,So if you are from a visa exempt country come in and renew your PR card,If from a visa country come in after you get a visa

 

[Leon]

Technically you are supposed to apply for a PR travel document, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/pr-card/pr-card-faq11.asp You can also try to enter with your expired card, you will probably get pulled aside and have to answer some questions but apparently it's common now that the first PR cards are starting to expire that people don't realize they have expired. Once in Canada, you can apply for a PR card but the problem is, it takes almost 2 months and you have to pick it up in person which means you'd have to go back to Canada in 2 months when they send you a letter to come pick it up. Which means you need another travel document or whatever. Lets say the system is just not very user friendly for PR's who don't live in Canada.

 

[Shaanika]

Thank you BCguy and Leon, the information is very helpful.
Since my spouse is Canadian, and we are living together all this time, am I eligible to apply for Citizenship eventhough I have not fullfill the residency requirement?

Thanks.

 

[Leon]

No, living with a Canadian spouse will protect your PR but the citizenship residency requirements are different and separate. You need to have been in Canada physically for 3 out of the last 4 years to qualify to apply for citizenship.

 

[habib890]

No, living with a Canadian spouse will protect your PR but the citizenship residency requirements are different and separate. You need to have been in Canada physically for 3 out of the last 4 years to qualify to apply for citizenship.

-3 years out of 4 years or 5 years?

 

[morepower]

To become Canadian citizens, adults must have lived in Canada for at least three years (1,095 days) in the past four years before applying. Children do not need to meet this requirement.

You may be able to count time you spent in Canada before you became a permanent resident if that time falls within the four-year period. (counts 50%)

 

[Shaanika]

Technically you are supposed to apply for a PR travel document, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/faq/pr-card/pr-card-faq11.asp You can also try to enter with your expired card, you will probably get pulled aside and have to answer some questions but apparently it's common now that the first PR cards are starting to expire that people don't realize they have expired. Once in Canada, you can apply for a PR card but the problem is, it takes almost 2 months and you have to pick it up in person which means you'd have to go back to Canada in 2 months when they send you a letter to come pick it up. Which means you need another travel document or whatever. Lets say the system is just not very user friendly for PR's who don't live in Canada.

1) If I renew the PR card while I'm in Canada, I will have to submit the expired PR card with the application, which means I will not be able to apply for PR travel document to go back to Canada to pick up the PR card when time come.
Can I apply for visitor visa then?

2) crazy idea here, but can I sent the PR card application now while I'm still in US? I can then pick up the card during my visit there, which is in about 2 months time. I think this will work if I don't have to present physically for the PR card application and if I don't need to show the expired PR card when entering Canada with PR travel document. Will this work?

Thank you much !!

 

[Leon]

No, living with a Canadian spouse will protect your PR but the citizenship residency requirements are different and separate. You need to have been in Canada physically for 3 out of the last 4 years to qualify to apply for citizenship.

-3 years out of 4 years or 5 years?

You are confusing the PR residency requirements with the citizenship application requirements.

PR requirements: You must live in Canada at least 2 years in any 5 year period or you can be outside Canada for up to 3 years in any 5 year period. Being married to a Canadian citizen who you are living with outside Canada will protect your PR status from this requirement, so will working for a Canadian company that has transferred you to another country.

Citizenship application requirements: You must have physically lived in Canada as a PR for 3 out of the last 4 years before you apply. If you were already in Canada before you became PR on a work permit or student visa, you may count that time as 2 days for 1 but within the last 4 years only. That is to say, if you were on a student visa or work permit for 2 years before you became PR, those two years will count as 1 year towards the citizenship application requirement and you would need 2 more years as a PR before you can apply. Of course all vacations outside Canada would have to be made up for.

 

[Leon]

1) If I renew the PR card while I'm in Canada, I will have to submit the expired PR card with the application, which means I will not be able to apply for PR travel document to go back to Canada to pick up the PR card when time come.
Can I apply for visitor visa then?

2) crazy idea here, but can I sent the PR card application now while I'm still in US? I can then pick up the card during my visit there, which is in about 2 months time. I think this will work if I don't have to present physically for the PR card application and if I don't need to show the expired PR card when entering Canada with PR travel document. Will this work?

Thank you much !!

You can still apply for a travel document. It would be the same as if your PR card had been lost, only it's with immigration. Could you apply from the US? They say you need to be in Canada to apply. Get one of the family in Canaada to call CIC for you and ask or connect you by using 3 way calling. Since they let you protect your PR status, there must be some way to get a PR card.

 

[rmaalouli]

Hi,

I am facing the same problem... my resident card will expire in January 2014. Can i send the renewal application from outside Canada and apply for visa once the new PR is ready for Pickup?
Also, please advise whether I can use my PR to enter to Montreal during Jan. 2014.

Thank you,

 

[Leon]

Hi,

I am facing the same problem... my resident card will expire in January 2014. Can i send the renewal application from outside Canada and apply for visa once the new PR is ready for Pickup?
Also, please advise whether I can use my PR to enter to Montreal during Jan. 2014.

Thank you,

Some pages of the CIC website state that you must be in Canada to apply to renew your PR card while others state that even being absent from Canada can not be used as a sole reason to deny your renewal, however, the application must originate in Canada and you must provide a Canadian address.

Therefore, it would be better if you mail your application to friends or family in Canada and give their address and have them mail the application to CIC for you.

You can travel on your PR card as long as it is still valid. After it expires, if you are visa exempt to Canada, you can travel on the strength of your passport or if you have a US visa, you can go to the US and cross over to Canada by land with your expired card. If you are not visa exempt and you don't have a US visa, you would need a PR travel document in order to return to Canada. Getting a PR travel document can easily take a couple of months but it depends on the embassy. They are usually valid for 6 months so you could apply for one as soon as your PR card expires to make sure you will have it before you are called to collect your PR card.

 

[rmaalouli]

Hi,

Thank you for the clarification. I will mail to Canada and ask them to mail it to the immigration. However, please note that we don't use the same paper format... Here we use A4 and there they use letter. Would it be a problem?

Have a nice day.
Regards,

 

[zardoz]

Hi,

Thank you for the clarification. I will mail to Canada and ask them to mail it to the immigration. However, please note that we don't use the same paper format... Here we use A4 and there they use letter. Would it be a problem?

Have a nice day.
Regards,

All of this assumes that you can meet the residency obligation requirements. If you can't, then it's a whole different ball game.

 

[rmaalouli]

Hi,
I sent the application with the requested documents to renew the PR; but they returned everything with a letter clarifying the following reason:
“please provide proof of your relationship and/or proof of Canadian Citizenship”

To note that the both the follwoing documents were included:
1. a newly issued Familial civil Status record which shows that I am currently married to my husband. Doesn’t this justify my relationship to my husband?
2. A copy of my husband citizenship. Isn’t it a proof of Canadian citizenship?

Which other documents could provide the requested info?

Thank you