I am in Canada with an Expired PR card doing my Obligated days but I've been invited to a wedding in the UK (help)

[tk785]

So my PR card expired in May this year, I have done 9 months in total so far of obligated time but I'd need to be here for 2 years to be able to renew. The issue is that my best friend back home in the UK is getting married next year in June and wants me to be his best man. I obviously want to go and not miss his wedding but I'm worried that I won't be able to get back in to Canada if I do. Is there anything at all I can do to work around this? I'd hate to miss his wedding but I don't want to burn a bridge here either.

Thanks for any help

 

[scylla]

So my PR card expired in May this year, I have done 9 months in total so far of obligated time but I'd need to be here for 2 years to be able to renew. The issue is that my best friend back home in the UK is getting married next year in June and wants me to be his best man. I obviously want to go and not miss his wedding but I'm worried that I won't be able to get back in to Canada if I do. Is there anything at all I can do to work around this? I'd hate to miss his wedding but I don't want to burn a bridge here either.

Thanks for any help

You will have no issues leaving Canada. The challenge will be returning. You won't qualify for a PRTD since you don't meet the residency requirement. You can't board a plane to Canada unless you hold a valid PR card or valid PRTD.

In order to return to Canada, you will need to fly to the US and then re-enter Canada through a US/Canada land border using a private vehicle. Do you hold a valid US visitor visa or can you obtain one?

 

[tk785]

You will have no issues leaving Canada. The challenge will be returning. You won't qualify for a PRTD since you don't meet the residency requirement. You can't board a plane to Canada unless you hold a valid PR card or valid PRTD.

In order to return to Canada, you will need to fly to the US and then re-enter Canada through a US/Canada land border using a private vehicle. Do you hold a valid US visitor visa or can you obtain one?

Thank a lot for the response. Hm yeah, I thought as much. So if I re-enter via the US with a private vehicle they won't check my PR status and I'll be able to get back into Canada without issue? My sister lives in the US, though I don't have a US visitor visa but I could look into getting one.

 

[scylla]

Thank a lot for the response. Hm yeah, I thought as much. So if I re-enter via the US with a private vehicle they won't check my PR status and I'll be able to get back into Canada without issue? My sister lives in the US, though I don't have a US visitor visa but I could look into getting one.

No, that's not the case.

Each time you enter Canada there is always some chance CBSA may assess if you meet the residency obligation. If CBSA does this and you do not meet RO, then there's always some chance they will report you which triggers the process to revoke your PR status.

If you make the trip, you'll be taking the risk that you may be reported. There's no way to get around this risk if you travel. The only way to completely avoid risk is not to take the trip.

 

[tk785]

No, that's not the case.

Each time you enter Canada there is always some chance CBSA may assess if you meet the residency obligation. If CBSA does this and you do not meet RO, then there's always some chance they will report you which triggers the process to revoke your PR status.

If you make the trip, you'll be taking the risk that you may be reported. There's no way to get around this risk if you travel. The only way to completely avoid risk is not to take the trip.

I see, is there any method of entry where the risk would be smaller than others? Or could I just enter as a visitor without showing that I'm a PR or something like that? Hm I didn't realise how troublesome this would be, I feel like I may have to risk it as I'd hate to miss a wedding like this.

 

[scylla]

I see, is there any method of entry where the risk would be smaller than others? Or could I just enter as a visitor without showing that I'm a PR or something like that? Hm I didn't realise how troublesome this would be, I feel like I may have to risk it as I'd hate to miss a wedding like this.

What passport do you hold?

CBSA will see you are a PR when they scan your passport.

Ultimately this is a complete dice roll. Quite a large chance you'll have no issues but certainly some chance you will. You have to be OK with taking that risk.

 

[armoured]

I see, is there any method of entry where the risk would be smaller than others? Or could I just enter as a visitor without showing that I'm a PR or something like that? Hm I didn't realise how troublesome this would be, I feel like I may have to risk it as I'd hate to miss a wedding like this.

You should assume that they will identify you as a PR using these things they have ('computers') and that not saying you're a PR - otherwise known as lying - might be bad. Your best bet is usually just to tell the truth.

As above, there's no zero risk way to depart and re-enter. You are basically relying upon some form of lenience (formally may have different names) or that the border officers don't think it's worth their time to write it up.

There are lots of factors in that - in your case the most important how much you've been out of Canada overall, and also how 'settled' you seem to be in Canada (truly resident and working etc, family here, and on and on).

Your card expired in May - so by simple guess you originally landed in early 2016 and have spent time here only recently - meaning you seemingly 'returned' to Canada in early 2021 and you were already out of compliance then - by a lot. So it sounds like you were given lenience then (did border officers say anything then? what was the entry like?) - and possible that a note was put on your file and/or a warning of some kind communicated to you.

Or in other words - maybe they believe they already gave you your chance.

But really no-one can tell you how good the chances are, it's up to you. Anything else is really speculation.

 

[tk785]

What passport do you hold?

CBSA will see you are a PR when they scan your passport.

Ultimately this is a complete dice roll. Quite a large chance you'll have no issues but certainly some chance you will. You have to be OK with taking that risk.

I see, I have an English passport. I know that they are very likely to report me as they gave me a grilling re-entering earlier this year. If I re-enter with an expired PR isn't there a very big chance that I'll get reported? I just wonder if there's some kind of way that is just marginally less risky. I hardly have good look entering at pearsons airport. Thanks for responding, I appreciate it.

 

[tk785]

You should assume that they will identify you as a PR using these things they have ('computers') and that not saying you're a PR - otherwise known as lying - might be bad. Your best bet is usually just to tell the truth.

As above, there's no zero risk way to depart and re-enter. You are basically relying upon some form of lenience (formally may have different names) or that the border officers don't think it's worth their time to write it up.

There are lots of factors in that - in your case the most important how much you've been out of Canada overall, and also how 'settled' you seem to be in Canada (truly resident and working etc, family here, and on and on).

Your card expired in May - so by simple guess you originally landed in early 2016 and have spent time here only recently - meaning you seemingly 'returned' to Canada in early 2021 and you were already out of compliance then - by a lot. So it sounds like you were given lenience then (did border officers say anything then? what was the entry like?) - and possible that a note was put on your file and/or a warning of some kind communicated to you.

Or in other words - maybe they believe they already gave you your chance.

But really no-one can tell you how good the chances are, it's up to you. Anything else is really speculation.

Yes, they gave me a rough time re-entering to it does seem like lenience was given as I had to fight my case a lot. I just figured by the time I would potentially leave just for a week, I would think that after a year and having a full time job here they would understand, but there's no way to tell. I'll have to think about this thoroughly as it seems like a big dilemma.

 

[scylla]

I see, I have an English passport. I know that they are very likely to report me as they gave me a grilling re-entering earlier this year. If I re-enter with an expired PR isn't there a very big chance that I'll get reported? I just wonder if there's some kind of way that is just marginally less risky. I hardly have good look entering at pearsons airport. Thanks for responding, I appreciate it.

You can't fly into Canada. Entering at Pearson is not an option.

Your only option is a land border crossing (i.e. fly to the US and then re-enter Canada through a land border).

No one is going to be able to tell you how likely or unlikely you are to be reported. Too many factors at play, including whether CBSA made any note in your file when you re-enter Canada this last time.

The only real way to reduce risk is not to leave.

 

[armoured]

Yes, they gave me a rough time re-entering to it does seem like lenience was given as I had to fight my case a lot. I just figured by the time I would potentially leave just for a week, I would think that after a year and having a full time job here they would understand, but there's no way to tell. I'll have to think about this thoroughly as it seems like a big dilemma.

The context of what happened before is really important - you really should not leave out important information like that (up to you, of course).

Yes, you having a full time job in Canada and staying a good solid year is a positive.

But that has to be weighed against the 'rough time' you got before; while that doesn't reduce the chance of lenience in this subsequent case to zero, consider you have been warned and there is almost certainly some more detailed note on your file.

Input from others or examples of what happened in other cases (which may be more or less similar to your own) will give some idea.

But ultimately, too many variables and the only thing that will matter is what happens when you show up at the border - and how disruptive the 'worst case' will be to you.

(Side note: for your chances of leniency, the context matters of why you leave, too; while a drag to miss a friend's wedding, it's hardly an emergency.)

 

[YVR123]

You can weight between the possbility of loosing your PR vs missing your friend's wedding.

You could attend it virtually. Did you saw that VR 3D guest at a wedding on the news couple of months ago?

 

[jakklondon]

So my PR card expired in May this year, I have done 9 months in total so far of obligated time but I'd need to be here for 2 years to be able to renew. The issue is that my best friend back home in the UK is getting married next year in June and wants me to be his best man. I obviously want to go and not miss his wedding but I'm worried that I won't be able to get back in to Canada if I do. Is there anything at all I can do to work around this? I'd hate to miss his wedding but I don't want to burn a bridge here either.

Thanks for any help

IMHO, going for wedding is not a compelling reason to breach RO or put you at risk of being reported. It's not like you can't get a job and must leave to survive. It would still be a breach of RO, but I would say "go as fast as you can".
Now, in your current situation you can do whatever you want, obviously, but be prepared to be reported and losing your PR. You have to weigh risk of loss of PR with importance of being a best man in friends wedding.

 

[canuck78]

Yes, they gave me a rough time re-entering to it does seem like lenience was given as I had to fight my case a lot. I just figured by the time I would potentially leave just for a week, I would think that after a year and having a full time job here they would understand, but there's no way to tell. I'll have to think about this thoroughly as it seems like a big dilemma.

Anticipate that your file has been flagged for non-compliance with RO so expect that you wouldn’t be waived in without question.

 

[ybjianada]

So my PR card expired in May this year, I have done 9 months in total so far of obligated time but I'd need to be here for 2 years to be able to renew. The issue is that my best friend back home in the UK is getting married next year in June and wants me to be his best man. I obviously want to go and not miss his wedding but I'm worried that I won't be able to get back in to Canada if I do. Is there anything at all I can do to work around this? I'd hate to miss his wedding but I don't want to burn a bridge here either.

Thanks for any help

Let me exercise some creativity here. Explain your situation to your friend, and see if he is able to hold a second wedding ceremony in Canada (just you and the couple, and maybe a few others, to reduce the expenses).