CEC said:
Hello,
I heard you cannot travel without your PR card but you can get some sort of document to reenter Canada. Do you know how that works?
According to CIC website, PR need to get travel document for going back Canada if they don't have their PR card since this document can prove your statues when you pass the Canada custom. However, as I "studied" on tons websites recently, I noticed that travel document is like a visa idea to let you get on a plane if you're not coming from a visa exempt country. For CBSA, as long as you can prove your PR statues is still available then you'll be fine to entry Canada even though you don't have PR card/travel document.
what I found from CBSA:
The requirement of subsection 16(1) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) states that a person who makes an application to enter Canada must produce all relevant evidence and documents that satisfies the border services officer (BSO) of their identity and nationality. This is facilitated by providing the BSO with a passport or other document that clearly denotes identity and nationality. The burden of proof to establish that they are admissible to Canada rests with the person seeking entry.
The PR card is the only valid proof of permanent residence status in Canada. The following documents are indicators of permanent resident status in Canada:
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Original Record of Landing (IMM1000)
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A certified true copy of a Record of Landing issued by the Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) National Headquarters
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A letter issued by CIC National Headquarters verifying permanent residence
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A passport duly stamped, showing the date on which permanent resident status was granted if the person was granted permanent resident status before 1973
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A Confirmation of Permanent Residence document (IMM5292B)
Section A19(2) of the IRPA states that "
an officer shall allow a permanent resident to enter Canada if satisfied following an examination on their entry that they have that status." Therefore, it is recommended, but not mandatory, to have your PR card in your possession to prove your permanent resident status in Canada at the border. However, you must be able to satisfy the BSO at the port of entry that you are a permanent resident of Canada. This may be accomplished with supporting documentation, including those documents mentioned above, database checks conducted by the officer, and responding truthfully to all questions asked to you by the BSO.
