Need Some help regarding Moving back to Canada

[Leon]

Thanks for the help. Its obvious they know my "movements" because when i explained my reason for visiting, she was looking at her computer and said "same reason as a few weeks ago i take it?" Then smiled. (That reason being dinner and drinks and the casino with a friend friday night, then visiting my parents the rest of the weekend) If i was to move like planned in my first post in this thread...how would i go about getting a Canadian ID again before even bothering with a PR card?

If you are in Ontario, you can try exchanging your drivers license for one from there and see what happens. Some provinces are very picky about having a valid PR card. They would however take your US drivers license if you do that. If you can get an OHIP card, that is also an ID.

 

[Tee76]

Without risking my American drivers license (for now) what about an Ontario Provincial or Photo ID? Its my understanding those are government issued IDs for those without a valid Ontario drivers license. Would one of them make it easier to do things such as open a bank account, and perform any other activities that require official identification? I know I'd have to still use my Michigan Enhanced license when cross the border however.

 

[Msafiri]

Without risking my American drivers license (for now) what about an Ontario Provincial or Photo ID? Its my understanding those are government issued IDs for those without a valid Ontario drivers license. Would one of them make it easier to do things such as open a bank account, and perform any other activities that require official identification? I know I'd have to still use my Michigan Enhanced license when cross the border however.

You can get an Ontario Photo Card for ID purposes if you don't have or can accept likely giving back your DL (you can't have both a photo ID card and a DL). Did you get your Michigan DL by exchange your ON DL - if yes then well ON know you have held an ON DL prior. Only way to know is to try. When do you intend to move back to ON is the real question you need to deal with. At some point in time you will run into a hard nosed/ by the book CBSA agent and your move to Canada won't be a smooth process.

 

[kateg]

Another quick question. On the small chance i do get reported at the border, how does one go about proving they meet the RO?? Despite being out of Canada for as long as i have, the more i think about it the more i believe i meet the RO. If i add up all my weekend visits, summer vacations, holidays with family over there as well as the last year & a half of going back & forth to Ontario to spend time with my now recent ex girlfriend for weeks sometimes a month at a time...i believe I've accumulated 2 years in the last 5. How do i prove that though if i ever need to?

The information sharing with the US is new. When you cross the border, they won't know if you met 5 years or not (because 4 of those 5 years didn't have sharing). It's a pain for them to do the math, and you don't live in Canada or work there anyway. So, if they go through all the hassle of making you prove it (which is hard, since the old data has to be gotten from the US), and yank your P/R, it doesn't change anything at all. Plus, you might get to keep it anyway if you survive the review.

4 years from now, the computer will show every single entry and exit when you cross. Now might be a good time to meet your Residency Requirements.

If you're close, you don't need to live there for two years. File a request with the US and Canada to get your border crossings, cross like you normally do, and stay the couple months+ it takes to get P/R. You then have legitimate status, and a card to go with it, which makes it much easier if you need to travel back and forth. When your PR card has another 4 years of validity, they are unlikely to harass you, and you could spend 60% of your time in the states and keep Permanent Residency indefinitely.

 

[Tee76]

Not sure if my luck ran out or got better. Long story short,

About 3 weeks ago I headed to Ontario to visit my father in the hospital, I got pulled into Immigration.. After being "interrogated" by one officer who at first was rude until I explained why I was coming into the country I explained my PR situation to him...he said hold on I'm not qualified for this and went to get somebody else. A superintendent came out and we spoke...i explained everything that I've said in this thread as far as PR goes. I openly admitted to not meeting the RO....the superintendent was fantastic!! She said and I quote "As of right now you are still a Permanent resident of Canada, and I'm letting you in the country by right!"

She gave me her card and said to call her so we could sit down together and figure everything out and possibly help me as far as keeping my PR status. Sadly last weekend my father passed away, so I rushed to Ontario for my mother and to prepare for his funeral. I voluntarily went into Customs and Immigration to see if she was working...unfortunately she was not. A day later she called my cell and left a voicemail giving me her condolences and telling me to give her a call back when possible. We've yet to talk on the phone due to everything that has happened nor have we been able to set up an interview for me to go in and talk with her.

My thing is this, do I need to worry that they'll strip me of my PR status? Knowing I don't meet the RO? if that was the case why even tell me I'm still a PR? if I'm a PR then why bother even setting up an interview?? I'm just curious and worried as to what's next. What should I do to prepare for this?

 

[Msafiri]

.My thing is this, do I need to worry that they'll strip me of my PR status? Knowing I don't meet the RO? if that was the case why even tell me I'm still a PR? if I'm a PR then why bother even setting up an interview?? I'm just curious and worried as to what's next. What should I do to prepare for this?

1. Your luck continues but the problem is you never know when it will run out. Seems the supervisor gave you not just a pass on the breach on what appears to be H&C grounds but unusually is almost taking an advisory role in the situation. CIC are not usually in the habit of setting up interviews to discuss RO compliance strategies and you can understand how even from a professional aspect this could be a questionable aspect of contact/interaction in so far as ethics go.

2. The indisputable fact is that you've been out of Canada since 2005 so well into your 10th year of absence as your place of residence. You need to decide where you want to live and either move to Canada or keep chancing the RO. One day you will run into a CBSA agent that will be the opposite of what you have experienced to date. From your threads it seems the issue is contact with your daughter and the challenges that staying in Canada for 2 years will cause. It sucks but a balance has to be found between your personal situation and Canada's immigration laws...your need to see your daughter typically can't outweigh the RO compliance so if you cant remain in Canada for 2 years then you face the possibility of report every time you re-enter. If ok to ask is there a reason your daughter can't come to visit you in the 2 years? How frequent and what duration would your proposed visits to the US be? One day your luck will run out..your not having a PR Card just increases scrutiny.

3. There is only so long you can put it off but you must make a decision like every other PR that has RO compliance issues - do you want to save your PR or do you want to go with your personal situation/ preferences?

 

[neutral]

Not sure if my luck ran out or got better. Long story short,

About 3 weeks ago I headed to Ontario to visit my father in the hospital, I got pulled into Immigration.. After being "interrogated" by one officer who at first was rude until I explained why I was coming into the country I explained my PR situation to him...he said hold on I'm not qualified for this and went to get somebody else. A superintendent came out and we spoke...i explained everything that I've said in this thread as far as PR goes. I openly admitted to not meeting the RO....the superintendent was fantastic!! She said and I quote "As of right now you are still a Permanent resident of Canada, and I'm letting you in the country by right!"

She gave me her card and said to call her so we could sit down together and figure everything out and possibly help me as far as keeping my PR status. Sadly last weekend my father passed away, so I rushed to Ontario for my mother and to prepare for his funeral. I voluntarily went into Customs and Immigration to see if she was working...unfortunately she was not. A day later she called my cell and left a voicemail giving me her condolences and telling me to give her a call back when possible. We've yet to talk on the phone due to everything that has happened nor have we been able to set up an interview for me to go in and talk with her.

My thing is this, do I need to worry that they'll strip me of my PR status? Knowing I don't meet the RO? if that was the case why even tell me I'm still a PR? if I'm a PR then why bother even setting up an interview?? I'm just curious and worried as to what's next. What should I do to prepare for this?

Sorry for your father....

It's not common that an officer would give you her mobile phone, business card, etc. Is she young? Maybe she want something else.....

Regarding to last question, the only who can strip you out of your PR status is an immigration judge.