Options needed to enter Canada with Expired PR card

[Sricand]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

 

[Naturgrl]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

1. Is your best option if you all want to settle in Canada permanently. If you all have US visas and can cross at a land border then CBSA will let you in. You may be issued papers to revoke your PR but you will be let in. Once in Canada, you cannot leave or apply for PR renewal until you have met RO. Also because cards have expired, it will be difficult to get a driver’s license and health care. Assume you all have SIN cards to work.

 

[steaky]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

How about rent a car from US and drive to Canada with your expired PR cards by the end of this month? The more you wait, the more probability that CBSA will report you of not meeting RO. Also, more difficult to get driver licence and health cards. Once you landed, don't travel outside Canada for 3 years until you get a renewed PR card.

 

[scylla]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

1. Certainly worth trying. As said above, you will be allowed into Canada but there's some chance you may be reported for failing to meet the residency obligation. Either way, you will be allowed into Canada. If you are reported, you will have the opportunity to appeal
2. Calculate your points to see your chances of being selected. Scores for general draws are 500+ right now.
3. You would all need to formally renounce your PR status first.

 

[Besram]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

Option 2 may not work for you if you are relying on Canadian work experience for points and/or qualification for CEC. Last time I checked, Canadian work experience only counts if was acquired as a foreign national on a temporary visa. This means Canadian work experience as a PR would not qualify. Even if did, you wouldn't qualify for CEC because work experience must have been obtained in the 3 years prior to applying, and you are well outside that window.

Failing sufficient points to re-qualify for PR from scratch, your best bet is option 1. But as others have mentioned it's a big commitment as you and your family will have to stay put for at least two years and you will potentially not have access to public health insurance. If you do not have a SIN, it's going to be even harder.

You could consider going by yourself first to find out if you are reported, and only if successful would you ask your family to also travel via the land border. At least this would give you the option to sponsor them in the future if they got reported. Only my two cents - do your own research and work out what's best in your situation. There's pros and cons for doing this, obviously.

 

[canuck78]

Hello there,
Here is my situation.
Myself- I got my Canadian PR in NOV 2016. Landed in Canada in Jan 2018 and worked until Feb 2020 after which I had to leave Canada for personal reasons. Canadian PR expired in NOV 2021. Taxes wise I have been filing taxes since 2018 until 2022.
Family- Obtained their PR in Dec 2018 however had to leave Canada in Dec 2019. Their PR Card expired in Dec 2023.

I am intending to return to Canada along with my family around June 2025 (unable to travel anytime soon because of children's education commitments). Given the residency obligation (RO) to renew PR, all of us will not be able to meet the RO (760 days) in June 2025 as we all left before June 2020. Also, we have not formally renounced our PR nor do we intend to apply for PR travel document as we do not meet RO (we were told that applying for PRTD w/o meeting RO would initiate renouncement). What possible options do I have?

1. Is it worth the risk to rent a car from US and drive to Canada with our expired PR cards in June 2025? Will we be denied entry as my card expired in 2021 and family's cards expired in 2023?
2. I have worked for Canadian employer between 2018-2020. Would it be better to just reapply for Express Entry PR for myself and my family with this Canadian experience?
3. If I need to re-apply for PR, do we all need to formally renounce our PR status or can we just go ahead and submit EOI and a new application once invited?

Looking forward to your inputs. Thanks in Advance.

Regards
Sri

Other factor would be the age of your children. If they are college/university age and that is why you want to return not having a valid PR card can be problematic when applying for certain schools. In general with such a small period of time in Canada and an expired PR card there are no guarantees your family will be able to retain PR status so you will have to determine if it is worth risking trying to return especially as a family. If your children are 18 they have a better chance of retain PR status on their own. Not moving to Canada for education commitments is not considered an H&C reason and would be considered personal choice. Agree with the suggestion that you may want to send one parent to Canada to see if they get reported before uprooting your life, leaving a home, leaving jobs, etc. If you do get reported at the border you may want to assess whether it is worth risking leaving a home and job to come to Canada.

 

[rollercoaster]

Hi @Sricand, I'm in same situation as you. Do you want to get in touch? We can discuss some options..

 

[Ponga]

Hi @Sricand, I'm in same situation as you. Do you want to get in touch? We can discuss some options..

If you are a U.S. citizen (could be judging from your avatar), your valid U.S. passport is all you need (to fly). If driving, that works as well as does an expired PR Card, or anything else that shows the CBSA officer that you are a PR of Canada.

Edit:
Scratch that; It appears you are not a U.S. citizen, right?

I got my PCC issued today ( 23 may 2016) from Passport office in India.