Permanent resident TRAVEL DOCUMENT PROCESSING TIMES
- Thread starter gibda
- Start date
Hi,
I’m applying for PRTD from Dubai , wanted to know how much time did it take for you to revive ur PRTD and how did the process go about ?
Based on your previous posts you are sponsoring your spouse who is living in Dubai. Have they landed? They don't need a PRTD to land. As the sponsoring spouse you had to remain in Canada if you were a PR so it wouldn't make sense that you ned a PRTD. Please clarify.
Hi all, hoping someone can advise.
I've been a permanent resident since 2012, but have been living outside of Canada from 2015 to present.
We want to move back to Canada and am currently in final stages of securing work (interviews etc.). The stress now is trying to get a permanent resident travel document. (my PR card expired in 2017)
i've reached out to Austria and French embassys and they aren't responding to some basic questions I have and I have asked VFS centres, but they won't answer following
- Roughly how long the processing time is for a travel document? (i need to know when negotiating with a new employer what a realistic start date is)
- Once I have the travel document, how long do I have until it expires ( i know it's single entry but i need to know if a i have 3 months, 6 months, a year to use it)
- Anyone have experience which which VFS is quicker Berlin or Paris (Paris VFS deals with Paris embassy and apparently Berlin deals with Austria embassy). I can use either but i'd love to use whomever is faster.
- I only have like 400 days in Canada in last 5 years so I won't meet that requirement, but my spouse has been with me overseas the entire time and she is canadian by birth (she has not been working for a canadian employer while outside canada for the past 4 years). Is this acceptable? i see conflicting information. on one page it says it's fine on another it says my wife should have been working for a canadian business for me to qualify those days outside canada.
Hopefully someone here can help
thanks
M.
I've been a permanent resident since 2012, but have been living outside of Canada from 2015 to present.
We want to move back to Canada and am currently in final stages of securing work (interviews etc.). The stress now is trying to get a permanent resident travel document. (my PR card expired in 2017)
i've reached out to Austria and French embassys and they aren't responding to some basic questions I have and I have asked VFS centres, but they won't answer following
- Roughly how long the processing time is for a travel document? (i need to know when negotiating with a new employer what a realistic start date is)
- Once I have the travel document, how long do I have until it expires ( i know it's single entry but i need to know if a i have 3 months, 6 months, a year to use it)
- Anyone have experience which which VFS is quicker Berlin or Paris (Paris VFS deals with Paris embassy and apparently Berlin deals with Austria embassy). I can use either but i'd love to use whomever is faster.
- I only have like 400 days in Canada in last 5 years so I won't meet that requirement, but my spouse has been with me overseas the entire time and she is canadian by birth (she has not been working for a canadian employer while outside canada for the past 4 years). Is this acceptable? i see conflicting information. on one page it says it's fine on another it says my wife should have been working for a canadian business for me to qualify those days outside canada.
Hopefully someone here can help
thanks
M.
Is record of past 5 years of Canadian TAX return enough proof to show for Residency Obligations? They ask for past boarding passes (which we dont have all), past past passport pages stamped (which Canada does not stamp much). we provided solid proof of travel bookings itenery receipts for the travel times we do not have boarding passes. We provided 2 job letters (1 explaining 5 years part time and the other full time 2018) . Its been nearly 4 weeks since Canadiam Embassy in Trinidad requested this additional information.. What to expect from this delay?
Hi
I just want to share my very recent experience with PRTD. Me and my wife were on vacation to spain for couple of weeks. In Barcelona, my wife's wallet got stolen and her PR card got stolen as well. So we went to make police report at Barcelona and went to canadian consulate for help.
Canadian consulate were no help. They dont provide any visa nor immigration issues. So does canadian embassy at madrid. Only way was get PTRD from canadian embassy from France and we had to get the paperwork submitted to Visa application cantre in Madrid.
When we went to VAC in madrid, they were asking us to hand in original passport with them and they will mail it to canadian embassy in France to process it which was ridiculous. Takes 3 weeks or so if you are lucky. We had departure ticket in few days and there was no way to get it.
So here was the deal. I spoke to immigration lawyer and close friend of mine who works in Border.
Dont bring in PR card into canada is not an immigration offence. Besides, if you are immigrants or canadian citizen, you have right to come into Canada.
The only problem is get on board with plane. Commercial airline checks the PR card and visas on their discretion. However, if you are immigrant, you should have stamp in your passport which starts with "i". That is your immigration number. Show that and explain situations, no problems.
We were on board with that no problems and even when we arrived in Canada, border didnt give any issues but just told her to apply PR card right away.
So, anyone who lost PR card overseas or not in canada, my advise is dont panic, make police report, take pictures of all documents and id, make sure you have valid passport. If you lose passport, its different issue though.
Well hope this helps to people who might get into similar issues or problems.
Thanks!
Derick
I just want to share my very recent experience with PRTD. Me and my wife were on vacation to spain for couple of weeks. In Barcelona, my wife's wallet got stolen and her PR card got stolen as well. So we went to make police report at Barcelona and went to canadian consulate for help.
Canadian consulate were no help. They dont provide any visa nor immigration issues. So does canadian embassy at madrid. Only way was get PTRD from canadian embassy from France and we had to get the paperwork submitted to Visa application cantre in Madrid.
When we went to VAC in madrid, they were asking us to hand in original passport with them and they will mail it to canadian embassy in France to process it which was ridiculous. Takes 3 weeks or so if you are lucky. We had departure ticket in few days and there was no way to get it.
So here was the deal. I spoke to immigration lawyer and close friend of mine who works in Border.
Dont bring in PR card into canada is not an immigration offence. Besides, if you are immigrants or canadian citizen, you have right to come into Canada.
The only problem is get on board with plane. Commercial airline checks the PR card and visas on their discretion. However, if you are immigrant, you should have stamp in your passport which starts with "i". That is your immigration number. Show that and explain situations, no problems.
We were on board with that no problems and even when we arrived in Canada, border didnt give any issues but just told her to apply PR card right away.
So, anyone who lost PR card overseas or not in canada, my advise is dont panic, make police report, take pictures of all documents and id, make sure you have valid passport. If you lose passport, its different issue though.
Well hope this helps to people who might get into similar issues or problems.
Thanks!
Derick
- PRTD or travel documents usually takes about 3 weeks in my knowledge. Depands on volumes they say.
- once you enter canada with it, i think border stamp it and that will be expired.
- I dealt with embassy in Paris, ridiculous. Try Berlin I would say.
- If you are canadian citizen or immigrant, you have right to come into Canada. That is your right.
Hope this helps!
- once you enter canada with it, i think border stamp it and that will be expired.
- I dealt with embassy in Paris, ridiculous. Try Berlin I would say.
- If you are canadian citizen or immigrant, you have right to come into Canada. That is your right.
Hope this helps!
I heard it really depands on airlines. Yeah, I think we were very lucky on that. Some airlines are stricter than others.
As for the processing timeline, this VARIES greatly . . . and it will vary depending on the particular Visa Office handling the PR TD application BUT it can, and often will, vary greatly depending on the facts and circumstances in the individual case. We see reports which range from a couple or few days, to weeks, up to several months or more. Depending on where, when, who, and why, and sometimes other variables.
As for the "right" Canadians have to "come into Canada," this is correct but glosses over underlying variables. The nature of the "right" itself, for example, depends on which status the Canadian has. Canadians with citizenship have a charter right to enter Canada. Canadians with PR status have a statutory right to enter Canada, which in most legal contexts is referred to as a "privilege" not a right.
Moreover, using the word "come" in this context might be confusing. Canadians, whether a citizen or PR (remember, PRs are "Canadians" in Canadian immigration law), do NOT have a "right" to "come" to Canada that is prescribed by Canadian law. When Canadians present themselves at a Port-of-Entry, they have a right to enter Canada (again, for citizens that is a Charter right; for PRs that is a statutory right).
Who is entitled to board a form of transportation that is COMING to Canada is governed by separate provisions of statutory law and regulation. Both citizens and PRs are subject to particular rules which require the TRANSPORTER to restrict boarding, which rules require Canadians to present either a Canadian status document (PR card) or Canadian travel document (passport or specially issued TD, including a "PR TD"), WITH EXCEPTIONS.
Who is allowed to actually board a flight is indeed for the transporter to enforce. That is, yes, airlines have discretion to allow a traveler to board a flight headed to Canada EVEN IF the traveler does NOT present the appropriate travel documents as prescribed by the rules.
Which leads to the other aspects of the discussion above . . . to be addressed in a separate post.
Unfortunately this forum is rife with vague over-generalizations declaring most are this or that. To be clear, it is NOT likely that MOST PRs are refused boarding a flight to Canada. As for, more particularly, most PRs who do not present a valid PR card or PR TD? Maybe "most" PRs who do not present a valid PR card or PR TD are refused boarding, but I am sure there are scores and scores of such PRs who are NOT refused boarding . . . the individual situation varies considerably and that matters.
For example, scores of PRs are U.S. citizens who can board a flight to Canada without presenting either a PR card or PR TD. And since a very high percentage of travelers coming to Canada are coming from the U.S., and since PRs who are U.S. citizens frequently travel between the two countries, no crystal ball is necessary to discern there are likely many such travelers relying on their U.S. passport rather than a PR card . . . noting, too, that among long term PRs who do not become Canadian citizens, U.S. citizens probably number high; indeed, among U.S. citizens I personally know, more have remained PRs for DECADES than the number who have become Canadian citizens.
In actual practice, my guess is that MOST PRs know the rules about boarding a flight to Canada and behave accordingly. My guess is that the number of Americans who are Canadian PRs who arrive at the airport to fly to Canada without a PR card or PR TD and then are NOT refused boarding likely OUTNUMBERS the number of PRs who are refused when they attempt to board a flight without a PR card or PR TD . . . in large part because those who know the rules and know they are likely to be refused boarding do not make an attempt to do so. That is, overall I'd venture MORE PRs board a flight to Canada without either a PR card or PR TD than the number who are actually refused boarding.
The latter is not to suggest an explanation for the particular report here by @Ddkim but, rather, to emphasize that generalizations tend to be uninformative, that what really matters are the particular facts and circumstances in the individual case.
And this particular tangent does NOT appear to be at all about the more common exceptions (like U.S. citizens, the most common exception among others) for when a PR must present a PRC or PR TD to board a flight.
BUT NEITHER IS IT ABOUT THE MORE COMMON SCENARIOS IN WHICH PRs ARE ABROAD WITHOUT A VALID PR CARD.
Which warrants recognizing the general rules and how they work. The general rules matter, of course, and are thus very instructive. Indeed, they offer an explanation for why it is likely NOT that many PRs are actually refused boarding a flight to Canada due to not presenting a valid PRC or PR TD . . . it is easy to predict that boarding will be denied, so it would be futile if not outright foolish to even purchase a ticket. Thus, most probably never try.
Thus, sure, it is probably valid to observe it is likely "most" PRs without a PRC or PR TD, and who do not qualify for one of the exceptions, WILL BE refused boarding a flight to Canada, if they try . . . so don't bother. Usually. And they don't try, usually.
Which finally brings these comments around to the situation described by @Ddkim and the choices made and the outcome experienced.
There are multiple aspects of this which separate it from the more common scenarios in which PRs are abroad without a valid PR card.
And this is why this report should NOT be taken to signal it might be worth trying to fly to Canada without a PR card or PR TD in the more common scenarios in which PRs are abroad without a valid PR card.
BUT it is also why @Ddkim's post is a VALUABLE REPORT illustrating when it may be worth the attempt to go ahead and board the flight home to Canada despite not having a PRC or PR TD.
The theft or loss of important documents happens. Major PAIN-IN-THE-POSTERIOR. Securing Travel and Identity and Banking documents has always been a major focus of my attention when I travel. For good reason. BUT as we all know STUFF-HAPPENS.
It was prudent for @Ddkim to NOT panic, to take a breath, and make an attempt to board the scheduled flight as planned before pursuing a PR TD or, as some would do, arrange a return flight to the U.S. and then travel to the border by land.
It is possible some "luck" was involved, but it is more likely that some specific aspects of the situation facilitated the outcome experienced.
I do not know the details in any more depth than reported above but I can suggest that among some factors which MIGHT influence how things go in a similar scenario, a big one (not sure if it applies here but it can in similar situations) is the possibility (perhaps even probability) the traveler has already been approved to board the flight.
In particular, if the scheduled flight is part of a round-trip ticket it is possible that the passenger has already been screened and passed the screening, that a boarding pass has already been authorized or issued. Unlike the procedures employed prior to the full implementation of eTA, authorization to board is now a decision ordinarily made ELECTRONICALLY attendant issuing or authorizing the issuance of a boarding pass . . . previously it appears to have been screened by airline personnel visually examining the traveler's passport and if necessary PR card (which allowed many PRs with visa-exempt passports to board without displaying a PR card, since their passports alone met a requirement for boarding a flight to Canada).
The traveler's passport in this particular scenario could have easily been sufficient, since once the boarding pass has been authorized or issued the main thing the airline is screening is to make sure the traveler's passport and identity match the booking and manifest.
Moreover, even if the passenger did not have a round-trip ticket as such, as @Ddkim observed, the airline nonetheless still has discretion to allow the traveler to board the flight . . . and particularly where the return flight is aboard the same airline the traveler arrived in RECENTLY, and that ticket was purchased prior to departing Canada, it is likely the airline can independently verify in its own records the traveler's status.
There is nonetheless a big RISK an airline will not allow boarding and the traveler will face a delay in returning to Canada similar to the situation described by CBC recently, where a PR abroad for a short trip was stranded abroad for a significant amount of time waiting to obtain a PR TD.
Bottom-line: What happens to most other PRs is NOT much relevant. The individual situation matters far more. Whether that is about an exception to the general rules or about particular circumstances which can influence how things actually go. In the situation described here, it was indeed prudent to go to the airport and attempt to take the originally scheduled flight. And the outcome should be no surprise.
In particular, a PR who has a scheduled return flight as part of a round-trip package, probably has fairly good odds of being allowed to board that flight without a PR Card or PR TD . . . assuming, as happened here, the PR nonetheless has his or her passport. That said, the risk otherwise is so high it would be foolish to rely on being allowed to board such a flight . . . so making the attempt to fly in this situation is essentially a decision compelled by circumstances and a PR should be prepared to deal with things if boarding is denied.
A concluding caveat: while it is a good idea to be prepared to fully explain the situation, and to have a copy of a police report to corroborate the explanation, how it actually goes is more likely about the particular airline's policies and practices. It is possible one might, in a sense, ARGUE their way aboard. BUT as such things go, if the airline policy is such it would deny boarding in the situation, arguing the case is not likely to change the outcome . . . with some exceptions of course.
EDIT to ADD clarification: The key take-away is that how these things go is NOT a game of chance. How it goes for "most" (as in one more than half), or a large majority, or for just a few, is largely NOT relevant. In these matters probabilities can be statistically valid but have minimal forecasting relevance . . . rather, the specific circumstances dictate the more likely outcomes. And these vary from one individual to another. It can be very difficult to reliably identify let alone weigh the many variables that can influence the outcome. Just because it is difficult to predict an outcome does not mean luck is at play.
Last edited:
Thanks for the feedback. Took me a while to read it but very knowledgeable answer. Yes the intend was to share my side of experience and I certainly don't want people to make an attempt to same as I did because all situations and circumstances matters as post said. Thanks!
Hi, I have applied for PR TD and it's been 10 days already. My flight is within next 2 days. I tried calling Canadian high Commission ad tried to explain to them my situation, but nothing happened. Is there a way I can expedite the process or at least get my passport back.
My wife and son already have their PR card, IRCC messed up my card and i had to travel without the PR card.
Your insights are appreciated.
Thanks,
Arpit Mishra
My wife and son already have their PR card, IRCC messed up my card and i had to travel without the PR card.
Your insights are appreciated.
Thanks,
Arpit Mishra
Hi
Sorry to hear about that.
Did you give them your original passport as well? That was same instruction I had and I thought that was ridiculous so I just didnt even go for it... but if you did, you gonna have to wait for them to get back to you I guess.. do you know where it sent to? Maybe you should try to get hold of them.