PR card and reporting for medical surveillance for inactive tuberculosis

[zhcan]

I landed in the middle of June and stayed in Canada for three days and came back to US. There is this 'must report for medical surveillance for inactive tuberculosis within 30 days' condition written on the landing document. My questions are:

1. Can I call from US the health authorities in Canada to make any future appointment for medical follow-up or examination? and after they send me a letter for any appointment, which I think will be one or two months later, I then will go to canada and stay there for medical surveillance.

2. If 1 is not possible, I would like to go back to Canada within 30 days, but by that time, I won't be able to have my maple card yet. Can I re-enter Canada without much difficulty? Which port of entry should be most safe to make this journey? Any suggestions? Do I have the risk of losing status if the immigration officer at the port of entry think I should not have come back to US right after landing?

3. If 2 is very risky of losing one's status, can I apply for a travel document in e.g. Los Angeles Canadian Consulate, before leaving for Canada? If I get refused, do I have the risk of losing my status as well?

4. Will the maple card not be issued unless I have reported to the health authorities in Canada? or they are kind of separate from each other?

Anybody's reply will be very helpful. Thanks a lot.

 

[max101]

I landed in 2006 and stayed for 3 days, I had TB Surveillance letter as well. I called the number from inside canada and told them that I will be returning to US in few days. the Lady said I can contact them when I return to Canada. I also asked her if I need to "inactivate" my file until I return, she said No, just call them when I return.

.... and Fast Forward 3 Years...

I am planning to move back to Canada this Year to maintain my PR, I planning goto to the surveillance when I get there. I would also like to hear from others regarding this situation.

 

[zhcan]

Hi Max101, very glad that you have responded. I am wondering if you have been issued a pr card, even if you have not officially reported yourself to health authorities in Canada.

One thing really concerns me is that I hear from people in other forum that if I don't report to the health authorities within 30 days of landing, I will lose the immigration status. Even if we do have a maple card, that might affect our future renewal of the card or application for citizenship in Canada. Is that true? Or maybe this '30 days' requirement is not really after 'landing' but rather after 'living' in Canada?

To be honest, I was only planning to start to live in Canada permanently at least half a year later; but now, it seems that I have to give up my US job right away in order to maintain my status in Canada. This is really unexpected.

Any suggestions?

 

[Leon]

If you didn't stay long enough to get your PR card, you can go back using your landing documents.

 

[max101]

Hi Max101, very glad that you have responded. I am wondering if you have been issued a pr card, even if you have not officially reported yourself to health authorities in Canada.

One thing really concerns me is that I hear from people in other forum that if I don't report to the health authorities within 30 days of landing, I will lose the immigration status. Even if we do have a maple card, that might affect our future renewal of the card or application for citizenship in Canada. Is that true? Or maybe this '30 days' requirement is not really after 'landing' but rather after 'living' in Canada?

To be honest, I was only planning to start to live in Canada permanently at least half a year later; but now, it seems that I have to give up my US job right away in order to maintain my status in Canada. This is really unexpected.

Any suggestions?

Actually, I am assuming that my PR is still valid, When I re-enter, If the immigration ask about it, I will explain that I did not live in Canada since 2006, I can show my Passport stamps to prove that I was in US. and I can also explain my phone call in 2006. Other than that is really nothing I can do at this point, I will find out when I try to re-enter Canada.

 

[rascojenkins]

If you didn't stay long enough to get your PR card, you can go back using your landing documents.

This is intresting I thought once u complete landing formalities and go out of the country you can only come back in with your PR card.I quess we learn every day.

 

[Leon]

It happens all the time that people need to land but are not ready to move yet. To get the PR card, they would have to stay for 4-6 weeks or know somebody reliable in Canada they can give the address of who will mail it to them. If they don't have either option, people who have asked have been told it's ok to enter with their landing documents. One guy landed with his family, then had to go back after a week but was coming back to Canada before their PR cards had even arrived. He said that he was asked a few questions when he arrived as for why did you have to leave etc. but they did let him in.

There is a PR travel document available to people whose PR cards have expired while they were in another country or when PR card it lost. If somebody landed, then went back and spent years outside Canada, it might be an idea to phone and ask if they should apply for a PR travel document to go back. You can get it here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/travel.asp

 

[zhcan]

Actually, I hear that the current processing time for a PR card is about 2-3 months, despite the '30 days' as promised on the CIC website. If anybody has a faster processing time for the PR card currently, would you please tell us? That would be very helpful.

Hi Max101, can we keep in contact with each other about the medical surveillance, etc.? My email address is zhwes@hotmail.com, if you would like to use it. I will have to contact the health authorities in Canada within 30 days anyway, but I would like to see if the so-called medical surveillance is a just a regular physical check-up, e.g. a test every month or two weeks, etc.? Maybe I can work around it somehow intially. What do you think?

 

[Leon]

There's 2 processing times, see http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/canada/process-in.asp#pr_card It's suppoesd to be 30 days for new PR's but it can take 6 weeks or something goes wrong and it takes months. For existing PR's or replacement cards, it's 67 days right now. Last year it was 97.

 

[max101]

Actually, I hear that the current processing time for a PR card is about 2-3 months, despite the '30 days' as promised on the CIC website. If anybody has a faster processing time for the PR card currently, would you please tell us? That would be very helpful.

Hi Max101, can we keep in contact with each other about the medical surveillance, etc.? My email address is zhwes@hotmail.com, if you would like to use it. I will have to contact the health authorities in Canada within 30 days anyway, but I would like to see if the so-called medical surveillance is a just a regular physical check-up, e.g. a test every month or two weeks, etc.? Maybe I can work around it somehow intially. What do you think?

ok, I will send you email.

 

[max101]

I landed in 2006 and stayed for 3 days, I had TB Surveillance letter as well. I called the number from inside canada and told them that I will be returning to US in few days. the Lady said I can contact them when I return to Canada. I also asked her if I need to "inactivate" my file until I return, she said No, just call them when I return.

.... and Fast Forward 3 Years...

I am planning to move back to Canada this Year to maintain my PR, I planning goto to the surveillance when I get there. I would also like to hear from others regarding this situation.

Hey zhcan,

..Fast forward 2 more months.. and Here is an update on my situation:

I came back to Canada again in August of 2009. The Canadian Officer checked my records in computer and said that I could not be located for for medical exam in 2007.

I explained to her that I had called the TB Surveillance in 2006 and told them that I will be out of country. The officer did not seem happy to know that I was out of country for so long. She also reminded me that I must stay in Canada 2 years out of 5 year to maintain my PR.

The officer then gave me the phone number and address of the TB survelliance and asked me to contact them ASAP.

The next day I called TB Surveillance, and they asked me to fax the surveillance form which i still had from 2006 landing. I asked them if I could email it as i did not have fax. They said no. So I went to the office in person and handed them the form. They made a copy of it and returned my copy.

According to them, the next step is that they will check the records and then notify me when I should come in for check up. That will be in about 2 weeks or so. I asked them what will be involved in check up. They said x-ray and sputum sample test. I am waiting for them to contact me. I will update you again.

 

[simplesimon]

Guys

Pls give me more details on Inactive TB. I had mine 19years ago and am clear since then. Do I still have to go for the surveillance and what does this entail ?

Will the medical check also take much longer due to this ???

Pls help Tx

 

[max101]

Guys

Pls give me more details on Inactive TB. I had mine 19years ago and am clear since then. Do I still have to go for the surveillance and what does this entail ?

Will the medical check also take much longer due to this ???

Pls help Tx

simplesimon, if you had TB before and negative x-ray for TB now, they may consider you as having "inactive TB". there is a good possibility that they may require you to attend the Medical Surveillance. when they give you the Landing Papers for PR they will also send you the Surveillance form. Then after you land as PR you have to go to a medical office for Surveillance. Basically the will do some test like x-ray and sputum test, just to make sure you don't have active TB. It think it involves few appointments over serveral months period. I am still waiting for my first appointment.

 

[simplesimon]

hi max

I also read somewhere that the TB test delays the medicals by another 8 weeks as they do sputum culture etc. Was this true in your case?

Can i request you to update this thread after your 1st surveillance ? it will be useful info.

Many tx

 

[max101]

hi max

I also read somewhere that the TB test delays the medicals by another 8 weeks as they do sputum culture etc. Was this true in your case?

Can i request you to update this thread after your 1st surveillance ? it will be useful info.

Many tx

simplesimon,
When i did medical test for PR back in 2006, I told them that I had TB and treatment in the past and that my skin test is positive. They took X-ray, and the X-ray was clear. They did not ask for sputum test. Actually at that time, I requested the doctor to do sputum test as well, because I thought the CIC will ask for it due to my history of TB. But the doctor said that is probably not necessary. and I did not get any request for sputum test during the PR process.

For the medicals (before PR approval), My guess is if the x-ray is clear then they don't require sputum test. However if there is some scar in the x-ray, and skin test is positive, then they may require sputum test, which takes atleast 8 weeks as you mentioned.

When I received my Landing papers after my PR was approved, the Medical surveillance came with it. My guess is everyone who had TB in the past is likey to get Medical Surveillance form.

For the Surveillance (After PR), looks like everyone needs to take sputum test. but since that is done after becoming PR, that is not a big deal as that will not delay PR process.

I am still waiting for my first appointment for TB Surveillance, I will keep you posted.