PR card renewal- urgent

[bumblebeee]

Hi All,
my pr card expired in June 2016, and I have not got around to applying for a renewal, until now. I have booked a vacation at the Caribbean next month (in 5 weeks) and I was wondering if there is anyway I can still make the trip (I am still getting my application together)..

I have all the documents, except my IT returns, which I need to file..

Please advise!

Thanks

 

[bumblebeee]

I do have my landing document - can I enter back with that?

 

[Rob_TO]

I do have my landing document - can I enter back with that?

You will almost definitely not have PR card back in time, since you don't qualify for urgent processing since your reason for travel is not due to work or medical: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2016/ob627.asp. So expect many months for processing.

Without a valid PR card your problem is boarding an airplane back to Canada. If you hold a USA passport which is eTA exempt, you should be able to fly back to Canada and enter no problem.

However if you aren't a US citizen, then you need either a valid PR card or a PR Travel Document to board a flight to Canada, no exceptions. Since you won't get PR card back in time your only options would be:
1. Apply for a PR Travel Document when you arrive in the Carribean. Since this involves mailing your passport and who knows how long it will take, it's very risky if you are only there a short time. May be stranded there with no passport while waiting for PR Travel Doc.
2. Fly to a US city close to border, and drive into Canada. For this you don't need the travel doc or PR card.
3. Delay the trip until you get your PR card

 

[bumblebeee]

Is there a way I can show my expired PR card, and a receipt for payment for the renewal? I read somewhere that it may work?

 

[dpenabill]

Is there a way I can show my expired PR card, and a receipt for payment for the renewal? I read somewhere that it may work?

Not likely.

We do not know to what extent CBSA might have discretionary exceptions to strict enforcement. Potentially, perhaps even most likely, NONE. Thus, none that could be counted on for sure.

Reports this might work probably derive from experiences before eTA requirement was strictly enforced, for PRs carrying a visa-exempt passport; the strict enforcement of eTA, which was scheduled to take full effect just three days ago, in effect extended strict enforcement of the PR card requirement to PRs with visa-exempt passports . . . even before eTA, technically all PRs were supposed to present a valid PR card, but those with visa-exempt passports were often able to board a flight just presenting their visa-exempt passport. Some such travelers may have been challenged, regarding the requirement for PRs, and before eTA the airlines might be persuaded to allow the traveler to board based on presentation of an expired PR card, particularly in conjunction with other assurances (such as evidence of PR card application pending).

But that is history.

eTA appears to be fully in effect now. With a few exceptions, such as for U.S. citizens and some other very narrow exceptions, PRs need a valid PR card or a PR TD to board a flight headed to Canada.

 

[Rob_TO]

Is there a way I can show my expired PR card, and a receipt for payment for the renewal? I read somewhere that it may work?

That will only work once back in Canada and talking to CBSA.

Again, your problem is actually being issued your airplane ticket from the airline to get to Canada in the first place. Without a US passport, they will accept ONLY a valid PR card or PR Travel Document. There is no way around this, and it would be difficult to even try since if unsuccessful you'd be stranded in that country unable to fly home without re-routing your flight to enter Canada via a US/Canada land border.

 

[bumblebeee]

Thanks everyone.
I sent my application package last week. I have 30 days left, and it seems like my application is not yet in process. I realized I forgot to attach my graduation / transcripts from school , which would be good proof that I was in the country in 2015...

Is there a way I can send them this additional piece of information while my case is being reviewed?

 

[torhout13]

Yes, you can e-mail or mail them additional documents even after you have already sent to CIC your application for a PR card renewal. I did the same thing this year when I sent my application for a PR card renewal and two days later I realized I had made an error on my application plus I forgot to submit some other documents. I wrote a new application with a fixed info and additional documents and re-submitted it through case -specific e-mail. I got a reply from CIC via e-mail that they had received my revised application and all of my documents.
Hope this helps.

 

[bumblebeee]

Awesome! Thank you, this helps.. Just to clarify would you recommend sending the entire application once again, or just the additional docs?

 

[torhout13]

Hello again, I only re-sent the part of the application in which I made an error - the travel history part. I explained in the email that I had sent my application a few days earlier but I had made an error and that I am sending a revised part of application - just the page with a fixed error. I didn't send the whole application. And then a few weeks later I realized that I hadn't submitted some documents, so I sent them again through a case specific e-mail. And in both cases I received an email from CIC to confirm that they had received everything from me. It was really no problem.

 

[torhout13]

So, no you don't need to send the entire application; just send the additional docs.

 

[luic]

I am about to send out my application for PR card renewal. The documents I am submitting to document complaince with PR RO is 200+ pages. I wonder if you can suggest how to submit such volume of docs?

Do I staple them?
Do I bindd them or place them in a hard cover 1" binder?

I fear if it is voluminous, it may go to the sheld or secondary review straight..my question sounds silly but I am really puzelled