PR Renewal - RO not met - Applied on H&C grounds

[frontera4]

Hello everyone,

looking for an expert advice.

Aug 2023 - My PR card expired and by this time I did not meet the residency obligation of 2 years inside Canada. I was short by several months to fulfill the RO but I was inside Canada.
Dec 2023 - I was still short of fulfilling the RO but since I had personal/family reasons due to which I could not fully move to Canada sooner, I submitted my PR card renewal application on H&C grounds.
April 2024 - I fulfilled RO and started waiting for an update on the application.

Sep 2024 - After several follow-up calls to IRCC customer care, I got an update saying my PR card is printed and sent to local IRCC office for in person pickup. After a couple of months, I finally got my appointment letter from the IRCC office indicating the card is ready for in person pick up.


In the Appointment letter:

1. I was asked to bring all original copied of documents I submitted with my application.
2. I was asked to bring all original documents to prove my residency inside Canada in the past 5 years.

My questions:

1. For a portion of my stay inside Canada in 2022, I was single and moved in with my friend(shared accommodation) who already leased an apartment. My name was not added to lease and I dodnot have utility or home internet accounts under my name. Neither I have rental receipts. As with any shared accommodation, I used to interac my share of rent to my friend. Below is everything I have for the period of stay in this apartment with address mentioned:
   • my tax NOA for that year(mailed original copy)
   • my G1 knowledge test receipt(original)
   • my medical/clinic receipts
   • email confirmation of my G and G2 road test appointments
   • my G1 and G2 DL copies(destroyed originals after getting G)
   • utility bills(under my frind's name)
   • lease agreement(my friend's)
   • some photos on my phone at this apartment location while I was living there.
     
     All the above will be good enough to convince the officer to prove my stay at this apartment? Please advice. Is there any more documents I can carry with me.
2. After April 2024, I vacated the place I leased for 1 year and moved to a temporary and short term shared accommodation. I stayed at this place for just 2 months. Again, not in lease agreement, utility accounts not under my name, no rental receipts. I only have interac screenshots of me transferring rent amount for the 2 months. this is what I have with the address printed on it (please note, I fulfilled RO by end of April 2024)
   • My car insurance(with this address)
   • utility bills(on main lease holder name).
   • interac screenshots of rent to main lease holder(with appropriate comments)
   • my gym membership( with previous residence address but during the stay at this address)
     
     Since it was a very short term stay which was supposed to be for weeks, but got extended to 2 months, I somehow missed to call IRCC and update the address on my application. would this be a problem? Please advice.
3. In July 2024, my family landed in Canada and I didnot have enough time to find a suitable house. Using my friends network, I found temporary accommodation(say "location55") for my family and my self. I was unsure of how long I will be staying at this place and hence I called IRCC and got the address on file updated to my friend's address(say "location66") thinking I would be missing my new PR card if I update my address to location55 and I move out of this place. Is this going to be a problem during my in-person pickup appointment with IRCC officer?
4. After getting an update on my application saying my card is printed and sent to IRCC office for in-person pickup and I need to wait for an appointment letter, I immediately called IRCC office and got the address on file changed to location55.
   • updating the address on file to location66, I shouldnt have done it? can I explain all the above as a justification?
   • Now my stay at location55 got extended and its been 5+ months here. I have
     • interac screenshots of rent transfers
     • utility and internet bills(under lease holder's name)
     • I am working on getting an occupant certificate with me as occupant at location 55
     • my current original DL with location55 address
     • medical/clinic bills with location55 address.
       
       What is the best way I can justify all the above in point-4. Please advice.
5. I fulfilled RO in April 2024, do I still need to carry documents proving the H&C reason?
6. In the appointment letter, there is a statement -
   • You are requested to bring original documents for "Total of all absences from Canada(for total of 5 years prior to date you applied"
     • What are the documents I need to carry for "all absences from Canada"?
7. In general and also considering my above situations, what should I expect on how my appointment with IRCC officer going to be like? Please advice.
   
   
   Thanks a ton in advance. Apologies for the super long message.

 

[armoured]

Hello everyone,

looking for an expert advice.

Aug 2023 - My PR card expired and by this time I did not meet the residency obligation of 2 years inside Canada. I was short by several months to fulfill the RO but I was inside Canada.
Dec 2023 - I was still short of fulfilling the RO but since I had personal/family reasons due to which I could not fully move to Canada sooner, I submitted my PR card renewal application on H&C grounds.
April 2024 - I fulfilled RO and started waiting for an update on the application.

Sep 2024 - After several follow-up calls to IRCC customer care, I got an update saying my PR card is printed and sent to local IRCC office for in person pickup. After a couple of months, I finally got my appointment letter from the IRCC office indicating the card is ready for in person pick up.

So ritual comment for others who may be in this situation: you would have been FAR better to simply remain in Canada and apply for PR card renewal in april-may. You'd probably have received the card several months ago.

Seriously: it seems this is typical for such cases, that applying 'early' just means they hold up your application for longer, AND you run the risk of having IRCC declaring you inadmissible.

Anyway: the notice you got about the pick-up and the language about bringing all originals and proving where you were for the full five years SEEMS to be the standard.

It SEEMS - in most cases - that for those who have been in Canada since they submitted the application and are now in compliance, this is a formality and the 'showing up in person' aspect carries the most weight (i.e. they are mostly checking that you are physically in Canada on the day you pick up the card). Quite possible - even likely - they'll ask some routine questions, perhaps glance at a document or two, and hand you the five-year PR card on the spot.

In general and also considering my above situations, what should I expect on how my appointment with IRCC officer going to be like? Please advice.

I haven't read all the details of your history. Too long. You decide. But I think the main item of interest to IRCC is 'are you in Canada now' (bring ID) and 'does it seem you are actually in compliance' (focus on bringing some evidence and not 'proof.')

That said, you should show up prepared. Don't obsess about getting ALL documents in original, but go for the spirit of it: the docs you submitted with the application, AND some additional docs supporting.

After glancing at your history: evidence of work the most basic and useful I think, possibly a few other things like medical appointments. You focus on leases (which complicated in your case), I'd focus more on showing you were in Canada and active - work and car and insurance and others.

As for your absences: show what you can about your entries and exits from Canada. I don't think they care so much about what you did abroad, but when you returned. Bring what you can.

All these things below MIGHT be overkill in sense that you might show up and they check your ID and hand you your PR card. I don't know for sure.