PR status retention

[wrizvi]

Hi there,

I’m a Canadian and my non-Canadian wife has a PR card (since 2012). We both live together overseas, and have no plans in the foreseeable future to move to Canada, though we do visit at least once every two years. I want her to maintain her status and ability to travel to Canada, and we’ve been brainstorming the best ways to go about ensuring that. Should we get her a travel document? On the Canadian Immigration website entitled 'Applying for a travel document (permanent resident abroad) (IMM 5529)' it says we can even get a multiple-entry travel document if we so request in a cover letter, though I wonder what kinds of conditions would we have to meet to be eligible for that? Or should we simply apply for a new PR card when the time comes?

Also (I do apologize for rambling on), we have nothing to hide, but we want to make sure we’re not saying anything at the port-of-entry every time we visit that will raise undue suspicions of any sort. During last year’s visit, the passport officer was especially inquisitive about what our plans about moving to Canada were. Considering our case, can passport officers ever revoke her entry into Canada? I thought, at least for now according to the current laws, that that wasn’t/isn’t possible? Should we just be blatantly honest during next year’s trip and say we have no plans to move and that that is in line with the law (her preserving PR status that is)?

 

[manochan]

As you say, you are Canadian.
Your wife is living with you outside Canada.
Her PR is since 2012 so it will expire in 2017.
A person is eligible to renew his/her PR, if he/she lives with Canadian outside Canada.
You will require to keep proof of her stay with you outside Canada.
6 months prior to her PR card expiry, follow the procedure to apply for renewal of PR card.
OR
As you say, she is with you then after 1095 days, she is eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship.
All what you need is a proof that she stays with you.
Manochan

 

[scylla]

As you say, she is with you then after 1095 days, she is eligible to apply for Canadian Citizenship.

No - she's not eligible for citizenship. The days spent outside of Canada with a Canadian citizen spouse can only be counted towards the PR residency requirement - not towards citizenship.

 

[zardoz]

One other question... Did you sponsor your wife for PR while you were living outside Canada?
If so, what about the "intent to return to Canada" condition of the sponsorship...

 

[wrizvi]

zardoz, thanks for bringing up that valid point that i'd forgotten to mention. indeed, we did indicate on the form that we did intend to move to canada soon after my wife would get her PR card. I'd gotten admission into a college, but soon after that we realized we'd need to enter rigorous fertility treatment, including IVF, which is extremely expensive in Canada. Where we live, we can afford to go through round after round of IVF treatment without going into debt. That is one of the main reasons we've been forced to change our decision to move to Canada immediately. I'm not sure if there is a way around that...

 

[PMM]

Hi

Hi there,

I'm a Canadian and my non-Canadian wife has a PR card (since 2012). We both live together overseas, and have no plans in the foreseeable future to move to Canada, though we do visit at least once every two years. I want her to maintain her status and ability to travel to Canada, and we've been brainstorming the best ways to go about ensuring that. Should we get her a travel document? On the Canadian Immigration website entitled 'Applying for a travel document (permanent resident abroad) (IMM 5529)' it says we can even get a multiple-entry travel document if we so request in a cover letter, though I wonder what kinds of conditions would we have to meet to be eligible for that? Or should we simply apply for a new PR card when the time comes?

Also (I do apologize for rambling on), we have nothing to hide, but we want to make sure we're not saying anything at the port-of-entry every time we visit that will raise undue suspicions of any sort. During last year's visit, the passport officer was especially inquisitive about what our plans about moving to Canada were. Considering our case, can passport officers ever revoke her entry into Canada? I thought, at least for now according to the current laws, that that wasn't/isn't possible? Should we just be blatantly honest during next year's trip and say we have no plans to move and that that is in line with the law (her preserving PR status that is)?

You can apply for a multiple entry PR Travel Document once your spouse's PR card expires. Op 10

18.3. Step 3. If application is approved, issue the travel document
In most cases, the travel document is to be issued for a single entry with a validity of six months.
Occasionally, there may be cases where a permanent resident of Canada is unable to apply for a
permanent resident card due to their long-term residency abroad. In these rare cases, where a
permanent resident is unable to apply for the card from within Canada because of the shortness
of their occasional stays in Canada, a multiple-entry travel document may be issued for a period
of validity not exceeding five years. The category to be printed on the travel document counterfoil
is R-1. A separate counterfoil will be printed for each person included in the application that meets
the criteria for issuance.