PR Travel Document Processing Time in Australia

[runningwithquills]

My PR card is expiring Nov 5, 2018, and I will be studying in Australia during that time. I have exams until Nov 15th, and plan to fly back to Canada around Nov 20th. The issue is that I can't apply for a travel document until my PR card has expired, which would only give me 2 weeks for the TD to be processed and issued.

Does anyone know if the Sydney office would allow me to send in my TD application a couple weeks before my PR card actually expires, in order to ensure that I will have received my passport and TD in time for my intended date of travel? Has anyone applied for the TD through the Sydney office? What is the average processing time?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Just realised there's an Oceana thread, and can't figure out how to delete this post. In any case, if anyone browsing has an answer to this question, I'd greatly appreciate your help.

 

[steaky]

Without a valid PR card, you can fly to the US using your Australian passport and come to Canada at a land border by foot or car.

 

[runningwithquills]

I'd really rather not do that. It sounds risky as there's no guarantee that I would be able to enter by driving through the border.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

My PR card is expiring Nov 5, 2018, and I will be studying in Australia during that time. I have exams until Nov 15th, and plan to fly back to Canada around Nov 20th. The issue is that I can't apply for a travel document until my PR card has expired, which would only give me 2 weeks for the TD to be processed and issued.

Does anyone know if the Sydney office would allow me to send in my TD application a couple weeks before my PR card actually expires, in order to ensure that I will have received my passport and TD in time for my intended date of travel? Has anyone applied for the TD through the Sydney office? What is the average processing time?

Thanks in advance!

Edit: Just realised there's an Oceana thread, and can't figure out how to delete this post. In any case, if anyone browsing has an answer to this question, I'd greatly appreciate your help.

You don't need to wait until your PR card expires to apply for a PRTD.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

I'd really rather not do that. It sounds risky as there's no guarantee that I would be able to enter by driving through the border.

As a PR, you have the right of entry to Canada, so it is not a risk at all.

 

[runningwithquills]

You don't need to wait until your PR card expires to apply for a PRTD.

It says on the website:

You can apply for a permanent resident travel document if you:

• are a permanent resident,
• do not have a valid PR card showing your PR status,
• are outside Canada, and
• will return to Canada by airplane, boat, train or bus.

I take that to mean I'd have to wait till it actually expires...? But I'm just hoping to send it in a couple weeks before it expires since my intended date of travel is a couple weeks after the card expires.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

It says on the website:

You can apply for a permanent resident travel document if you:

• are a permanent resident,
• do not have a valid PR card showing your PR status,
• are outside Canada, and
• will return to Canada by airplane, boat, train or bus.

I take that to mean I'd have to wait till it actually expires...? But I'm just hoping to send it in a couple weeks before it expires since my intended date of travel is a couple weeks after the card expires.

As your card will expire prior to your planned travel, you can apply beforehand.