Renewing PR card while living abroad

[keesio]

Hello,
My PR card expires next year. However, I may need to move to the US for a year or two to take care of my ill mother. Hence I will be living and working there. My question is am I still eligible to renew my PR card from the US (I will not have an address in Canada during that time)? I already meet the residency requirements, having spent way more than 730 days in Canada already.

From what I've read so far, you MUST be living in Canada when you apply (have a permanent address in Canada, etc) so may lose my PR status. Can someone confirm this?

Thanks

 

[steaky]

As long as the application is mailed from a Canadian address, it would be fine.

 

[keesio]

Thanks for the reply!

Do I not have to prove that I am living in Canada when I apply? Or does it really not matter?

 

[Leon]

If you are still in Canada when your PR card has 6 months left to expire, you can apply to renew it then. Otherwise, you can apply if you are outside Canada as long as you mail the application from Canada. You should also keep a Canadian address because they will not mail your PR card to the US for you. If you have no friends or family whose mailing address you can use, get a PO box or an address through UPS.

 

[junji]

Hellow,

Sorry to reply to this old thread, but I have a very similar situation as the OP and some questions.

I currently have a contract job abroad Canada. PR card will expire in July 2014, so has to be renewed now.
I met the residence obligation but have not been living in Canada for about 2 years and therefore no Canada address.
So I ask my friend in Canada to send in the application for me.

However there are some concerns about the application form IMM5444E.
In its section 12, it asks for "your current residential address in Canada" and section 13 "your mailing address in Canada".
Will it be safe to put my friend address as my "current residential address in Canada"? Cause otherwise I will have to put a N/A there and I am not sure whether the CIC officer will even process my application.

Also, in the signature section of the same form, the "City" and "Province" should also be provided. I am not sure whether I should put my abroad city and province or my friends city or address here.

Any one can help?

 

[Leon]

To avoid being possibly accused of having lied to immigration, you should be honest about not living in Canada right now. Write your friends address as your mailing address only. Write a cover letter stating that you are currently outside Canada but the mailing address is secure. It is likely that they will request you to pick up the new PR card in person.

Also keep in mind that having renewed your PR card does not start a new unrelated 5 year residency period. If you have already been outside Canada for 2 years in the past 5, you can only be outside for another year, then you must come back in order to meet the residency requirement of 2 years in Canada in any rolling 5 year period. Depending on if you have more absences than the past 2 years, you may even have to come back sooner.

Hellow,

Sorry to reply to this old thread, but I have a very similar situation as the OP and some questions.

I currently have a contract job abroad Canada. PR card will expire in July 2014, so has to be renewed now.
I met the residence obligation but have not been living in Canada for about 2 years and therefore no Canada address.
So I ask my friend in Canada to send in the application for me.

However there are some concerns about the application form IMM5444E.
In its section 12, it asks for "your current residential address in Canada" and section 13 "your mailing address in Canada".
Will it be safe to put my friend address as my "current residential address in Canada"? Cause otherwise I will have to put a N/A there and I am not sure whether the CIC officer will even process my application.

Also, in the signature section of the same form, the "City" and "Province" should also be provided. I am not sure whether I should put my abroad city and province or my friends city or address here.

Any one can help?

 

[junji]

Thank you for your fast reply.

My wife has applied for the Citizenship. Hopefully she can get it soon.

 

[SGPMan]

Hi Leon,

Can you enlighten me what you mean by the statement you made:
"Also keep in mind that having renewed your PR card does not start a new unrelated 5 year residency period. If you have already been outside Canada for 2 years in the past 5, you can only be outside for another year, then you must come back in order to meet the residency requirement of 2 years in Canada in any rolling 5 year period. Depending on if you have more absences than the past 2 years, you may even have to come back sooner."

Say for argument sake, PR card is expiring Aug 2014, I have more than 730 days clocked in to renew the PR card, to be exact 780 days.

Doesn't that mean that the new PR card will have another 5 years before it expires, say in Aug 2019. That means to renew the second time, within that 5 year period, it needs another 2 years or 730 days to remain valid? so one can return say, 2017 to fulfil the PR obligations, is that a correct assumption??

Thanks for any advise, you can give....

 

[Leon]

Say for argument sake, PR card is expiring Aug 2014, I have more than 730 days clocked in to renew the PR card, to be exact 780 days.

Doesn't that mean that the new PR card will have another 5 years before it expires, say in Aug 2019. That means to renew the second time, within that 5 year period, it needs another 2 years or 730 days to remain valid? so one can return say, 2017 to fulfil the PR obligations, is that a correct assumption??

Thanks for any advise, you can give....

Yes but it depends on when you spent the 2 years. If you had landed in 2009 and spent no time in Canada until you come back in 2012, last minute, and spend 2 years in order to renew your PR card, you would be ok to leave for up to 3 years again and come back last minute again and spend 2 years again to renew your PR card.

However, if you had landed in 2009 and then earned your 2 years by spending a bit of time in Canada here and there over the 5 year period, once you have renewed your PR card, the time you spent in Canada in 2009 starts to expire by moving outside that 5 year window and although you renewed your PR card, you can still be examined on entry or if you have to apply for something, for example if you lose your PR card and have to apply for a travel document. You must always have 730 days in Canada in the past 5 years, not just when you want to renew it.

For example, if somebody spent 3 years outside Canada, then came back for 2 and renewed, they can leave for up to 3 years again.

However, if somebody spent 1 year in Canada after landing, then spent 3 years outside and then came back for 1 year, he would meet the RO too and could renew his PR card but if he leaves Canada after that and 1 year later loses his PR card and has to apply for a travel document, he would not meet the RO any more because the first year he spent after landing would not be in the window of the past 5 year any more.

 

[SGPMan]

thank you Leon, very informative....

 

[Millu]

Leon, if you can help me as well I asked already in Citizenship forum, but it became a little more about pr than me applying citizenship.
Sorry for hijacking the subject, if you prefer, i will make a new one!

I landed 3 years ago(April 2011) and have been living in Canada since.
My husband (Canadian citizen) got a job offer in US. It would be good for his career and I know he wants to take it.
I would still like to maintain my canadian pr, since we will be visiting inlaws etc often. Also we will move back someday, atleast retire here.
Is it possible for me to keep my pr (card expires 2017, i applied new one since i changed my name after landing)?
I understand that I have to have canadian mailing address and i could use my inlaws address. Of course the the CIC that my resident address is in States.
Is this possible?
I heard people have been able to maintain pr status, since they spouse is citizen and living aboard cause of work.

Thanks again!!!

8)

 

[keesio]

Leon, if you can help me as well I asked already in Citizenship forum, but it became a little more about pr than me applying citizenship.
Sorry for hijacking the subject, if you prefer, i will make a new one!

I landed 3 years ago(April 2011) and have been living in Canada since.
My husband (Canadian citizen) got a job offer in US. It would be good for his career and I know he wants to take it.
I would still like to maintain my canadian pr, since we will be visiting inlaws etc often. Also we will move back someday, atleast retire here.
Is it possible for me to keep my pr (card expires 2017, i applied new one since i changed my name after landing)?
I understand that I have to have canadian mailing address and i could use my inlaws address. Of course the the CIC that my resident address is in States.
Is this possible?
I heard people have been able to maintain pr status, since they spouse is citizen and living aboard cause of work.

Thanks again!!!

8)

You can definitely keep you PR if you are with your Canadian husband. Time living with him counts towards PR days no matter where you live in the world (but not for citizenship).

As for your card, I think the application has to be mailed from Canada and the card will be sent to a Canadian address only. But then you can have it forwarded to you.

 

[keesio]

I just realized this is my old thread!

To give an update in case anyone is interested, my family has made other arrangements for my mother so she is in good care now and I did not need to return to the US. I stayed here and became a citizen last year and I'm still here and plan on staying for awhile

 

[Regina]

keesio

LANDED..........: 14-10-2013

I ......became a citizen last year

????!??

 

[keesio]

keesio ????!??

Note my signature:


-Sponsored wife from US (Application filed Jan. 9th 2013, COPR received Aug 15th 2013, Landed Oct 14th 2013)

I sponsored my wife. She landed on Oct 14th 2013.

The timeline in my profile is for my wife's application.