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Safe Time to apply for PR Card renewal before the first five-year anniversary of PR landing date.

dpenabill

VIP Member
Apr 2, 2010
6,421
3,163
I got the new PR card after renewal today. I had applied on June 6th without the documents to prove residency. I got the card at the same time as other people applying with documents to prove residency. It was not delayed, and I am glad it worked smoothly. The letter attached with the new card says about destroying the old card. Should i wait or can I go ahead and destroy the old card.
Wait for what?

If you have the new PR card in possession, and as @armoured noted it appears correct, you are required to destroy the old card forthwith.

Always appreciate updates about how things actually went in particular cases.
 

CanadianDreamer@TO

Hero Member
Jul 23, 2021
220
28
Thanks @dpenabill @armoured . I destroyed my old card. I got an opportunity to use the new card for a recent trip to United States. I went to Seattle from Toronto. On the way back, the journey was via Vancouver. I scanned the PR card at the automated machine upon arrival, and it all worked well.
 
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af56939

Full Member
Jul 20, 2018
22
2
Hi team ,

I have 8 months left for my PR expiry. I am a cross border worker and travel to USA daily for work. My travel history is very long and i have documented each and every day i have travelled outside canada. I have completed around 761 days in canada with everyday travel to US. Given my situation is it safe to apply for renewal or should i wait little longer and get more days accumulated ?.
I am not sure if my case will be considered for secondary review and should i attach the CBSA or I94 travel history along with documentation. Please advise

Fyi- I was out of canada 2 yrs after softlanding.
 

steaky

VIP Member
Nov 11, 2008
14,688
1,726
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Hi team ,

I have 8 months left for my PR expiry. I am a cross border worker and travel to USA daily for work. My travel history is very long and i have documented each and every day i have travelled outside canada. I have completed around 761 days in canada with everyday travel to US. Given my situation is it safe to apply for renewal or should i wait little longer and get more days accumulated ?.
I am not sure if my case will be considered for secondary review and should i attach the CBSA or I94 travel history along with documentation. Please advise

Fyi- I was out of canada 2 yrs after softlanding.
If your calculations are correct, I don't see why you need to keep waiting. Btw, that's my opinion and I'm not in a team. Only the forum moderators work in a team. Although some other posters share the same account.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,291
13,428
Hi team ,

I have 8 months left for my PR expiry. I am a cross border worker and travel to USA daily for work. My travel history is very long and i have documented each and every day i have travelled outside canada. I have completed around 761 days in canada with everyday travel to US. Given my situation is it safe to apply for renewal or should i wait little longer and get more days accumulated ?.
I am not sure if my case will be considered for secondary review and should i attach the CBSA or I94 travel history along with documentation. Please advise

Fyi- I was out of canada 2 yrs after softlanding.
Would personally wait at least another month or until you have closer to 60 day buffer of days. it’s impossible to tell if you will end up in secondary review. When you say PR expiry do you mean card expiry or in the 5 years since landing? Would include as much information as possible with your renewal. It appears as though you may have consistent crossing pattern which can also help during processing. Are you crossing Mon-Fri except work holidays and then going to the US once in a while on the weekend?
 

af56939

Full Member
Jul 20, 2018
22
2
Would personally wait at least another month or until you have closer to 60 day buffer of days. it’s impossible to tell if you will end up in secondary review. When you say PR expiry do you mean card expiry or in the 5 years since landing? Would include as much information as possible with your renewal. It appears as though you may have consistent crossing pattern which can also help during processing. Are you crossing Mon-Fri except work holidays and then going to the US once in a while on the weekend?
Yes thats corrrct Mon -Fri.

Card will expire in next 8 months and it will be 5 yrs since landing as well.

One more question - Do we get any application number after we mail/courier the documents or we are in the dark till we recive the card?.
 

canuck78

VIP Member
Jun 18, 2017
55,291
13,428
Yes thats corrrct Mon -Fri.

Card will expire in next 8 months and it will be 5 yrs since landing as well.

One more question - Do we get any application number after we mail/courier the documents or we are in the dark till we recive the card?.
No not blind. Can’t remember exactly what you get. Would include an explanation with the list of times in and out of Canada that the times in and out represents crossing the border daily most Mondays to Fridays excluding vacations starting on X date.
 

af56939

Full Member
Jul 20, 2018
22
2
Update - PR renewed without any issues.
Timelines -
application sent -16 jan
Linked AOR-19th feb
Approved -22nd feb
Card received 27 feb
 
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Aug 5, 2023
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Hi All. Thought I will share my experience. I applied for PR card renewal on October 15, 2024 and got my new PR card within 2 weeks.

I applied for PR card renewal with 690 days in residency obligations in last 4.5 years and I have still not completed my 730 days which i will by end of November. u

My old PR card was going to expire in Feb 2025 so I applied for Pr card renewal on October 15,2024 with 690 days RO since my landing in January 2020. I wanted to submit application even though I had not completed the 730 days yet as I hoped to get a new card before Feb 2025.

I spent only 6 months in Canada in the first 3 years and 3 months since my landing in January 2020 and only formally moved in April 2023. I have mostly lived in canada since then with some travel to US in between.

As mentioned earlier, I applied for PR card renewal on October 15 with 690 days RO and got my new 5 year PR card on October 29. I have still not completed the 730 days and will complete them by end of november.

As part of my application, I included all the evidence of my travel and time spent in canada that I had spent 690 days in canada and 1062 days outside canada since January 2020 and included evidence of last 3 months bank statements, investment statements, canadian driving license,
and canadian job with payslips. I also included a letter of explanation that I am applying for new PR card with 690 days RO as I need to travel outside Canada in January 2025 and would need a new card by then to return back. I mentioned in the application and gave my commitment that I will do the necessary 730 days by end of November so that I am always in compliance with RO.

This is what I did and my new PR card was approved in 2 weeks.
 

Buletruck

VIP Member
May 18, 2015
6,867
2,701
Hi All. Thought I will share my experience. I applied for PR card renewal on October 15, 2024 and got my new PR card within 2 weeks.

I applied for PR card renewal with 690 days in residency obligations in last 4.5 years and I have still not completed my 730 days which i will by end of November. u

My old PR card was going to expire in Feb 2025 so I applied for Pr card renewal on October 15,2024 with 690 days RO since my landing in January 2020. I wanted to submit application even though I had not completed the 730 days yet as I hoped to get a new card before Feb 2025.

I spent only 6 months in Canada in the first 3 years and 3 months since my landing in January 2020 and only formally moved in April 2023. I have mostly lived in canada since then with some travel to US in between.

As mentioned earlier, I applied for PR card renewal on October 15 with 690 days RO and got my new 5 year PR card on October 29. I have still not completed the 730 days and will complete them by end of november.

As part of my application, I included all the evidence of my travel and time spent in canada that I had spent 690 days in canada and 1062 days outside canada since January 2020 and included evidence of last 3 months bank statements, investment statements, canadian driving license,
and canadian job with payslips. I also included a letter of explanation that I am applying for new PR card with 690 days RO as I need to travel outside Canada in January 2025 and would need a new card by then to return back. I mentioned in the application and gave my commitment that I will do the necessary 730 days by end of November so that I am always in compliance with RO.

This is what I did and my new PR card was approved in 2 weeks.
Just post it once, not in every thread related to PR renewal.

Given you would have completed more than 730 days in Canada prior to the 5 year anniversary of your landing, plus a margin of error, it's not terribly surprising you recieved your new card.
 
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armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,039
8,737
My old PR card was going to expire in Feb 2025 so I applied for Pr card renewal on October 15,2024 with 690 days RO since my landing in January 2020. I wanted to submit application even though I had not completed the 730 days yet as I hoped to get a new card before Feb 2025.

...will do the necessary 730 days by end of November so that I am always in compliance with RO.
Thank you for the update, it is useful.

But I think you have misunderstood the requirement. I bolded the key part above, that you landed in January 2020 and you had 690 days at the time you applied.

Your case was actually entirely routine: you are given 'credit' (of sorts) for days remaining until the five year anniversary of your first landing (important: ONLY for the days remaining until the FIRST five year anniversary).

Since there were more than 60 days remaining, by simple arithmetic you were in compliance throughout this period.

So your case is different than someone applying 'without meeting the RO' - because you were already in compliance with the RO.

That said, it surely didn't hurt that you were conscientious and communicated clearly that you would be able to meet the RO with number of days in Canada by January.

An alternative way to calculate this: if you were OUTSIDE Canada LESS THAN 1095 days* from the day of landing until [whatever day you apply] in any five year period, including the five years from landing, you are in compliance. Since you were not outside Canada more than 1095 days, you were in compliance.

*This is just an arithmetical restatement of MORE THAN 730 days INSIDE Canada in any five year period. I find it a bit easier to track.
 
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