Stuck in Ethiopia!! Permanent Resident.

[kabdi3110]

So my uncle is a permanent resident of Canada and he left Fort McMurray in the Spring of 2014 to travel back to his homeland, Ethiopia. However, for some reason no longer has ANY documents that proves he is a PR of Canada. NOTHING. Prior to leaving Canada he was there for several years. Now he wants to come back but doesn't know where to begin. How do I help him!?!?!

I gave him the number to the Visa center in Ethiopia but he says no one is answering constantly but it is definitely the right number and he has also traveled to the Addis Ababa Embassy but told me they would not admit him.

I'd appreciate any help I can get. Thank you.

 

[scylla]

He'll need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document to return to Canada. He can find the instructions here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/travel-document/

Does he really have no proof that he is a PR? No expired PR card or his original landing papers (COPR)? No health card or drivers license or anything like that? If he really has absolute no proof that he is a permanent resident of Canada, then before he can apply for the PR Travel Document, he will need to apply to obtain a replacement copy of his COPR (landing papers). Note that processing time for replacement documents can be up to six months. Instructions for doing that are here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/English/information/applications/certcopy.asp

 

[kabdi3110]

Sorry I sent you a PM of this same thing. I'm new to this site and am not quite sure if I sent it correctly so I'm gonna reply here as well.

Hi and thank you sooo much for replying to my post about my uncle. Yes it's true, unfortunately, he has zero documents or cards to prove anything. I have no idea how and why he lost/doesn't have them. He contacted me to help him and I have zero knowledge about Canada's immigration policies so it has been somewhat challenging for me. So to sum up I would need to send him the applications:

1.) Application for a Verification of Status (VOS) or Replacement of an Immigration Document
(Wait until its approved) then
2.) Application for a Permanent Resident Travel Document

Is that correct?

If so, what worries me a little is that on the checklist for the second application it says:
At a minimum, you must provide:
• two (2) pieces of evidence that show your permanent resident status in Canada; and
• information for the five (5) years immediately before the application, such as:
• employment records or pay stubs;
• bank statements;
• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notice of Assessment for the five (5) years immediately before the application;
• evidence that you received
benefits from Canadian government programs;
• rental agreements;
• club memberships;
• or any other documents that are relevant to the determination of your residency obligation

What can someone like him with zero proof do? Thanks in advance and excuse me for the lengthy message.

 

[scylla]

Yes - he should apply to replace his COPR (landing papers) first and then apply for the PR Trave Document. If he really has no evidence of having lived in Canada for several years and no ID of any kind from Canada, he should start gathering this evidence now. For example, he must have lived somewhere - if he rented, he should contact his landlord to get proof of the rent he paid. Did he have utility bills, a cell phone? Get proof of that from the companies he paid. He must have had a bank account at a minimum - likely also a credit card. He should contact his bank in Canada and request account statements. He would have had to have paid taxes if he lived here. He should get in touch with CRA and request his tax returns for the years he lived here. He must have a current passport or older passports that show his exits and entries into and out of Canada. Were his plane tickets electronic - does he have them in email? Etc., etc., etc.

 

[kabdi3110]

He used to work for an oil company in Fort McMurray so I'll try to get him the contact info so he can call them.

As for the VERIFICATION OF STATUS (VOS) OR REPLACEMENT OF AN IMMIGRATION DOCUMENT application, in the box that contains the two choices, Verification of Status OR Replacement of a Valid Temporary Resident Document, which one should he check. I think it should be VOS right, because the other makes it mandatory to provide a Canadian address and I have no clue how he would do that.

And thanks so much for the help, I truly appreciate it. I live outside of Canada and haven't found a way to contact the immigration services. The number doesn't work.

 

[scylla]

He should be applying to replace an immigration document (his COPR - record of landing).

There isn't any government agency that can assist you from outside of Canada unfortunately.

 

[Gregor.Samsa]

Please note in Spring 2017 your relative will have expent 3 years outside of Canada, not fulfilling the residency requirements so the PR Travel Documents could be denied.

A PR has to stay at least 2 years in the last 5 to keep PR.

You should hurry up to apply for PRTD.

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/helpcentre/answer.asp?qnum=727&top=4

 

[kabdi3110]

But he hasn't completed his verification of Status Application yet and he must do that because he doesn't have any ID cards or any other tangible proof that he used to live in Canada. And I heard that can take months! Does this mean he will no longer be able to return to Canada if he is absent for more than 2 out of 5 years?

 

[scylla]

To keep his PR status, he must live in Canada for 2 out of every 5 rolling years. When he applies for the PR Travel Document, it will only be approved if he meets the residency requirement.

If he doesn't meet the residency requirement at the time he applies for the PR TD, then he basically has two options. He can apply for the PR TD and request humanitarian and compassionate consideration. This will only work if he's been outside of Canada for unavoidable reasons (e.g. severe personal illness that prevented him from travelling due to hospitalization, ill parent he had to take care of because the parent couldn't live on their own and there were no other family members in the country who could take care of the parent). If he wants to claim H&C, he will need hard proof to back up his claim. Being outside of Canada for employment reasons, education reasons or because he wanted to be closer to family won't be accepted as H&C reasons. Alternatively, he can forget about applying for the PR TD and attempt to re-enter Canada via a US/Canada land border. In order to do this, he will need a valid US visitor visa and also his COPR (landing papers). If he's able to re-enter Canada without being reported, then he will need to live in Canada for two years straight without leaving before he'll be able to renew his PR card. If he's reported at the border for failing to meet the residency requirement, then he'll have to appear at a hearing to argue why he should be allowed to keep his PR status and it's quite possible he may end up losing his PR status and have to leave Canada.

Yes - obtaining a replacement COPR can take six months - which is why he should apply as soon as possible. As well as obtain proof he actually lived in Canada. The fact he has nothing proving his PR status really complicates this situation.

 

[kabdi3110]

Shoot! I don't know what to tell him now. This February/March will be his 3rd year there... I don't think it's possible to finish all his paperwork before then and like you said him having no proof or existing documents makes things too hard. Plus I don't think the Humanitarian/Compassion thing will apply to him. Also, there's no way he can make it to the US. I think I'm out of options.

 

[scylla]

Does he have a spouse in Canada who is a PR or citizen?

 

[kabdi3110]

Nope. He's the only person in my family who is in Canada.

So if his thing (PR status) does expire what can he do besides enter through the US? Would he have to apply to enter Canada just like someone who has never lived there? What is that process like?

 

[scylla]

Yes - he could apply for permanent residency again. He would first need to officially give up his PR status. Once that's done, he could apply for PR again from scratch. Canada has many different immigration streams and the rules change regularly. So hard to say which stream he might qualify under or be able to apply through. He will have to spend time researching this. Detailed information can be found here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/immigrate/apply.asp

 

[kabdi3110]

OK. Thanks for the assistance. You've been immensely helpful.

 

[kuldeep7]

Hi there,

Could any one help me out please, I am applying for bridging work permit for me and my wife from inside Canada, What should I put on my wife's Employment in Canada, because she is not working yet, we both are on Open Work permit and its Expiring on March 2017.
Thanks
Raj