Urgent Help needed - Application Returned for Expired Passport

[goodman36]

I am helping an Applicant who basically came as a Refugee from Iraq. She is also a single mother and a Deaf Person.

Her current passport from Iraq was issued in 2005 and expired on 2013. She came to Canada in 2011 as a Refugee, got her PR Card after a few months and never left since then.

She hasn't gotten a new passport since it costs money and she never intended to leave Canada anyway.

After her application was sent a few days ago as per new rules, it was returned with a Letter basically stating the following reason:

"The Travel Document you sent doesn't cover the last 6 years....."

How should she proceed now? Can I help her write a letter to CIC stating that she never left Canada and never needed a new Passport? Will that be sufficient?

Thanks for your help.

(On a separate note, if anyone can provide contact information for any settlement agency or Law Office that provides assistance to Deaf Person (or Refugees) in completing Citizenship Application, it would be highly appreciated)

 

[sunnyjupiter]

Hi
Just write a letter explaining the situation
Cheers

 

[CanV]

That should be on top of the application

 

[cprak0]

@goodman,
Yes as others have suggested. Cover letter stating passport expired. Did not renew as there was no need to leave Canada and that you had NO other travel doc/ pp during the time...

 

[vic.aj]

At the time the application was sent, she should have attached a basic short note to specify that the passport is expired and why it has not been renewed. This tells the officer processing the application that you are aware of this and it was not an oversight on your part. That is basic stuff. You can't just assume that they will 'figure that out' themselves. They receive thousands of apps and will return it for any good reason...

As others have suggested, do this and the applicant should be fine. The downside is the time that has been lost...

 

[PMM]

HI

At the time the application was sent, she should have attached a basic short note to specify that the passport is expired and why it has not been renewed. This tells the officer processing the application that you are aware of this and it was not an oversight on your part. That is basic stuff. You can't just assume that they will 'figure that out' themselves. They receive thousands of apps and will return it for any good reason...

As others have suggested, do this and the applicant should be fine. The downside is the time that has been lost...

1. One very important point, she should not renew her Iraqi passport if she was accepted as a refugee. If she was accepted as a refugee, the renewal of the passport can be looked upon as re-availment of the protection of Iraq.

Read: http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/decisions/en/item/120417/index.do?r=AAAAAQAJYXZhaWxtZW50AQ

Also search the Federal Court decisions http://decisions.fct-cf.gc.ca/fc-cf/en/nav.do and search for "re-availment"

 

[goodman36]

Thanks, PMM and everyone else. Very kind of you all.

I should take the blame as basically I helped to package the application. Of course I am not a professional and just wanted to help considering her situation. I assumed that since the Residency Calculator was included which clearly shows she never left, the expired passport will not be an issue.

She did came as a Refugee.

So, I will write a short letter on her behalf stating that the Passport was never renewed as she came as a Refugee and that she never intended to leave Canada anyway.

 

[MiriamT]

Thanks, PMM and everyone else. Very kind of you all.

I should take the blame as basically I helped to package the application. Of course I am not a professional and just wanted to help considering her situation. I assumed that since the Residency Calculator was included which clearly shows she never left, the expired passport will not be an issue.

She did came as a Refugee.

So, I will write a short letter on her behalf stating that the Passport was never renewed as she came as a Refugee and that she never intended to leave Canada anyway.

I agree with everybody else and it's something I did myself: write a letter explaining the gap. It is, since June 11th, 2015, even requested in the instruction guide:

"3. Biographical page of passport(s)/travel document(s)

The biographical page means the page that has your name, photo, passport/travel document number, issue date and expiration date.

Provide photocopies of the biographical pages of all passports and/or travel documents (valid and cancelled) for the six (6) year period immediately before the date of your application, or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is more recent.

Also, provide photocopies of any renewal pages of the passport(s)/travel document(s).

Note: If your passports and/or travel documents have any gaps in the time they cover during the past six (6) years, or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is more recent, attach an explanation.

Note: If any of these documents are no longer in your possession, attach an explanation."

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0002ETOC.asp#CIT0002E4

 

[goodman36]

I agree with everybody else and it's something I did myself: write a letter explaining the gap. It is, since June 11th, 2015, even requested in the instruction guide:

"3. Biographical page of passport(s)/travel document(s)

The biographical page means the page that has your name, photo, passport/travel document number, issue date and expiration date.

Provide photocopies of the biographical pages of all passports and/or travel documents (valid and cancelled) for the six (6) year period immediately before the date of your application, or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is more recent.

Also, provide photocopies of any renewal pages of the passport(s)/travel document(s).

Note: If your passports and/or travel documents have any gaps in the time they cover during the past six (6) years, or since you became a permanent resident, whichever is more recent, attach an explanation.

Note: If any of these documents are no longer in your possession, attach an explanation."

Source: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/CIT0002ETOC.asp#CIT0002E4

Thank you so much.

 

[CanV]

Thanks, PMM and everyone else. Very kind of you all.

I should take the blame as basically I helped to package the application. Of course I am not a professional and just wanted to help considering her situation. I assumed that since the Residency Calculator was included which clearly shows she never left, the expired passport will not be an issue.

She did came as a Refugee.

So, I will write a short letter on her behalf stating that the Passport was never renewed as she came as a Refugee and that she never intended to leave Canada anyway.

And that she never applied for or received any other type of passport or travel document by any authority in and outside Canada.

 

[farid-]

hi hope you got the answer just thought to share happened with me recently. same like you was helping someone easy to miss as that person never left Canada since last 5 yrs. passport expired July 2014. just write detailed cover letter I just wrote no intention to travel near future n being single person can't afford to renew I have send the application again on 1st week of oct got received letter 3 days ago.