What happens if I don't live in Canada after I get PR?

[spring2009]

If I don't live in Canada within 3 years after I get PR, will they revoke my PR?
Thanks.

 

[AJITKUMAR]

yes

 

[aanbaan]

you need to make 1st entry before the PR visa on passports expire.

after that the PR is issued for 5 years. it does not get revoked, if you don't go back in 3 years. You may enter and exit at will during those 5 years. But, during renewal, you need to show evidence that your were present in the country for at least 2 years. Since, you will not qualify in that test, your PR will not get renewed.

ut, as such, your initial PR will be goor for 5 years

 

[alice_chained]

Your PR will be expired and not renewed if you do not show 2 years of continious stay in Canada.

 

[Leon]

The border guards can at any time question your PR status. If you get your PR, go away for more than 3 years and come back, if they for some reason suspect that you did not meet your residency requirements, they can give you 30 days to prove your status. If you fail to do that, they can cancel your PR. Canada doesn't scan you on your way out but they do work with some other border agencies, for example the US so it's hard for you to know exactly how much they know. If you left through the US, they may see it. If you left on a flight from Canada to somewhere else, maybe they don't see it except if you have a stamp in your passport for arriving there.

When you apply for a new PR card after 5 years, you have to list all of your absences from Canada. If your records don't match the records of immigration, then they know you have lied to them and will cancel your PR. Even if they don't find out that you lied to them, lets say that one of your friends or family who knows about this gets mad at you and they decide to report you. If you have ever lied to immigration, it can cause the removal of your PR and not just that, even if you had citizenship already, if they see that you kept your PR by lying to them, they can even strip you of citizenship.

 

[nicholas30]

What happens if I don't live in Canada after I get PR?

I dont understand why on earth people apply for PR and once they get it they dont want to stay in Canada............

 

[Leon]

Some people do it as a backup. That especially goes for people who are trying to immigrate somewhere else, for example the US and want something to keep in their back pocket if it doesn't work out.

 

[CanSun]

Those days are changing - by the end of next year Canada is also implementing Biometric entry / exit procedures - exactly the same as USA. Anyone coming in to Canada who is not a Canadian Citizen will have their fingers scanned and retina scanned and that way they can track who is coming in to Canada when and who is leaving Canada when and maintaining their approved status. It was in last year's Federal Budget(2008) and is being implemented in phases currently with a National Rollout by early 2011.

So my advice would be if you get your PR in Canada - from now on - maintain the 2 in 5 year residency requirement otherwise almost 99% chance you will loose your PR eventually once the new system rolls out by end next year.

 

[spring2009]

Thanks so much for your answers.
I am the main applicant in my family. If only my wife lives in Canada, is that ok or do they just count the main applicant?
Thanks.

 

[Leon]

After you all land, there is no main applicant. Each person in the family is a PR and each person has to meet their residency requirements. If your wife lives in Canada and you don't, you will eventually lose your PR and she could go on to apply for citizenship.

 

[BS 6353]

Is it continous 2 years at a strech or total duration of 2 years in a period of 5 years.

you need to make 1st entry before the PR visa on passports expire.

after that the PR is issued for 5 years. it does not get revoked, if you don't go back in 3 years. You may enter and exit at will during those 5 years. But, during renewal, you need to show evidence that your were present in the country for at least 2 years. Since, you will not qualify in that test, your PR will not get renewed.

ut, as such, your initial PR will be goor for 5 years

 

[BobbyB]

Keeping your permanent resident status

Your permanent resident status allows you to live in Canada, but there is also a time limit on how long you can live outside the country. To keep your status as a permanent resident, you must live in Canada for at least two years within a five-year period.

 

[Leon]

Is it continous 2 years at a strech or total duration of 2 years in a period of 5 years.

Total of 730 days you have to be in Canada or actually on the PR renewal form, they ask you how many days you were outside Canada which could be maximum 1095 (3 years total). It can be separate periods, doesn't have to be all together.

The only exceptions are if you are accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse, you are a child accompanying a Canadian citizen parent, you were working for a Canadian company that transferred you to another country or your spouse is a PR and was working for a Canadian company that transferred them to another country.

This is not just for the first 5 years that you are PR or separate for each PR card period, it's any rolling 5 year period. They can question your PR status any time you come to Canada, even though your PR card is still valid.

See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EA.asp for residency requirements.

 

[rupeshhari]

Is it continous 2 years at a strech or total duration of 2 years in a period of 5 years.

Total of 730 days you have to be in Canada or actually on the PR renewal form, they ask you how many days you were outside Canada which could be maximum 1095 (3 years total). It can be separate periods, doesn't have to be all together.

The only exceptions are if you are accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse, you are a child accompanying a Canadian citizen parent, you were working for a Canadian company that transferred you to another country or your spouse is a PR and was working for a Canadian company that transferred them to another country.

This is not just for the first 5 years that you are PR or separate for each PR card period, it's any rolling 5 year period. They can question your PR status any time you come to Canada, even though your PR card is still valid.

See http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/5445EA.asp for residency requirements.

Also note if your first five years isn't up, they apparently calculate to see if you can still get 730 days with the time remaining within the 5 years.