I have applied citizenship from Calgary in Oct 2013 and as per the trend I will most likely to receive test invite in next month or so.
My PR card was expired in July 2014 and as I dont want to travel or no immediate plans ,therefore I haven't apply for PR card renewal though I have more than 1600 days of residency in last 5 year rolling period.
Right now the time line for PR renewal is 159 days which means I will get my PR card somewhere in march 2015 if I apply today.
My questions are:
1- Do I need a valid PR card when I go to citizenship Interview/Test ?
2- Do I need a valid PR card when I attend Oath ceremony?
It is better to have a valid PR card as this is proof of your status here in Canada, but if not.. its fine. Here is an excerpt from the CIC website :
"The permanent resident card (PR card) is the official proof that you are a permanent resident of Canada. You use this wallet-sized plastic card to show you can enter and stay in Canada when you return from another country."
YOu can just show your old card and say you never renewed bcoz u didnt plan to travel. Keep your COPR with you. I dont think so, bcoz the very first thing they will do is verify if you are a PR, if not then your citizenship application wont continue.
1) Earlier some one in your situation contacted the Call Centre, and they said that you should bring your PR card with you to the citizenship test, even if it has expired. An expired PR card should not cause you any problems at the citizenship test.
2) Same as above...
If you wish to confirm this information, you can call the CIC Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100.
The expiry of the card does not extinguish your status in Canada as a permanent resident. Also nowhere in the citizenship instruction guide or application form itself; there is such a requirement that the PR card needs to be valid or even submitted at all.
1) No travel plans..(as singhlovcan said)
2) PR card expiry is not a known RQ trigger. However your PR status should not be in question when applying for citizenship but PR status has nothing to do with having a valid PR card. If you meet the residency requirements for PR, you have absolutely nothing to worry about.
