Left Canada after applying for citizenship. Received employment insurance before applying for citizenship. Entering Canada with an expired PR card.

[chs]

The question lurking behind those queries: why do some applicants who go abroad after applying go out of their way to avoid revealing to IRCC they are residing abroad?

Exactly why I will wait until I have passport in hand before I do anything that could even remotely put it in jeopardy, such as looking for work abroad. I still have my credit card receipts in case I get RQ'ed (Admittedly, a non-existent risk at this point; I think I've kept them out of sheer stubbornness by now.) I figured I could wait a couple of weeks until I decide on my next short-to-medium-term plans.

That said, I realize everyone is different and has different needs, just wanted to toss my hat in the ring and say that I've had a lot of the same thoughts, but have decided against moving outside the country until the passport situation was 100% settled.

 

[Orgcom]

Exactly why I will wait until I have passport in hand before I do anything that could even remotely put it in jeopardy, such as looking for work abroad. I still have my credit card receipts in case I get RQ'ed (Admittedly, a non-existent risk at this point; I think I've kept them out of sheer stubbornness by now.) I figured I could wait a couple of weeks until I decide on my next short-to-medium-term plans.

That said, I realize everyone is different and has different needs, just wanted to toss my hat in the ring and say that I've had a lot of the same thoughts, but have decided against moving outside the country until the passport situation was 100% settled.

There are two reasons why I thought it would work when I decided to go to the US:

1. J1 visa (a non-immigrant visa). It implies that I have my home country (Canada) and I go to the US as an exchange visitor.
The J1 visa is given on a temporary basis (max 5 years). That's why I kept my driver's license with a Canadien address (my "real" home address). In case If anybody asks, I can always say: "I have my home in Canada (it's allowed to live with your friend, isn't it?) but temporarily live in the US."

2. (a) Any person can hire/have a representative to handle his/her citizenship application, (b) then this person can go anywhere he/she wants. I did (b) without doing (a), so I believe, my action was rightful.

Additionally, the IRCC website says that "you have to stay PR before taking the oath". My RO was fine and I was a PR at the time of the oath...

 

[cooldoc80]

Thanks again for the helpful tips, could you please explain what do you mean by sticker on license? I though once you change the address online they send you a new ID with the new address?
In NY, they send you a new license as soon as you update your address. In QC though they send you a paper sticker with new address. This sticker you must attach to the back of your license.

For the citizenship certificate , i’m assuming they mailed it to your firend address and then he ship it to you ? is that the case? And if so would you apply for passport in america?
Yes, as you described. I already applied for the passport last week.

all the best, really appreciarte your insights

[/QUOTE]

Thank you

did you face any difficulties or extra questions by the canadian embassy in usa when you were issuing the passport from there? i’m assuming they dont encounter such a situation so often !

 

[chs]

There are two reasons why I thought it would work when I decided to go to the US:

1. J1 visa (a non-immigrant visa). It implies that I have my home country (Canada) and I go to the US as an exchange visitor.
The J1 visa is given on a temporary basis (max 5 years). That's why I kept my driver's license with a Canadien address (my "real" home address). In case If anybody asks, I can always say: "I have my home in Canada (it's allowed to live with your friend, isn't it?) but temporarily live in the US."

2. (a) Any person can hire/have a representative to handle his/her citizenship application, (b) then this person can go anywhere he/she wants. I did (b) without doing (a), so I believe, my action was rightful.

Additionally, the IRCC website says that "you have to stay PR before taking the oath". My RO was fine and I was a PR at the time of the oath...

Oh, I wasn't questioning the motive at all; I was just saying that after years of "professional paranoia" (I work in the Information Security industry), I kept playing the worst over and over in the head, so decided to play it as safe as possible (cf - the credit card receipts that are no longer necessary, haha!)

Wish you the best of luck in the US - with your Canadian passport, I wonder if you're now eligible for the TN visa when your J1 expires?

 

[Orgcom]

Thank you

did you face any difficulties or extra questions by the canadian embassy in usa when you were issuing the passport from there? i’m assuming they dont encounter such a situation so often !
[/QUOTE]
I mailed my passport application to the Gatineau office in Canada. They do encounter such a situation very often!..

 

[Orgcom]

I wonder if you're now eligible for the TN visa when your J1 expires?

TN visa is not an issue. I work at a non-for-profit institution, they are H-1B cap-exempt... I don't know whether I want to stay here that long though...

 

[cooldoc80]

Thank you

did you face any difficulties or extra questions by the canadian embassy in usa when you were issuing the passport from there? i’m assuming they dont encounter such a situation so often !

I mailed my passport application to the Gatineau office in Canada. They do encounter such a situation very often!..
[/QUOTE]

Oh , is that even possible! So once you done your oath , you left to states and applied from there for passport using your canadian address?!!! How is that possible! I thought you applied for the passport in the states?

 

[NKhan]

I was told that we can use our landing paper if we donot have PR card while crossing land border from Usa

 

[chs]

I was told that we can use our landing paper if we donot have PR card while crossing land border from Usa

I wouldn't rely on that. There are a list of documents accepted here: https://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/travel-voyage/td-dv-eng.html. I don't think landing paper is considered one of them.

 

[NKhan]

I contacted my local MP office and they called IRcC and this the info I got

Permanent residents (PR) outside Canada
If you are a PR outside Canada and you are planning on returning to Canada:

• On a commercial carrier (e.g., plane, boat, train or bus):
  • please make sure you have your valid Permanent Resident card (PR card) in your possession upon your return,
    
• Aboard a private vehicle (e.g., your car):
  • it is not necessary to have the PR card with you,
  • you may use one of the following immigration documents:
    • Record of Landing (IMM 1000), or
    • Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688).

If you are outside of Canada and do not have your PR card (or your card has expired):

• You may apply for Permanent resident travel document at a Canadian visa office before returning to Canada,
  • to ensure you are submitting a complete application, please consult the Instruction Guide.

 

[chs]

I contacted my local MP office and they called IRcC and this the info I got

Permanent residents (PR) outside Canada
If you are a PR outside Canada and you are planning on returning to Canada:

• On a commercial carrier(e.g., plane, boat, train or bus):
  • please make sure you have your valid Permanent Resident card (PR card) in your possession upon your return,
• Aboard a private vehicle (e.g., your car):
  • it is not necessary to have the PR card with you,
  • you may use one of the following immigration documents:
    • Record of Landing (IMM 1000), or
    • Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688).

If you are outside of Canada and do not have your PR card (or your card has expired):

• You may apply for Permanent resident travel document at a Canadian visa officebefore returning to Canada,
  • to ensure you are submitting a complete application, please consult the Instruction Guide.

Keep us posted if it works; that's interesting that there's a delta between the Canada website and what your MP has said.

 

[illiterate_professor]

I had somewhat similar experience, and I have shared it here: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-i...-an-arduous-journey-of-almost-2-years.752919/

 

[neil_user]

Keep us posted if it works; that's interesting that there's a delta between the Canada website and what your MP has said.

@chs @NKhan I dont know if you are still looking for answers but I have travelled with COPR many times b/w US and Canada by land border.

 

[chs]

@chs @NKhan I dont know if you are still looking for answers but I have travelled with COPR many times b/w US and Canada by land border.

COPR is different, especially before Oath. Once Oath is completed, you're supposed to cut up your PR card and write "NO LONGER VALID" (or something to that effect) on your COPR, specifically to invalidate using it for travel.

 

[NRY]

(v) During the oath were you asked about your absence / stay out of Canada?
No. I was only asked about my current location at the time of the oath (I was in Montreal).
They asked me to show my driver's license which had a sticker of the address of my friends.

For the test, I showed my driver's license (DL). At this time, it had my old address on the front (the new friend's address was present as a sticker on the back of the DL), but I showed only the front of the DL.

During the oath, the agent also asked me to show the back of the DL. She wanted to make sure that the address on file is equal to the address on DL (and it was in my case).

@Orgcom in this whole process, if you did not update your address (friend's address), the only issue would have been receiving Citizenship Certificate!
In other words, you could update your friend's address after taking the oath as to receive citizenship certificate.
Please offer your thoughts @Orgcom

Thank you very much for the valuable insights