I am short of 4 months of completing the Residency Requirements of Permanent Resident
of Canada due to travel for personal family reasons. The expiry date on the PR card is another
one week away and I am currently in Canada. I am told that if I apply after 4 months
for a renewal of PR card and not immediately, the 5 year period is counted from the date of receipt of application
and that would complete my residency requirements of 2 years in a 5 year period. Would I be penalized for applying later than I should have?
Is that correct? Please give suggestions.
There is no requirement to have a valid PR card while in Canada so you can delay your application until you meet the requirements or longer. They only count the last 5 years from the day you apply for a new card.
Thanks Leon for your quick reply. A few more questions-
1. Will CIC send reminders for renewal of PR cards if they have my most current address?
2. Would they ask why I delayed the application for renewal when I do?
3. What happens if I need to travel out of the country in the meanwhile before renewal of PR card?
4. Is it completely legal to delay the application for renewal of PR card and will not work against me?
1. I don't think they send out reminders. I became PR before PR cards and they never sent me an application for it when it was introduced, I just heard in the media that you better apply for this PR card or you can't come back again when you travel.
2. If they ask, say it slipped your mind. If you are not planning to travel, how many people are looking at the PR card every day? My own, I only looked at after somebody else told me theirs was expiring. I was planning to travel around the expiry of it so I was not even sure I could renew it before it expires. I phoned immigration and they told me it was ok to do it, just make a cover letter and explain why.
3. If you travel out of the country before you get your PR card renewed, you will not be able to come back. You can apply for a PR travel document but you need to fill out the residency requirements for that too. I think you were lucky you got in the last time you came back. They could have stopped you and cancelled your PR then.
4. Obviously it's not legal to delay it for the reason of filling residency requirements. Strictly speaking, your PR should be gone but in general, had you stayed in Canada the whole time, there is nothing that says you have to have a PR card unless you travel.
I sent in the application on June 11 and got a letter in the mail dated Sept 4 telling me I could pick it up on Sept 26. The website is right now saying 93 days on average.
