I recently was asked to move to our Seattle work location from Vancouver. My PR expired on April 17th and i'm eligible for renewal of the card in August. I understand that I can cross the land border in an expired PR but is there a limit to how frequently i can do this? My wife is in Vancouver and I expect to visit her every week once I move to Seattle in June.
Has any one done something similar or is it too much of a risk. Based on what i've read, I should be allowed entry to Canada via my personal/rented vehicle but wanted to get some opinions from the experts here.
Thank you all for your help!
No, but be prepared to be sent to Secondary every trip....and hope you are not.
While a valid PR Card is not needed to enter Canada (unless via a commercial carrier, save for a U.S. citizen perhaps) the CBSA officer will need to verify that your PR status has not been lost...which is what Secondary Inspection is for, I guess.
Since your employer is, basically, transferring you...you may be able to still count those days towards your Residency Obigation. The rules are strict, but worth looking into.
How often do you plan to return to Vancouver? Every weekend?
If so, as long as you enter Canada prior to midnight on a Friday and return to (and cross) the Peace Arch, Pac Crossing (or other) border anytime after 12:01 AM on Sunday, you will have 3 full days in Canada towards the R.O.
Since your employer is, basically, transferring you...you may be able to still count those days towards your Residency Obigation. The rules are strict, but worth looking into.
Oh i did not know that ! I'm employed with an US employer and based in Vancouver, so rules might be different for US vs Canadian employer, but will take a look. I used to go to Seattle once/twice a week every month which is why i'm so behind in my days (plus i permanently moved to Canada a bit late)!
How often do you plan to return to Vancouver? Every weekend?
If so, as long as you enter Canada prior to midnight on a Friday and return to (and cross) the Peace Arch, Pac Crossing (or other) border anytime after 12:01 AM on Sunday, you will have 3 full days in Canada towards the R.O.
Oh i did not know that ! I'm employed with an US employer and based in Vancouver, so rules might be different for US vs Canadian employer, but will take a look. I used to go to Seattle once/twice a week every month which is why i'm so behind in my days (plus i permanently moved to Canada a bit late)!
Great!
If you can re-enter Canada anytime before 11:59 PM on a Wednesday night (versus Thursday morning) and then return to the U.S. after 12:01 AM Monday...you would have 6 full days credit in Canada each week. Even if you have to return to the U.S. at a reasonable time on a Sunday afternoon, you'd still have 5 full days towards the R.O.
As of today, how many days have you spent in Canada (looking back 5 years from today)?
Also...I hope that you have kept accurate records of your travels both exit and entry data for Canada. You will need this for the PR Card renewal application.
I recently was asked to move to our Seattle work location from Vancouver. My PR expired on April 17th and i'm eligible for renewal of the card in August. I understand that I can cross the land border in an expired PR but is there a limit to how frequently i can do this? My wife is in Vancouver and I expect to visit her every week once I move to Seattle in June.
Right now i'm at 630 days in (1,200 out) and my PR expired on April 17th 2024. By the time I leave for the states (1st week of June), I'll be at ~680 days. So i'll need ~50 days to hit 730 days before I can renew. That's why the talk around back and forth between Vancouver and Seattle.
Are you saying all these plans are irrelevant if i haven't hit the target before my PR expiry?
Right now i'm at 630 days in (1,200 out) and my PR expired on April 17th 2024. By the time I leave for the states (1st week of June), I'll be at ~680 days. So i'll need ~50 days to hit 730 days before I can renew. That's why the talk around back and forth between Vancouver and Seattle.
Are you saying all these plans are irrelevant if i haven't hit the target before my PR expiry?
Right now i'm at 630 days in (1,200 out) and my PR expired on April 17th 2024. By the time I leave for the states (1st week of June), I'll be at ~680 days. So i'll need ~50 days to hit 730 days before I can renew. That's why the talk around back and forth between Vancouver and Seattle.
Are you saying all these plans are irrelevant if i haven't hit the target before my PR expiry?
If you are in compliance, you can enter and leave with an expired card with no issues, apart from possibly some tedium at secondary while they pull up your information and check.
But if you're not in compliance, every examination (eg every time you present at port of entry) increases chances of some issue. And yes, they could go so far as to 'report' you for being out of compliance, which would make things quite complicated and potentially lead to revocation of PR status (perhaps unlikely, but the process would still likely be unpleasant).
Now, with 680 days and being settled (it seems) in Canada, then perhaps they'd not do that. But they might also put you on secondary exam list (every time you get the full examination), or warn you, etc. And you might get one in a bad mood who decides to make things difficult or whatever. Consequences could be lengthy, eg getting off the secondary exam list might take years.
Far, far better - in my opinion - is to delay your switch to working out of USA office for a couple or three months and then apply for the PR card when in compliance, and only then start travelling to USA. It will really make a big difference for you in terms of being able to cross with an expired card (while waiting for the card), getting the card renewed relatively quickly, etc. Most of all - if you're in compliance - effectively no risk at each interaction.
If you can't do that, then delaying it or minimizing trips (every second or third week?) until you're in compliance would still be an improvement and lower the risk.
The initial post had this: "My PR expired on April 17th and i'm eligible for renewal of the card in August." The logical interpretation of this text is that the OP is out of compliance.
Sure, I'd make some allowance for the poster being wrong about facts or logic, but I still end up north of 50%.
The initial post had this: "My PR expired on April 17th and i'm eligible for renewal of the card in August." The logical interpretation of this text is that the OP is out of compliance.
Sure, I'd make some allowance for the poster being wrong about facts or logic, but I still end up north of 50%.
