lilybilly101

For anyone who needs to renew their residency cards....it's currently taking 172 days for those who put their applications in at the beginning of Feb. I can't believe it. We are supposed to be going traveling at the end of August to the US and Mexico and I didn't apply until the end of March so won't get it until Sept/Oct. Aaaagggghhhhh........

AND I stupidly put in originals so can't and won't be able to reapply. HELP....need to now do an urgent IMM1000 form.

Any unemployed people in Nova Scotia should offer their services at the immigration office as they are clearly over worked! Rubbish....garbage service.

OK, thank you for my gripe.

JonboyE

I don't think they throw too many resources at PR card renewal as the expectation is that after 3 years you will apply for citizenship.

firefox

the problem with that it can take upto two more years to get it

JAJ

Which is still within the 5 year window of the PR Card.

Zoe Bell

Just barely ... You've only got to have spent a few days out the country to be pushing it real close

cheeky_monkey

its still 172 days if you reapply..i should know i had to reapply for my wife and children and pay $200 to boot as they never applied for one when they orignally landed as they only stayed for a week just to land and activate their visas..yet if you arrive in canada you get it in 30 days for free yet i pay $200 to go to the back of the queue??..now thats what i call service.

JonboyE

You have to look at what the system is designed for. There is an assumption that:

a) someone who applies for permanent residence will, once it is granted, come to Canada and live here permanently.
b) after three years they will apply for citizenship.

Therefore you get a free PR card in a few weeks if you do land and stay here and you don't need to worry about renewing your PR card after 5 years.

There is nothing technically wrong with landing then going back to the UK, just as there is no requirement to apply for citizenship, but I think people are being unreasonable in expecting the government to facilitate this when it is clearly not the expected way of a new immigrant.

Zoe Bell

whilst I agree that the system is set up and designed for people to move over and live here permanently and immediately , and then apply for citizenship after the minimum 3 years. You would think that they would make the time scales involved in processing your citizenship shorter.

We have every intention of applying for citizenship as soon as we are eligible. I never envisaged having to renew our PR cards; however, due to Ben's business trips adding up to nearly a month out of the country now. If they are taking 2 years to process citizenship claims then we will have to renew our cards.

Pebblebeach

[QUOTE=JonboyE;8691925]You have to look at what the system is designed for. There is an assumption that:

a) someone who applies for permanent residence will, once it is granted, come to Canada and live here permanently.
QUOTE]

The trouble with that part is that it is very difficult to just arrive and stay rather than land and have to leave to organise you affairs when you don't know that you are going to get the visa and then have a relatively short timescale sort everything out. As CIC say themselves, you shouldn't quit your job or make travel arrangements until you have the visa.

We are having to apply for PR cards from scratch as we didn't have a Canadian address to give when we landed (last year).

ExKiwilass

Ignoring PP to say that I totally ballsed this up. My plan was to get c'ship before the PR card expired...it expires in November and I got my c'ship application in in March. I am screwed. No one but myself to blame though - I should got c'ship app. in years ago.

I wonder if I can travel on an expired one? I still have my original landing papers. Hmmm.

JonboyE

I don't see why not. You don't lose PR status just because the card has expired. The IO can see all your details in their computer systems in any case. That said, I'm not an expert so it would be a good idea to check this. I suppose you might get a bit more of an interrogation at the POE but probably the airlines will be the biggest problem - not wanting to carry you without a return ticket if you don't have a current PR card.

JonboyE

I understand your problem and agree that if they are taking tow years to process citizenship applications the system isn't working as it should be.

Back in the old days we completed our three years in July, applied for citizenship in August, and were sworn in the following March.

JAJ

Most people get 6 months to land. That should normally be plenty of time to resign job (1-3 months notice usually) and sell house (provided you price house realistically).

In the past, that was the norm. Get visa, and move to Canada, start new life. Now it seems to be get visa, "land" in Canada, and go back to the UK for an indeterminate period of time.

ExKiwilass

Thanks JE. Not planning to leave the country any time soon but should probably look into it just in case.

Alan2005

I don't think it's unreasonable to finish the landing process and then return to the UK to spend some time shutting down your previous life. I assumed the 2 out of 5 rule was geared up just for that.

I can see what JonboyE is saying about the system being set up such that you should apply for c'ship after 3 years, but I would say that 6 months to renew a PR card is still far too long. For some people taking citizenship is a big deal as it will mean revoking their current nationality - ok for brits it's a no-brainer, but if you are from a country which doesn't allow dual citizenship it could be a tough decision to make.