i am a canadian permanent resident and CIC london authorised my continuing PR status despite me not being in canada for a number of years.

they issued me with a travel permit to get back into canada, which i did on 13th jan. and they put a note on the immigration system that i should apply for my PR card which had been authorised for issue. this was told to me at the airport as i went through passport control.

i have done this in canada, however i have had to return to the UK to start selling the house etc, but im going back to Canada in the next couple of months for final testing for calgary police. the PR card stuff is going to my parents address.

now i was under the impression that i will need another travel permit to get me back in, and hopefully by then my pr card will be ready for collection.
is this not the case as i have seen people here mention just going back with just UK passport and record of landing and not using a PR or travel permit.

can anyone clarify exactly what i need to do. as i say the travel permit is a pain as its single use and im going to need to do at least 2 more trips to return to canada for good.

ta
Scott (on cara's name)

What other paperwork do you have?

UK passport and IMM1000 ROLF should be sufficient on there own to fly to and get back into Canada.

PR card is "easier" if you have it, but not strictly necessary if you have a visa waiver passport and appropriate immigration documentation.

in my uk passport i have the imm1000 record of landing. i also have a canada VISA marked up as "permanent resident" which cic london issued me with when they agreed i could keep my PR status. this says it is valid for one entry. which i used on the 13th jan.
hopefully my pr card will be done by the time i go back in 2 months or so to finish my testing. then as long as i pass them i will comeback to the UK. pack up and sell up and then go back for good.

AFAIK all PR visa stamps are valid for only one entry. Was that considered to be the start of a new PR period, with your ongoing PR status calculated based on your residency in the 5 years on from that point?

i dont know exactly. that seemed to be the case. and with them agreeing the PR card that would be logical.
basically they were not too clear as the visa just arrived with a note saying they had agreed i could keep my pr status, but did not clarify. but the 5 yrs starting again does seem to be the only way.

Id be amazed then if you needed either the PR card or the travel doc to come and go while you wait for the card to arrive....in your "first year" there is no danger of losing PR status based on residency or lack there of.

I would however travel armed with whatever documentation you have from the CHC explaining your status though for sure, just in case, but it really should not be a problem.

thats the thing. i dont have any other documents. they just sent me the visa and a proforma note saying they had agreed to issue me one based ony my evidence i had supplied.
there seemed to be a lot of info on the immigration computer, including that i was eligable for a PR card, which i didnt know for sure until i landed at calgary on the 13th. the immigration officer read that bit to me.

hopefully come april it will be all sorted when my pr card is there!

The note and the fact you are in the computer should be more than enough. Especially the bit that you are in the computer.

Like you say, hopefully the card will arrive, but even if it does, I betcha dont even need to get it out of your wallet.

yeh it will arrive, unfortuately you need to collect it in person, in canada. so ive got my fingers crossed it will all time correctly for me and i can go back do the tests, and in the same trip collect my pr card.

No you dont, well, not as a new PR who applies at landing, but if you filled it out as a long term PR applying for it, then yes, you have to get it in person unless you live well off the beaten track.

What tests? or is that a no nimmigration related thing?

I think some others may be confused (not really your fault). You'll make things easier if you confirm the following:

- when did you first become a permanent resident of Canada?
- how long were you absent?

i was first landed as a PR in 2001, i spent 8 months there, and left in may 2002. i spoke to london chc in nov 2006 who agreed to reinstate my PR status. basically i couldnt get a job in the police when i was last there (too young basically), so i came back to the UK, got a job in the police here. and now im in the process of applying for calgary police. ive done some of the tests for this, but need to return to finish the tests for the police. all my immidate family live in canada, and im just about to start sponsering my soon to be wife. we hope to be out there this summer for good even if she is just a visitor or on a work permit first.

the tests are purely police, nothing to do with immigration.,
i didnt stictly apply for my pr card at landing, i did it by post whilst in canada. so i think i will need to collect it in person.