stejill

Mr Miller,

I have recently been granted and issued a 'travel document' for one time entry for my return to Canada as a PR, and upon my return I will apply for my PR card.

Due to my circumstances, the PR card application requires me to supply a copy of my 'Returning Resident Permit (IMM 1228)'. Is this the travel document in my passport that has been issued by CIC London? The reason I ask is that the travel document in my passport has no reference to IMM 1228. It has a document number and details the category as RC-1 Permanent Resident.

Many thanks for your help and advice.

Andrew Miller

Returning Resident Permits were issued before implementation of current law in 2002 - such permits were allowing PR to stay abroad longer than maximum 183 days per year and return to Canada within their validity without risk of loss of PR status.

Current law requires PR to be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in every 5 years period - this flexibility replaced Returning Resident Permit.

If you landed in Canada and were issed RRP before June 2002 then days abroad within validity of such RRP would count as days in Canada towards residency obligation under current law.

If it is not the case with you and you haven't been issued RRP before June 2002 then this PR Card application evidence requirement doesn't apply to you.

stejill

Mr Miller,

Many thanks for your information. May I trouble you some more?

My wife and I have been away from Canada for some time and will soon be returning as PR's with travel documents, as mentioned. During our time away we had a daughter. We have been advised by CIC London, that we have to sponsor our daughter to become a PR once we are back in Canada.

I was hoping to get a head start on filling in the appropriate forms for her
sponsorship, but haven't been able to locate the relevant application forms. The only 'In Canada' sponsorship forms I have found on www.cic.gc.ca pertain to the sponsorship of a spouse and not just that of dependant children.

Do I need to request different specific documents for this sponsorship application of my daughter? This isn't something that I've found documented that well.

Does my daughter (1 year old) require a medical too?

Andrew Miller

There is no in Canada (inland) route for sponsoring children. You will have to sponsor your daughter from abroad, but only after you move permanently to Canada and be able to document that you live here for good. This is why you were told that you can start sponsorship process after you are back in Canada.

You need application kit (all 3 partes) from here:

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/fc.html

And yes, everybody (regardless of age) must undergo medicals.

canadian04

I think you can also apply for her PR from within Canada on H&C grounds. But for that you would have to bring your daughter to Canada first (and she would have to have a VISA exempt passport to get into the country). I know a couple of PRs whose children were born in the US, and they simply drove across the border and then filed here in Canada. Not sure about the medicals in this case...

Andrew Miller

Why bother with H&C route which may take 2+ years to conclude. Even if child will be in Canada as visitor sponsorship from abroad is the best and fastest option.

stejill

Many thanks for your help and clarification. We were led to believe from an immigration officer in London that we make an in land sponsorship. A misunderstanding on our part.

We will sponsor our daughter as our dependent child and hope this won't take too long.

Any idea of processing times for such cases?

Andrew Miller

With well prepared applications requiring no additional evidence - about 30 days in Mississauga to approve sponsor and then few months in proper visa post abroad.

themask

Mr. Miller,

I was just wondering that IF the dependant child is able to get a visitor visa, and moves to Canada with the parents, then is it possible to select Buffalo as the visa post abroad (after CPC-Mississauga processing)?

Thanks in advance.

Regards,
-tm

Andrew Miller

For some nationals it is almost impossible to get visitor visa for child for that purpose. But in case child gets visa and is admitted as visitor application cannot be filed in Buffalo if child is not an American as it must be at least 12 months long admission to Canada on other than visitor status.

stejill

Mr Miller,

Many thanks for your help and clarification.

Do the Mississauga office send the overseas portion of the application to the approprate visa office (London I guess for me being a British citizen) on my behalf after the initial assessment, or do they return it to me to send?

Regards.

Andrew Miller

They forward PR portion to proper visa post.