Gezza

We are currently living in UK but while living in Canada applied for our PR cards.
We have been asked to collect them and are happy to travel to do just that but:
can we enter canada with british passports as tourists?
we don't have provincial/federal picture ID other than our british passport and it says that you have to have one, what do we take?
what do we gain by collecting the PR card? can we come back and live in canada within in the next 5 years?

Anyone have similar experience?

PMM

Hi Geeza

By law, you should have a facillitation visa to enter Canada without a PR Card. There is a good chance that you can enter with just your UK passport, but there is no guarantee that the airline will carry.

To maintain your PR status, you must reside in Canada for 2 years out of every 5.

PMM

JAJ

That's what CIC officially say. However it appears that when they put this together they forgot that lots of PRs have visa-waiver passports and hence can board Canada bound flights with this alone.


Air Canada say (in the FAQ section on their website):

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Who needs a Permanent Resident Card?

Answer
As of December 31, 2003, Canadian permanent residents holding a passport from a non visa waiver country returning to Canada will be required to provide the wallet-sized plastic PR permanent resident card or a visa. The IMM1000 Record of Landing will no longer be acceptable. Without a valid PR card or visa these passengers will not be permitted to board the aircraft and will need to contact the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate to obtain a limited use travel document to re-enter Canada.
If you are a passport holder from a country listed on the exception list (see link below), the IMM1000 and your valid passport will be acceptable:
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/visit/v...tml#exemptions
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So it looks like you've be ok with Air Canada. With another airline, ask for similar confirmation *in writing*.

I would point out that permanent residents are expected to *live* in Canada. If you do that, then the residence requirement that PMM mentions will not cause problems. If you don't then your PR will be lost.

Are you planning to live in Canada or not?

Jeremy