lazarus75

Hey folks, so here's my story.

- Feb 2014: My PR card expired. (I didn't notice till Aug. Had assumed it was you know, "permanent")

- Aug 2014: Applied for renewal.

- Jan 2015 (5 months later): Received a letter that it was being processed and there was delays. I assumed that it was because I had submitted late or because I was out of the country for 2 years during my 5 years, making my renewal application perhaps less straightforward.

- April 2015 (8 months since applying): Call up the CIC office to see if there was an update. They were no help and said there's no ETA. I advised them that I had purchased a cruise Vancouver to Alaska to Vancouver and they said that I would need a travel visa if my PR card did not arrive in time. A travel visa can only be applied for outside the country, so this was also not very useful.

- June 2015 (10 months since applying): Called again. This agent was a bit more helpful and said to submit a copy of my cruise boarding pass and apply for emergency processing. I received an automated email 2 days later that "This message is to inform you that we have received your request asking us to process your Permanent Resident Card (PR card) urgently....There is no guarantee that the card will be ready before your departure, but we will make all the necessary efforts to speed up the processing of your application". That was 1 week ago and my application status still says "In Progress".

I leave for the cruise in 2 weeks. As we'll be entering Alaska, I will need to return through Canadian customs at the Vancouver port. My question is, has anyone had the experience where they traveled on a commercial vehicle (bus, ship, plane) while their application was "In Progress" and was allowed back into the country without an additional travel visa? I know you can do this via private vehicle.

Thanks!

SchnookoLoly

I assume you have read the sticky note titled "You do not need a PR Card if..."?

lazarus75

Hi. Yes, I read the sticky note and I also checked other threads in the forum regarding this topic. However, I was asking what people's experiences were when they did not have a PR card while traveling on a commercial carrier ie. were they fined, deported, interrogated etc. Thanks.

Former Lancastrian

They can't fine or deport you if you mean the Canadian authorities but the commercial carrier outside of Canada can deny you boarding. On arriving in Canada you could face a lengthy interview (not interrogation) by CBSA for not having a PR card.
There again if we used waterboarding methods and kept them in a dark unlit damp dungeon then word might get out for people to make sure they have a PR card BEFORE travelling

lazarus75

Well, now it says that my PR card application is "complete" but shipping can take up to 6 weeks apparently. Fingers crossed I get it before Saturday!

TheBear

I am currently waiting for mine to be returned, and due to go to the UK end of August. When we sent it off they said 60 days for processing, now they are saying 100. They haven't registered that they received yet although I sent it with a courier at the end of April, and I've only just noticed that they say all stamps in passport require translation (I have one in serbocroat), to add to the OPs questions on this topic:

1.How does the carrier know whether or not your PR card has expired...I have only ever provided my passport.
2. Has anyone ever had an issue with an untranslated stamp.

To be honest this is more troubleseome than getting my original card...I think most Canadians never leave the country and so assume no one travels because I have never encountered such levels of beauracratic nonsense.

Former Lancastrian

1. Because if they ask to see the PR card it has an expiry date on it.
2. Im sure those who sent in the application without the translation had their application returned.

Most Canadians have a Canadian passport so have no troubles travelling as they are not PRs of other countries.

TheBear

Totally retarded. Thanks for the reply though.

Shirtback

*Sigh*.

I've mentioned my & my family members' travel experience with expired PR cards here before.

While not ideal, and not recommended, if you hold a visa-exempt passport, it's not a problem. If you've already applied for your PR card renewal, bring proof with you. If not, bring other proof of your resident status.

An expired PR card, when you arrive back in Canada, may or may not entail being sent to "secondary", & having your credentials questioned/verified. You may or may not get a lecture from CBSA about having an expired card.

Whatever, CBSA will re-admit you to Canada, with the caveat that if you don't meet residency obligations, they can & probably will report you.

In 19 years, no commercial carrier (boats, planes)has ever asked me for my PR card. NB, this statement is personal experience, not official policy.

TheBear

Thanks for that valuable (if oft repeated) insight. I fly back to the UK, go to the US and NZ all the time, probably leave Canada 8-10 times a year, and I have never been asked by the airline for my PR card either, and I did suspect that once I got here, given the fact I have a home here, a job here etc, they would not put me on the next plabe back. Doesn't change the fact that their process is slow, and bureacratic, although again, I suspect if it perfectly obvious that you live here, pay taxes here and have no convictions, they may overlook the odd little issue with your application.

Snowy560

We were asked for ours by the airline (me, husband and daughter), I think on departure as I recall. And because my husband's was close to the expiry date (maybe 5 weeks), we had to produce return tickets showing we would be back before expiry. (Air Transat). This was in March this year.


S

Twitcher1958

I don't recall being asked for PR card on leaving Canada but on the way back in. It confirms your legal status to be here so doing as Shirtback recommends seems sensible to prove that it's in the post.

TheBear

Well, I am going to apply for an expedited card...don't want to be stressing. Had to have some Egyptian and Serbian stamps translated! I think if any of these beauracrats had to go through the same process themselves they would make it a heck of a lot easier. It's just a renewal card FFS!

debbiem

My husbands PR card renewal was here within 2 weeks (not urgent processing) but the two we sent for urgent processing (including proof of travel) have now been returned twice because of no 'secondary identification'. Unfortunately, I can't provide driving licenses or tax assessments for my children, and Alberta does not have photo ID nor photo health care cards. (The 'help line' told me to send the AHC cards as secondary ID, despite having no photo as it was still government ID, and the processing guys would understand that Alberta doesn't provide). Yeah. Back again. We have also applied for VOS which takes six months.

So the non urgent card, because it is an adult, was back in 2 weeks (mine will probably get returned as incomplete somewhere around Christmas, obviously) but it is actually impossible for them to process a PR card renewal for our two children that have been with us all the time in Canada.

Far from it it being reasonable to make sure you have a card in advance of travel, these folk are actually making it impossible to get a PR card renewal at all for kids in Alberta, despite our best efforts (without waiting for VOS a which incidentally, doesn't require the same secondary ID that a PR card renewal does. So having got a VOS after 6 mos on the back of existing ID, we can send that for PR card renewal, but that self same ID isn't acceptable to renew the PR card. Go figure)

Of course, it IS all our own fault for believing border services who told us we didn't need the original paperwork any more as it had been replaced by our PR cards, and tore it out of our passports. We weren't to know at the time that it was the sole item that would prove our daughters existed and had been in Alberta for five years.

How can it be harder to get a replacement PR card than it is to get the first one? And why is it so difficult to get a human being dealing with the case to actually talk to you? All I get back is 'please send secondary ID. Refer to list.' They have their original passports with entry visas, their entire current passports, their birth certificates, their AHC cards, their school cards, school reports for five years of Canadian schooling, SIN cards. But they don't have a driving license or provincial ID card, or tax assessments. Well, no, because they ARE NOT OLD ENOUGH.

How on earth can it even be possible to renew PR cards for parents and not the children, when they were accepted on the original immigration application, and have clearly been in Canada with their parents for five years? My head is ready to explode, really.

Needs secondary ID.

<weeps>

Former Lancastrian

Im quite surprised that CBSA told you that you wouldn't need the original landing document as that is needed when applying for OAS & OAP later on and thats why it has clients copy marked on it.
In regards to the children my understanding from the guide is this

Applicants under the age of 18

A clear and legible photocopy of one (1) of the following:

applicant’s birth certificate (showing the applicant’s name, date of birth, place of birth and the names of the parents or adoptive parents), or
If the applicant has a legal guardian, submit legal documentation that has been issued by a Canadian court which proves guardianship.
Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) - Initial application, replacement or renewal (IMM 5445)