debbiem

Where are you finding that list?
The one on the page says:

Record of Landing/ Confirmation of PR
Provincial Driving License
Provincial photo ID
Student card (post secondary)
Income tax assessments (2 yrs)

The only one it's possible to give for kids in Alberta is the first one - and we don't have it (as I said, entirely our fault - hence applying for VOS as we also need it for citizenship - 6 month wait).

Without a driving license, tax assessments, post secondary ID or provincial photo ID, my kids can't get renewals, but they will issue him indoors (2 weeks and he has his back, despite not requesting urgent processing for him) and presumably at some point mine, as I have DL, tax etc, but they can't process the kids until I provide one of those five items. The only one that is possible is the first one, and we don't have it, and can only get it with the VOS...

They have accepted all of their primary ID. But they will accept nothing except that list for secondary ID.

I just cannot get my head round why there are 5 possible alternatives for adults, and one for kids. How can it be harder to prove that your child exists and has been in Canada with you all the time, such that it is impossible to get their ID renewed? (Overly dramatic, I know - in six or seven months when the VOS comes through, we can reapply for them and wait 6 months for processing.)

My eldest is supposed to be traveling to the US in September to compete in an international science competition for her school, they have already won the provincial jamboree. (This is notwithstanding the visit to grandmas which precipitated the original renewal application). If I was traveling with them, I would be fine to wing it, but I really don't want unaccompanied kids being put through the ringer by border services....

debbiem

Once they are over 12 we can apply for a provincial ID card - not routinely issued but you can apparently get one - so that would only take a few weeks, like a driver's license I imagine. For under 12s there is nothing.

Former Lancastrian

Scroll down to the Applicants under 18

debbiem

On the document checklist?
Yes, they have all of those things, included with the application - full copy of birth certificates, all of their school reports for the entire five years they have lived here.
The reason the PR card renewal has been refused (twice, now) is because I can't provide any of the things listed above as secondary ID.

debbiem

So, they have:
Original passports (with shiny visa issued in London, IM1)
Current passports
Birth certificates
Copy of current PR card
Alberta Health Care cards
Five years of school reports
SIN card
One school ID card (the other one in elementary doesn't get one)

the most recent refusal literally just says 'needs secondary ID'

Former Lancastrian

Its on the Instruction guide item #6 on this page
Application for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card)
which then takes you to this page
Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) - Initial application, replacement or renewal (IMM 5445)

BTW you can apply for copies of the landing documents by going to this page
Application for a Verification of Status (VOS) or Replacement of an Immigration Document (IMM 5545)

debbiem

Yep, they have all of that, and we have applied for VOS already. See my post above (think we crossed over) to show docs we enclosed for the kids. I even enclosed a copy of the VOS proof of payment and postage, lol.

Thanks for taking the time to provide the links. They are definitely the ones we used to prep the applications. They don't seem to be accepting the school reports and birth certs as the secondary ID for under 18s - whoever has returned it (TWiCE) seems to be expecting those in addition to the secondary ID. Which I can't provide....

You can see why I'm losing my mind....

Snowy560

Maybe it is worth contacting the CIC Case Management Branch and/or contacting your local MP/MLA for help?

S

debbiem

It got even better today, as I tried to fax a letter asking again for specific guidance as to exactly what they wanted, to the number we had been given (to provide the secondary ID within 48 hours) and it wasn't even a fax number, just rang out. I have sent two case specific enquiries (one for each daughter) instead, so will see if that comes to anything. My concern is that they are going to cross over, we won't have replied within 48 hours with the ID, and they will just refuse the application. Again. Back to the beginning with no ID to produce.
I have managed to find a telephone number for somewhere in the Case Processing Centre in Sydney though (by hook or by crook) so I will try giving it a call on Monday morning. I've no idea where it goes :-)
And then we'll start with the politicos, because the whole thing is just beyond belief.
Thanks Snowy! Is CIC Case Management the same as the case specific enquiry, or something else?

Snowy560

No it's different. I've just heard some people have tried this when they're not getting satisfactory responses:

[email protected]



S

debbiem

Ha! I I just found it - thank you :-)
I had no idea they existed...
http://www.cba.org/cba/cle/PDF/IMM11_Chomyn_Slides.pdf

Shirtback

BBM: too late in Debbiem's case, but we were repeatedly told that our landing docs were worth more than their weight in gold (we lost one over the years AND lost the corresponding PR card - don't ask; had a bit of a sweat proving son's existence but did eventually get it sorted).

^^^ This. It sounds like you are getting quite a run-around.

Although I've had my troubles with pr card renewal(s), I've always - eventually - had good customer service from CIC. Reading here & elsewhere, I'm guessing I'm the exceptional that proves the rule?

debbiem

It is odd - by a complete coincidence, a colleague at work sent their renewal off the same day we did, and I told her the package for the girls had been sent back (the first time). She said she had exactly the same experience as us at the border, but that her husband had insisted they retrieved the paperwork from the border agent. So they still have theirs. And someone else local to us had exactly the same experience - so I guess it may have been a new member of staff who was a little over-zealous around that time at that particular airport... But who knows. In my very small research pool there have been a few of us who were told the same thing! (And a few who were naive enough to believe it. Gah.)

This is the most nonsense we have had. The rest of it took four years, but was straightforward enough - and thankfully without the appeal that we thought we would have to make (I'm pretty sure they will pull that out of the bag when we apply for citizenship, but we can't do that until the VOS comes through anyway....)

Snowy560

It's easy to be wise in hindsight but your experience shows it's a good idea to make scanned copies of all these important docs so landing paper front and back, PR card front and back, passport bio page, DL etc. At least if anything untoward happens you have a back up to prove its and your existence.

But it's often only when something like this happens that you think of these things. I certainly didn't used to scan my docs when I lived in the UK and doubt it would have occurred to me.

S

Shirtback

Very good suggestion, Snowy! I used to get annoyed with what I saw as my ex's OCD habit of scanning/photocopying Important Documents; however he's saved various family members' bacon over the years .