rebecca1986

Hi all,

I'm hoping someone may know the answer.

My Mum has been a PR of Canada for the last 5 years, however, she has been back in the UK for 2 years as her father has been extremely ill going through terminal cancer treatment.

Anyway, she had applied for Canadian citizenship and has been invited to take her Oath of Citizenship on Wednesday.
Her PR card expired on December 16th 2016 but as CIC knew this and mentioned it to her on the phone last month and still sent out her Oath of Citizenship invitation, she did not renew her PR card as she would be taking her Oath the next month.

Fast forward to this morning. She was checking in for her flight at Manchester airport with BA, and was refused to board the flight as her PR card had expired last month.
She would have been travelling on a return flight, returning to Manchester to in 2 weeks, and also explained that she was taking her Oath of Citizenship and that is why she had not renewed her PR card.

Anyone have any idea if there's anything else she can do??
She desperately needs to make it back here for Wednesday!

Novocastrian

She needs to get an Emergency Travel Document.

Types of passports and travel documents

She's still a PR but with a lapsed card airlines won't let her board.

rivingtonpike

She needs to apply for an emergency travel document. I believe you can get one from the Canadian Consulate. How did she travel back to sit the citizenship test? How long ago did she sit it?

Hurlabrick

She could apply for the 'one time' PR Travel Document, but that is a lot of paperwork and takes weeks to get one.

Alternatively, fly to the USA (make sure she has an ESTA), then get someone to pick her up and drive her across to Canada (private vehicle).

She will almost certainly not be allowed to board a commercial flight to Canada without either an ETA (which she can't get as she is PR) or a valid PR card or a PR Travel Document - My understanding at least, I am sure others will chip in.....

rivingtonpike

If it is really do or die, the alternative way to get around the President card thing (although not guaranteed), is to fly into the USA and then get a connecting flight into Canada. I had to do this a few times between PR expiring and citizenship kicking in. A connecting flight, US to Canada they weren't really interested in my status in Canada at the US end and by the time I got to homemigrate shores the CBSA guy could just look me up on the system (not thato they ever did - I carried all my citizenship application paperwork with me).

rebecca1986

Where will she get one of these, any idea? And will it be issued on the day or will she be waiting weeks?

rebecca1986

She sat it about 6 months before her PR card expired so it wasn't an issue then.
Is an emergency travel document issued in London on the day, any idea?

rebecca1986

This is a good point - I'm just wondering if the border guards will let her cross the border without a valid PR card?

rebecca1986

This is a really good point - so there was no issue with you boarding a flight from USA to Canada then?

rivingtonpike

No one has asked me for my residential status when taking a connecting flight. Once or twice they were a bit sniffy at the Canadian end when I showed them my expired PR card, but never refused me entrance to the country. I live here after all! Now I have a Canadian passport not an issue any more.

Or as already suggested, fly into US close to border and have someone pick her up. Much easier at a land border.

rebecca1986

Really appreciate the insight - we live really close to a border so I could definitely pick her up from Seattle and drive across if possible

PMM

Hi


1, The OP should read the following (as her mother has a return ticket) on the intent to reside clause in the citizenship regulations.

Subsection 5(1.1) of the Act states that for the purposes of paragraphs 5(1)(c.1) and 11(1)(e), the person’s intention must be continuous from the date of their application until they have taken the Oath of Citizenship.
Officers will be assessing the applicant’s intention if granted citizenship (i.e., what the applicant intends to do after becoming a citizen). Applicants must hold this intention to reside if granted citizenship from the time they sign their application to the time they take the Oath. The intent to reside is required to obtain citizenship but no longer applies once citizenship is granted. Once citizenship is granted, a citizen has the right to enter, remain in, and leave Canada as guaranteed by the Charter.


It may or not may become an issue at the oath ceremony.

Hurlabrick

One of the regular posters on here works for the CBSA and may be along shortly. Your Mum's main problem will be being allowed to get on a flight to Canada in the first place.

Once she is in front of a CBSA agent, she can explain the situation, they can check on their systems and very likely be let through. None of this is ideal or guaranteed (other than getting a PRTD)

Permanent resident travel document

bc2015

Be warned! Since the ETA came into effect, I am aware of people being denied boarding when trying to board a connecting flight in the US. The only sure way of getting across is to travel in a private vehicle.

Former Lancastrian

Without a PR card flying into Canada from anywhere including the USA is a no no unless the airline check in staff are not doing their job.
Easiest way is flying to the USA and then driving across.