SarahBella

Hello guys...


My common law partner and I are close to finishing off the whole immigration and we're hoping to land in July of this year (fingers crossed)

Now, we also have working visas issued to us for Australia for this summer (we did this BEFORE we decided to start the immigration process) and we were obviously going to cancel them...but then got to thinking...

How long do you have to stay in Canada when you land?...will we be able to stay for a few weeks, then jet off to Australia for a few months, and come back to Canada afterwards?

We just thought if it WAS possible, we'd def. want to try it, but if not, oh well!

Is this a silly question, or what? :P

Butch Cassidy

As long as you can provide an address for your PR cards to be sent to you can land and fly out within the day.

SarahBella

Wow, really?

I mean, we'd probably stay around for a few weeks and wait for the PR cards anyway, you know visit with family and what not. Do we tell them this when we're landing?

We just thought, better to go for a few months and look around Australia, rather than commiting to a rental house and buying furniture in Toronto and things like that if we were just planning to leave it a few months later anyway...

Thanks VERY much for your help!!

Butch Cassidy

Just tell them your landing and you're very happy to be in their beautiful country with the opportunity to drink Timmies all day long.

SarahBella

Haha, will do..

Does anyone think it will be a problem trying to get back into the country after visiting Australia for a few months? I don't want my partner's PR to be messed up or anything...or have us look suspicious.

Anyone know of anyone else who has done this before?

Many thanks

Butch Cassidy

People land then leave for upto the allowed period all the time, are you candian citizen? If so he's merely accompanying you on business.

SarahBella

Yes, I'm a Canadian citizen, and thanks for the advice!!

oh, and I know I'm asking you about a million questions here, but what IS the allowed period of time? Thanks!!!

Judy in Calgary

Further to what Butch said, here are Residency Obligations for Permanent Residents. If you want to preserve your PR status after landing, you must be in Canada for two years out of any five year period.

Yes, I do know of people who have landed in Canada as PRs and then have taken off for some other place a week later. Several members of this forum have returned to the UK after landing in Canada so that they could wrap up their affairs in the UK (sell their UK houses and that sort of thing). I don't specifically know of anyone who has gone to Australia after landing as a PR in Canada. But Citizenship and Immigration Canada doesn't care WHERE you are while you're out of Canada.

It would be useful, though, to get your Canadian PR card before you ventured off to Australia.

Edited to add that if you are a Canadian citizen, time that your spouse spends outside of Canada with you counts as if it was time spent in Canada.

Butch Cassidy

Well since you are a Canadian Citizen

erm

let me think

Now what was it again

Oh yes thats right

FOREVER as long as he is with you.

louise033

As soon as we get our PR (just done meds so hopefully not too long now) we are heading off to New Zealand for 6 months. We have lots of friends & family to visit in NZ and Aus. There are no problems AFAIK with regards to re entering Canada.

SarahBella

Thanks for all that info!! Very helpful!

And we def. won't be out of Canada for more than 2 years! Maybe just 6 months or something.

Thanks Butch and Judy for the info! Very excited to be able to travel a bit more before finding somewhere back home to settle down

zmartin

I have friends who got their Canadian PR (lucky buggers! We're still waiting. ) and landed, I think, around August/September last year. They stayed for a few weeks and then moved out to Australia as she has a study visa there! So yes it is definitely possible.

HTH

Zoe M. xx