What will happen while I wait for a new PR card?
August 6, 2015 3:13 PM Subscribe
CanadaFilter: My PR expires next month and since I do not keep it on me at all times, I forgot about it. I've filled out all my paperwork, got my photos, etc., but what will happen to me in the meantime?
I live in a town with an accessible Liberal MP and my husband says I should take everything and bring it to his attention, this being an election year. Is this a good idea? Or springing for a courier the best option?
And when it expires in September, it is unlikely I will have my new card then. What will happen to me? Do I just stay here until it arrives? I mean, I have a job! (I have no out of country trips planned, but I do have a sick dad in the US whose condition my family keeps me informed of.)
I feel like the worst sort of slacker right now, so I could definitely use some help!
I live in a town with an accessible Liberal MP and my husband says I should take everything and bring it to his attention, this being an election year. Is this a good idea? Or springing for a courier the best option?
And when it expires in September, it is unlikely I will have my new card then. What will happen to me? Do I just stay here until it arrives? I mean, I have a job! (I have no out of country trips planned, but I do have a sick dad in the US whose condition my family keeps me informed of.)
I feel like the worst sort of slacker right now, so I could definitely use some help!
I think the main question has already been answered, but I'll mention that when my wife's PR card was expiring we looked at the waitlist for a new one vs. applying for citizenship, and applying for citizenship was about the same, so she did that instead. Current processing time for citizenship applications is shown as 12 months, vs PR card application processing time of 120 days, so this may not be the case anymore, but having citizenship also means you don't need to worry about how much time you spend out of the country (since you can lose PR if you're out of Canada too much, but not citizenship).
posted by Emanuel at 4:04 PM on August 6, 2015
posted by Emanuel at 4:04 PM on August 6, 2015
Yeah, Nevin has it. You only really need the PR card to come back to Canada from abroad. I don't think the wait times are 12 months though. My wife's wallet got lost/stolen and it had her PR card in it. She applied for a replacement and while it took a couple of months, it definitely wasn't a year.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:56 PM on August 6, 2015
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 4:56 PM on August 6, 2015
As long as you're not traveling, you're fine. I actually came back from the states the day my previous card expired and was expecting a mention at least (I had documentation the application had been sent etc) but the customs official didn't even blink.
Mine only took a couple of months (renewed this summer).
posted by betsybetsy at 5:27 PM on August 6, 2015
Mine only took a couple of months (renewed this summer).
posted by betsybetsy at 5:27 PM on August 6, 2015
I am actually currently in the situation where it is likely that my PR card will run out before my card is renewed because processing times are horrendous at the moment. I work for a university and when I called them in a panic because it expires the day before classes start, they said it was not a problem unless I needed to travel - nothing changes except you're stuck in the country until your card arrives. (There is a procedure if something comes up and you have a legitimate reason why you need the card processed faster, such as a family emergency overseas. But it has to be a pretty rock solid case.) so no need to panic, unless you need to travel. (Processing times were about 3 months last time I checked. But they seem to vary a lot from week to week.)
A reminder: you will need to also go to the social insurance office and get a new SIN once the card arrived.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 6:37 PM on August 6, 2015
A reminder: you will need to also go to the social insurance office and get a new SIN once the card arrived.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 6:37 PM on August 6, 2015
Is it PR status that is expiring or the PR card? Your PR card can expire and it won't affect your status as a Permanent Resident. A Permanent Resident isn't even required to have a PR card. So like others have said, if you're not traveling and your PR status is not expired than there is no problem at all.
Another thing- most or all MP offices have people that deal with immigration issues. It's not big deal to contact them and explain your situation and see if they can help. They probably have a full time person working solely on immigration stuff.
posted by beau jackson at 6:50 PM on August 6, 2015
Another thing- most or all MP offices have people that deal with immigration issues. It's not big deal to contact them and explain your situation and see if they can help. They probably have a full time person working solely on immigration stuff.
posted by beau jackson at 6:50 PM on August 6, 2015
Yeah, just to reiterate, your status doesn't expire, it's just the card that needs to be renewed!
posted by betsybetsy at 7:06 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by betsybetsy at 7:06 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
A reminder: you will need to also go to the social insurance office and get a new SIN once the card arrived.
posted by lesbiassparrow at 9:37 PM on August 6 [+] [!]
Why would she need a new SIN? She's still a PR, just getting a new card.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:48 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by lesbiassparrow at 9:37 PM on August 6 [+] [!]
Why would she need a new SIN? She's still a PR, just getting a new card.
posted by any portmanteau in a storm at 9:48 PM on August 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
And in fact there are avenues you can take if you end up needing urgent processing: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/pr-card/apply-urgent-processing.asp (sorry the link tagging button isn't working for me)
You are in Canada and you:
•have not applied and need urgent processing
•applied using the normal process and now need urgent processing
•will not get your card before you leave Canada
You are outside Canada and you:
•do not have your permanent resident card or it has expired
It's even possible to leave the country without a valid PR card. If you're travelling by private vehicle (ex. driving across the border in your car) you don't need your PR card. I know people who even gamble with flying without a valid PR card. It's really just the airlines (or other commercial carriers) that are supposed to ask to see the PR card, and some airlines are extremely lax. Once you get to the customs and immigration officer, they can use your Confirmation of PR document to look up your status.
Given there are options for expediting processing, and that you don't actually have an urgent reason to travel, I don't think this is the kind of thing to take to your MP.
posted by keep it under cover at 9:48 PM on August 6, 2015
You are in Canada and you:
•have not applied and need urgent processing
•applied using the normal process and now need urgent processing
•will not get your card before you leave Canada
You are outside Canada and you:
•do not have your permanent resident card or it has expired
It's even possible to leave the country without a valid PR card. If you're travelling by private vehicle (ex. driving across the border in your car) you don't need your PR card. I know people who even gamble with flying without a valid PR card. It's really just the airlines (or other commercial carriers) that are supposed to ask to see the PR card, and some airlines are extremely lax. Once you get to the customs and immigration officer, they can use your Confirmation of PR document to look up your status.
Given there are options for expediting processing, and that you don't actually have an urgent reason to travel, I don't think this is the kind of thing to take to your MP.
posted by keep it under cover at 9:48 PM on August 6, 2015
Why would she need a new SIN? She's still a PR, just getting a new card.
Because SINs given to PRs expire (at least they do now; though they may not always have). Actually, last time I went into the office to switch mine over when I became a PR, the person said that they were doing that more and more for everyone to stop identity theft issues. Also, it's what the person employed at the university to handle these situations told me, so I plan to go with their advice, even if it's out of an abundance of caution
posted by lesbiassparrow at 2:51 PM on August 9, 2015
Because SINs given to PRs expire (at least they do now; though they may not always have). Actually, last time I went into the office to switch mine over when I became a PR, the person said that they were doing that more and more for everyone to stop identity theft issues. Also, it's what the person employed at the university to handle these situations told me, so I plan to go with their advice, even if it's out of an abundance of caution
posted by lesbiassparrow at 2:51 PM on August 9, 2015
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So what happens when your permanent resident card expires? Nothing. The expiration of the card does not mean expiration of your status. Rather, it unjust means that the card is no longer valid evidence of your permanent resident status. Just like an expired Canadian passport doesn’t mean you lose your citizenship, an expired permanent resident card does not mean you aren’t a permanent resident.
I think the only implication here is that you're going to have a hard time returning to Canada from overseas without a PR card.
So I would bank on staying in Canada for the next 12 months, since there are apparently horrendously long wait times for PR cards these days.
posted by Nevin at 3:26 PM on August 6, 2015