No renewed PR Card yet, but can I return with a British Passport as a Visitor

Office

New Member
Hi, I was originally granted PR card with my family (First Child and Husband) in December 2013. I gave birth to my second child (who has a Canadian Passport) in Canada in January 2014. We left to UK in March 2014 as new born was always crying and we felt we needed a change of environment. We ended up staying in UK as new born was feeling more settled for the next 4 years and returned in October 2018. During our stay in the UK we also received UK Passports.

I gave birth to my third child in November 2019 (who also has a Canadian Passport now). We applied for PR card renewal (which has Feb 2019 as expiry date) in January 2019 stating that we followed second child who was always crying out of the country (a criteria that does not require one to meet residency requirement since we followed a Canadian citizen out of the country). After almost 4 months now (May 2019), we are yet to receive our renewed PR card. When we checked online for an update, it just says it is still undergoing processing. Maybe it takes long to process, I am not certain about this delay.

Now, I and my third child are scheduled to travel to UK this month for an urgent trip. The question is can I return to Canada after a few weeks by air using my UK Passport (since no visa is required but eTA is needed for UK citizens) as I have not received my renewed PR Card yet?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
No, you will need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document in London. The processing time usually takes 2-3 weeks for the PRTD.

This processing delay likely means they are looking at application more closely.
 

Office

New Member
No, you will need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document in London. The processing time usually takes 2-3 weeks for the PRTD.

This processing delay likely means they are looking at application more closely.
Thanks Riley. But is there a likely chance that I will definitely be granted the PRTD in London? What documents do I need to make this application?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
You need the same information you needed to complete the PR Card application.

The PRTD is granted to those who have PR Status. The only reason it wouldn't be granted is if you didn't meet the residence requirement or somehow otherwise didn't qualify.
 

Office

New Member
You need the same information you needed to complete the PR Card application.

The PRTD is granted to those who have PR Status. The only reason it wouldn't be granted is if you didn't meet the residence requirement or somehow otherwise didn't qualify.
Okay. Thanks. Yes I have PR status. I have applied for my PR Card to be renewed but I did not do so through the root of residency requirements since I was absent for period of time while following a Canadian Citizen to temporary leave the country. I think they will grant the PRTD. But from your experience are there any other alternatives that you can think off if I wanted to use my UK Passport to get back in?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
The other other alternative is to fly to the US when you return, instead of Canada, and travel to Canada by car. There you can use your COPR to enter.
 

Office

New Member
The other other alternative is to fly to the US when you return, instead of Canada, and travel to Canada by car. There you can use your COPR to enter.
Oh wow. What a great idea. Do you know which city in the US? And roughly what is the cost of a bus fair to get back in? Thanks a lot.
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
It doesn't matter what city. You just want to pick one close to you.

It cannot be bus, or train, or ferry. (Or plane of course, unless it's private.) It has to be by car. This is because your PR Card is intended for commercial travel. If you want to re-enter Canada without it, you have to come by private (non-commercial) vehicle, normally a car. So you want to fly to a city close to where you live and get picked up by a relative or friend.
 

Office

New Member
It doesn't matter what city. You just want to pick one close to you.

It cannot be bus, or train, or ferry. (Or plane of course, unless it's private.) It has to be by car. This is because your PR Card is intended for commercial travel. If you want to re-enter Canada without it, you have to come by private (non-commercial) vehicle, normally a car. So you want to fly to a city close to where you live and get picked up by a relative or friend.
Thanks for the info Riley.
Can my husband use his COPR or Record of Landing Papers (presumably they mean the same thing) to drive through the US border into Detroit to pick us up and drive through back into Canada at Windsor near Toronto using same Record of Landing Papers? Are these Landing documents acceptable to both US border authorities for entry into the US and Canadian border authorities for re-entry back into Canada in a private rental car?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
So the COPR is the new form of the Record of Landing. It is acceptable as proof of status for entry by private vehicle into Canada. You will also need your passports.

Entering the US is a different story: you will both need ESTAs if you are UK citizens (if you don't have them already).
 

Office

New Member
So the COPR is the new form of the Record of Landing. It is acceptable as proof of status for entry by private vehicle into Canada. You will also need your passports.

Entering the US is a different story: you will both need ESTAs if you are UK citizens (if you don't have them already).
Thanks.
What we have are the Record of Landing Papers issued to us in 2013 (not the COPR). Are these Record of Landing Papers also acceptable?
For the entry into the US, we will go and apply online for ESTAs.
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
Yes, you can have it sent to you. However, there is the risk that it gets lost so definitely get your spouse (or whomever) to pay for a courier with tracking, rather than just mail.
 

Office

New Member
Yes, you can have it sent to you. However, there is the risk that it gets lost so definitely get your spouse (or whomever) to pay for a courier with tracking, rather than just mail.
Ok. Thanks. But do you have a phone number or contact details of CIC so I can contact them for urgent release of my renewed PR card. It has been 5 months since I applied for renewal? The company I work for may be sending me to the US for training. I need my PR Card to be able re-enter through the airport.

Please kindly assist.
 

Office

New Member
IRCC's phone number is 1-888-242-2100.
Hi Riley. Thanks. I just wanted to give you feedback on my call to the IRCC asking them why there has been so much delay on PR Card Renewal application (Application for renewal was made in January 2019). They told me it is because I moved provinces and changed address, hence they have to transfer hard copies of files to new province and re-assign the task to another case worker. They said it will be up to 6 to 9 months time before I get feedback from them. Have you ever seen these types of delays in your own experience and what does it imply?
 

Riley Haas

Administrator
Staff member
Location
Toronto
I have not personally heard of that before, but I am just the webmaster.

It sounds fairly routine to me. My guess is the staff at the office is more familiar with the local information. For example the school records - maybe the office in one province is not familiar with the records in another province.
 

Office

New Member
I have not personally heard of that before, but I am just the webmaster.

It sounds fairly routine to me. My guess is the staff at the office is more familiar with the local information. For example the school records - maybe the office in one province is not familiar with the records in another province.
Ok. Guess we have to wait till we get that positive response. Will keep everyone posted. Thanks Riley. You are always fast to response. Always insightful and explanatory to every question. Thank you so much.
 
Top