Cannot maintain RO due to Covid-19 travel ban

[eagerbeaver!]

Goodday,

I am a PR of Canada and currently in possession of a PR travel card expiring in March 2022. Based on my personal records I will need to be in Canada by the middle of June 2020 in order to accumulate sufficient residency days to renew my PR travel card in 2022. I am currently living abroad for work.

The country I am in has closed its borders to combat Covid-19 since March this year. I am concerned that the travel ban and scarcity of affordable flights will affect my ability to travel back to Canada and serve my time in order to maintain my residency. As a PR holder I am not prevented from entering Canada. My initial plan was to travel to Canada in April this year, which would have allowed me to serve my residency requirement with weeks to spare in the event I need to travel outside Canada for personal reasons before renewal is due in 2022.

I do not want to run the risk of losing my residency in Canada but I am afraid I cant travel until the travel ban is lifted where I am. I am also concerned that I have lost any 'spare days' that would have allowed me some travel leeway before the PR card expires in 2022. What are my options?

Thank you for your time and stay safe everyone.

 

[Riley Haas]

Hi,
I don't know if there will be any measures put in place for people in your situation. I know measures have been put in place for people whose temporary resident status would normally expire while in Canada, but PRs living outside of Canada is a very different situation, as you can imagine.

All I can say is get back to Canada as soon as you can (unless you are living with a Canadian citizen overseas, and then you have nothing to worry about). I know that's not much of an answer, but I don't really foresee the political will to help out people in your situation. You are supposed to be a "permanent resident" of Canada, after all.

 

[cagan1984]

Hello there! I am on the same boat as you. Me and my wife have landed and obtained our PR cards in 2018. However due to our job situation we had to return to the US where we are working on a visa. In the meantime we were searching for jobs however no luck as of yet. Also right now Covid has hit the economies of all countries. Therefore we need to enter Canada in June 2021 latest to full-fill RO. Given that we want to also lock down a job before moving there which seems impossible with the given situation. Not sure if we can contact CIC or write them an email about our situation and ask for some extension on this requirement. I know that we are a permanent resident there are unforeseen circumstances a force major situation that is effecting the world.

 

[Riley Haas]

I think you might be putting the cart before the horse here. You need to come back (which you can do right now, because you have PR) and then find jobs. I know that's not ideal but IRCC isn't going to give you leeway on this unless you are working for the Canadian government (or a province) abroad, or working for certain Canadian companies and traveling due to work. I have a hard time imagining there would be some kind of amnesty for permanent residents who haven't found jobs in Canada and so are not working in Canada.

Sorry for the bad news.

 

[mikhn]

What impact will they have if they move in the last year of residency validity ? How will it impact PR extension and Citizenship application as they are already in Canada? (I'm in same situation btw) @Riley Haas

 

[Riley Haas]

Any leeway on the residence requirement for citizenship would apply only to those stuck abroad because of the pandemic, I presume. (I don't know this for a fact, that it seems the most reasonable policy given the circumstances). So if you will not qualify for citizenship because you were travelling abroad in March and got stuck and couldn't travel back here for months because you weren't allowed to leave wherever you are, I can see a potential policy allowing you to apply early. (Similarly, with the PR residence requirement, if you would have met it but got stuck abroad, I can foresee some degree of grace period.)

But if you were already living overseas, I can't imagine there will be any flexibility.

Does that answer your question?