Sponsor child while PR card expiring soon

[STAG]

Hi,

We (myself, my wife and 3 yrs old son) are Australian citizens. Myself and my wife got permanent residency in Feb 2016. We visited Canada and then came back in a week's time. Then we never went there.

Now we are planning to move to Canada. I completely understand that since only 1 year is left for my PR card to expire (expiring in Feb 2021), I have to make the move asap. I also understand that since i will not be meeting the residency requirement by Feb 2021 to maintain my PR status, I will not be renewing my PR card atleast atleast by Feb 2022 otherwise my PR status can be reviewed.

My only question here is if i move canada now and sponsor my child in canada, would this event can trigger review of my PR status given i will be inside canada?

Your help will be really appreciated. Thanks

 

[Riley Haas]

Hi,
So, entering Canada could trigger a review of your PR Status. It depends upon how your interview at the port of entry goes. (Given that you are Australian, you likely have less to worry about than some.)

I have heard many times that people worry that sponsoring someone while you don't meet the residence requirement could throw your status in jeopardy but as far as I know it's not true. (Keep in mind, I'm just the forum admin and not a consultant or lawyer.) I believe it's the PR Card application which is the only time they would review your status. Now, they may become aware of your situation as a result of your sponsorship and you could be flagged for when you do renew. (This is theoretical on my part.) But as long as you meet the residency requirement when you apply for your PR Card you should have nothing to worry about (except a longer processing time.)

 

[STAG]

Thank you very much @Riley Haas .

So if we enter Canada before the expiration of our PR cards, it should not be a problem. Isn't it?
Once we enter Canada, we can sponsor our child.
The only issue here I see is that sponsorship processing takes ages and my son may run out of visa. Then one of us (either my wife or myself) will have to leave Canada with my son. And if his sponsorship (PR) visa is not processed by 10th Feb 2021 (which is the expiration date of our PR cards), then there can an issue on return for the parent who left with the son outside Canada.

@Riley Haas any suggestions on this situation please !

 

[Riley Haas]

Your PR Cards expire when the date of expiry ends (i.e. you can enter the country on the date of the expiry). However, sometimes during an interview at the Port of Entry, they discover information about your residency, which could affect applications in the future. (One somewhat common outcome: a PR Card is only issued for a year the next time. Just an example.)

Yes, once you enter Canada you can sponsor your child.

Once your child is in the country on a visitor visa and the sponsorship application is submitted, you do not have to worry. The child does not need to leave the country unless a negative decision is received on the application (which is pretty damn unlikely in your case).

 

[STAG]

Awesome ! So under what visa my son can stay inside canada with us once his ETA/Tourist visa expires while his sponsorship visa being processed?

@Riley Haas

 

[Riley Haas]

So he gets his ETA and enters Canada and that's it. There's nothing else he has to do. The key is, for his status to remain valid past six months, you must submit the sponsorship application which he still has his temporary visitor status (i.e. within 6 months, or however he is admitted for).