crossing over to Canada by land with an expired PR card.note

Source: /Volumes/X9 Pro/ObsNotes/YoudaoYunNotes/CAN/crossing over to Canada by land with an expired PR card.note.pdf Converted: 2025-12-10 12:17:06

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crossing over to Canada by land with an expired PR card

If you are a PR of Canada, you need to show your PR card if using a commercial mode of transport. If you

are driving across the border from US in your own car or a rented car, you do not have to show your PR

card..but they will still need to see a student visa, work visa, business visa or the COPR, IM5292 attached to

your passport if you claim to be PR.

Are you visa exempt to enter Canada, if yes, you can arrive with your landing papers and expired PR card

and see what they say. If they ask you if you meet the residency requirements and you say no, you get to

enter Canada but they could decide to report you for not meeting them in which case you would have to

appeal to keep your PR within 30 days. If they don't report you, you can enter Canada, stay for a full 2

years without leaving, apply for a new PR card and you are good.

If you are not visa exempt, you need to apply for a travel document. At that point, the embassy will decide

if you keep your PR or not. If not, you have the option of applying for a work permit.

Frequently Asked Questions on Permanent Residents outside Canada

1. Who is considered as a permanent resident (PR) of Canada?

A PR is a person who has entered Canada on an immigrant visa. You are considered a PR on the date you

first arrived in Canada as an immigrant. To be considered as a PR, you must have met the residency

requirements under section 28 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

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1. Can I travel to Canada with an expired Permanent Resident (PR) card?

No, you cannot travel to Canada with an expired PR Card. If your PR card is no longer valid and you wish to

travel to Canada, you must apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) at the Canadian Visa

Office responsible for your country of citizenship or the country in which you have been legally admitted. If it

has been determined that you meet the residency obligations, you will be provided with the travel document

that will facilitate your entry to Canada.

If you have been lawfully admitted to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Yemen as

visitor or as a resident, you may apply for a PRTD in our office.

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1. Can I travel to Canada with a photocopy of my Permanent Resident (PR) Card?

http://www.canadainternational.gc.ca/uae-eau/visas/faq.aspx

No, you cannot travel to Canada with a photocopy of your PR card. You must have your original PR Card with

you. If you are not in possession of your original PR Card, you must apply for a Permanent Resident Travel

Document (PRTD) at the Canadian Visa Office responsible for determining whether or not your meet the

residency obligations required in order to maintain your PR status. If it has been determined that you meet

the residency obligations, you will be provided with the travel document that will facilitate your entry to

Canada.

If you have been lawfully admitted to the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and Yemen as

visitor or as a resident, you may apply for a PRTD in our office.

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1. Can I re-enter Canada using a Record of Landing (IMM 1000)/Confirmation of Permanent Residence

(COPR-IMM 5292)/Returning Resident Permit?

No, you cannot re-enter Canada using a Record of Landing (IMM 1000), Confirmation of Permanent

Residence (COPR-IMM 5292) and a Returning Resident Permit. These documents are not valid for travel back

to Canada. You require a valid PR card or a valid permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to re-enter

Canada by train, plane, boat or bus.

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1. How do I calculate the number of days I was present in Canada?

Please read our Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) Application Guide.

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1. I have been a permanent resident (PR) for less than five years. How will my five-year period be

calculated?

If it has been less than five years since you became a permanent resident of Canada, the five-year period

will be calculated from the date of your landing, and the officer will consider whether it is possible that you

could accumulate 730 days before the end of that five-year period.

For example, if you became a PR on 01 June 2003, spent sixty days in Canada, and wish to return to Canada

on 01 February 2004, you will meet the residency criterion: your five-year period ends on 31 May 2008. You

have already accumulated 60 days in Canada, and between 01 February 2004 and 31 May 2008, you will be

able to accumulate the 670 days you require. On the other hand, if you became a PR on 01 June 2000, spent

30 days in Canada, and now wish to return, you will not meet the criterion: you still require 700 days, and it

is not possible for you to acquire these in the time remaining before your five-year period expires on 31 May

2005.

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1. How do I keep my Permanent Resident (PR) status?

To keep your status as a permanent resident, you must have been physically present in Canada for a

minimum of 730 days (not necessarily consecutive days) within the five years following the date on which

you were granted permanent resident status. In some cases, you may accumulate residency days while

outside Canada. For further information, please visit the Citizenship and Immigration Canada website at

.

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1. I do not meet the residency requirements but I have a valid Permanent Resident (PR) Card. Will I be able

to enter Canada and resume my PR status?

Yes, you may enter Canada with your valid PR Card. However, the port of entry (POE) officer is authorized to

examine you for compliance with residency obligations and initiate enforcement action should it be deemed

appropriate. An assessment of whether or not you meet the residency requirements will also be made when

you apply for a PR Card renewal. If you do not meet the requirements, you may be asked to leave Canada.

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1. How do I submit my application?

Please visit the “How to submit” page for more information regarding how to submit an application for a

PRTD.

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1. Do I need someone to help me prepare my Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) Application?

You may prepare and submit your application yourself, or you may ask for help from family members,

friends, non-governmental and religious organizations or others free of charge. You may also choose to hire

an authorized representative. An authorized representative must be either: immigration consultant who is a

member of the Canadian Society of Immigration Consultants; lawyer who is a member of a Canadian law

society; or notary who is a member of the Chambre des notaires du Québec.

All applicants are treated equally, regardless of whether you prepared the documents yourself or through a

third party.

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w.cic.gc.ca

You, as the applicant, are responsible for all information submitted. Please be sure to review all the

information on your application form and ensure that all questions are answered truthfully before signing

and dating the forms.

Please note that all persons who assist in the preparation of Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD)

applications must be identified in the questionnaire. If you are authorizing the release of your file information

to an authorized representative, the person must be identified on form IMM 5476B.

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1. When should I apply?

You should submit your application not more than one (1) month before the date of your proposed trip. A

Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) issued in Abu Dhabi is valid 30 days. It cannot be extended

and cannot be used for multiple entries. To see our processing times for PRTDs, please visit the Average

Processing Times page.

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1. What happens if I do not meet the residency requirements?

You will receive a refusal letter explaining the reason(s) for refusal and the procedures for appeal. If you do

not appeal the decision within 60 days, you will no longer be a PR of Canada.

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1. I got my Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD). What happens next?

Once in Canada, you should apply for a permanent resident (PR) card. Unlike the travel document, the PR

card allows you to enter Canada multiple times without having to apply for a travel document each time. The

application kit Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (IMM 5445) is available on or, if you

are in Canada, you can call the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Call Centre at 1-888-242-2100

(toll-free).

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1. How long is my Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) valid for?

A PRTD is valid for 30 days from the date of its issuance. It cannot be extended nor can it be used for

multiple entry to Canada. You must arrive in Canada on or before the expiry period which is read

“DAY/MONTH/YEAR” (DD/MM/YYYY).

www.cic.gc.ca

For example, the expiry date on your travel document is 02/05/2008. You MUST enter Canada on or before

May 2, 2008.

If your PRTD was not used within the validity period and you still would like to travel to Canada, you must

submit a new application for a PRTD and a new assessment will be done by the Visa Officer.

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1. I am travelling to Canada for an appeal hearing what documents must I provide?

In order for our office to issue you a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) to allow you to attend

your appeal hearing, you must submit the following documents to the Immigration Section of the Canadian

Embassy in Abu Dhabi:

A copy of the Immigration Appeal Division's (IAD) letter indicating that you are requested to appear in

person in Canada to attend an appeal hearing; and

Your valid passport.

Please note: You do not need to submit a new PRTD application and do not need to pay additional processing

fees.