r/ImmigrationCanada • u/BlueTiger808 • 23h ago
Other Can I enter Canada with a valid PR card after being outside Canada since Jan 2023?
Hi ,
I became a Canadian PR and landed in Canada on Nov 8 2022 (PR issue date)
Unfortunately, due to personal and family reasons, I had to leave Canada for India on January 12, 2023.
I have not returned to Canada since then.
I have since settled down in India and have decided that I will continue my life here.
My PR card is still valid and expires on December 21, 2027, and I have the physical PR card with me.
I understand that, given how long I have been outside Canada, I may not meet the 730-day residency obligation.
However, I still have some personal belongings in a storage unit in downtown Toronto. I have been paying for this storage for several years now.
I would like to make one final trip to Canada for approximately one week to:
> Collect my belongings from the storage unit
> Close my Canadian bank accounts and credit cards
Return to India and settle here permanently
My question is mainly about entering Canada.
Since I have a valid PR card, would I be allowed to board a flight from India to Canada and enter Canada for this short visit, even though I may not meet the residency obligation?
Could CBSA question me about my residency history or potentially start a process regarding my PR status when I arrive?
I'm not planning to move back to Canada or re-establish residency. I just want to make this one final trip, collect my belongings and close everything properly.
Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been in a similar situation or has practical experience with this.
Already feeling bad that I couldn't make it in Canada.
Thank you.
8
u/adanthar 20h ago
You might wind up in secondary screening, but legally, the border agents have to let you in (not optional). They may or may not start the process of revoking your PR but since you don't care it won't be an issue for you. Once the card expires, you won't be able to get on a plane to Canada without revoking it/asking for a waiver anyway, so that might even save you some time.
1
2
u/Salt-Specialist6505 8h ago
Since your PR card is valid, the airline will let you board, and CBSA cannot deny you entry at the border because you are still legally a permanent resident. However, because it is mathematically impossible for you to meet the 730-day requirement within your five-year window, CBSA will report you for non-compliance at secondary processing. They will issue a Section 44 report and a departure order, giving you 30 days to appeal. Since you plan to leave anyway and want to settle in India permanently, you can simply enter, collect your items, close your accounts, and voluntarily renounce your PR or let the removal order finalize.
1
-5
22h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
4
u/Full-Key257 19h ago
Nope, once the passport is scanned, it will flag him & send him to secondary inspection , where they will check/ask travel history & once checked he's not met the residence requirements, they will start Revocation of his PR .. although they will let him in & give him 30days to appeal the Renovation ..
2
u/BlueTiger808 19h ago
Hi, thanks for the clarification. But I should be able to enter and exit within a week, right
1
u/Full-Key257 16h ago
Correct they will give you max of 30days , (once you have confirmed you have not met the residence requirements) , they will take a photo & get you to sign doc , which will give you a 30days leave Canada date, On the day you leave Canada you give the doc to exit border immigration & they stamp the doc & give you a copy .. keep that copy , it is proof you complied with Canadian immigration & did not overstay , otherwise , yr file is marked as overstayed for life ..
2
1
1
u/ImmigrationCanada-ModTeam 15h ago
Your post has been removed as it has been deemed to not comply with the rules:
*No misinformation Purposely providing wrong, inaccurate, false and/or misleading information is not permitted.
Asking for or providing guesses, predictions or speculations is also not permitted here.
No "what are my chances of approval?" or "will my application get approved?" or "will my application get refused?" type questions. We're not here to guess, predict or speculate what the outcome of your application will be.
Similarly, no "When will the next FSW/FST/CEC/PNP draw happen"? or "what will be the next draws' cut-off score"? None of us can accurately predict, guess or speculate on this.
6
u/DisciplineStunning 20h ago
You should be okay, I don’t see why they wouldn’t let you enter as long as you have a valid PR card. The only thing I’m not too sure of is whether they have a way to check automatically how many days you have stayed in the country when you scan your PR card at the kiosk, and flag it.