Canadian PRs who live/work in US: Post your PR Card experience here

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CyrusD

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Canadian PRs who live/work in US: Post your PR Card experience/questions here

There is a whole subset of the immigrant community in North America that are Canadian PRs, but live and work in the U.S. Now the new challenge facing us is successfully applying for the new Canadian PR Card.

Let's share ideas and experiences to help each other out. In addition to any questions or information you care to post, please mention the following:

* When did you become a Canadian PR?

* How long have you been outside Canada?

If you are in the planning stage:

* What is your action plan?

If you have already applied:

* IMPORTANT: What was your re-entry experience? What kind of questioning did you face at the port of entry?

* Any other details you care to share with us.

Any input will be appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
 
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I landed in November 2001 and after spending a week there I returned to U.S and I have been here since then. I am thinking of applying for the PR Card but I havn't figure out the plan yet. I would probably go to Canada for a week and apply there in person and then come back.
 
thank you, Gumby...

for your post. Were you planning to fly or drive there?

do you know of anyone in a similar situation as yours who travelled to Canada? If so, what kind of questioning did they face at the port of entry?
 
PR card canada

I landed in aug 2000. Have been there just once after that in Dec 2000. Planning to go again for a week to apply for PR card(before Dec 2002) They need a photo ID ..i guess apart from the PP...I m not sure. Will get the driving license of canada in exchange for US driving lic.
But I am confused as what to fill in thePR form ..in the employment section since i have been working in USA. Any reply will be greatly appreciated.
 
Let the ball rolling

Its a very good topic, folks who live both US and Canada, Please contribute to this topic. Lot of folks on H1B's in USA, either got laid off or no work and was not able to go back to India, simply to save their faces back at home. Some even became Cab drivers in big cities like New York, LA and Chicago. The great uncertainity and laborious immigration processes in US forcing many H1B folks to take shelter at Canada. Canada always played such an ideal role in this region with recogniging the ideal talented pool not able to survive in USA. Even in Slavery days, blacks used to run away from souhtern states to Canada for freedom, used to be called underground train route some thing like that. Anyway, oneday things will change for good. Even in US also h1 guys wont be exploited under employer based green card system. I have a dream one day every one will be recognised by their talent and qualifications not by nationality and employer quotas. I have a dream one day every h1 guy gets his GC in 6months not by mercy of the bureaucrats. Just trying to bring some humor. Please contribute your experiences to your fellow immigrants.
Thank you
 
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To add to wallst_wizz list:

1) Indians (native, not us) also used to escape to Canada when persecuted by the US army. They used to call Canada "Grandmothers's land", Grandmother being Queen victoria.

2) Many Draft dodgers in the late 60s (anti - vietnam) came to Canada.

:)
 
put US employment history in PR application form?

I have the same concerns as Nirmala2002 pointed out. Theoretically, one who is working in the US can put his/her US employment history and US mailing address to the Canadian PR application form without problem, since he/she can be outside Canada for upto 3 years in the past 5 years. However, I feel that one may have problem in the future because Canadian CIC will put his/her data (US employer) into their computer system permanently...
 
got written proof from Minister's office !!

Guys!!
I had written an email to the Immigration Minister, Mr Dennis Codere, over 3 months ago asking about the retroactivity of the new law.

Guess waht, I got a letter from the Minister's office saying tha each time a PR presents himself at the border the officer on dury will look at the past 5 yrs of the PR and determnie if he has spent over 730 days out of Canada. Now for those of us who have landed less than 3 yrs ago..this means we can get back in! with no problems
 
posts by tt tt and mgyuan confirm what my take on the same situation was: for instance, if nirmala2002 is entering Canada within 3 years of her landing date, then she should have no problems at all, even if she was in Canada for only one hour previously since she landed.

of course, the Canadian authorities will know of this history, and then maintaining the status subsequent to that would be the real challenge. What are your opinions on that?

tt tt - is the letter you received a general form letter, or is it specifically addressed to you? in case it is not addressed to you, then would you consider scanning it and uploading it to this site for others to print out and use at the border if in case some over-zealous CIC border officer is ignorant/uncooperative?
 
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I have the same concerns as Nirmala2002 pointed out. Theoretically, one who is working in the US can put his/her US employment history
** Yes one can write his/her US work history, no problem with this

and US mailing address to the Canadian PR application form without problem,
*** NO, NO, you have to apply the PR card in CANADA, your photograph shold be taken in Canada and stamped with date and where it was taken,name of shop or studio, you have to get your papers Notrized from Notary in Canada, you have to recieve your PR Card form in Canada, you have to mail it from Canada and will ONLY recive your PR card IN Canada
They are not going to post it to US address, read the compleate PR Card Instructions posted earler on this thread about one month back.

since he/she can be outside Canada for upto 3 years in the past 5 years. However, I feel that one may have problem in the future because Canadian CIC will put his/her data (US employer) into their computer system permanently

** They are not concerned about your Employer data if you are/were working in US or Jhumri Taliya, it is immigration matter and they only put your Landing date and search for your info if you have NOT been away from Canada more than 3 years.
 
It was addressed to me...

and specifically targets my case....I had listed my landing paper number and my address in Vancouver. Try sending a letter to the email listed on the cic web site, , you might get a letter back your self.

I agree with Avataar...you HAVE to apply for PR card from within Canada.
 
consusion: working in US but having mailing address in Canada?

Avtaar & tt tt:

Thank you for your reply. However, I still have questions about the PR form. Per the instruction, I do understand that one has to apply the PR from inside Canada including taking photograph and so on. My confusion is that
Factor (1) - in the employment history section, one like me or us will have to put employer name, address, and from 20XX to present (since I am still working in the US).
Factor (2) - one will put an address somewhere in Canada as permanent address (in my case, it will be Vacouver since I landed in Vancouver in 1999, or maybe Ottawa since I have a relative there).
Question: based on the above two factors, I feel I may need to put my current address in the US as a mailing address. Otherwise, it seems that I am working in the US but living in Canada. This will make the immigration office who will review my PR application to think I am lying.
 
How about Canadian Taxes

For those of you who have stayed in the US with the Canadian PR for more than a year, have you paid taxes to Canada? Do you have to? Would you be considered of having violated the tax laws of Canada?

Any feedback is appreciated....


Reply to mgyuan.....
There are a number of people who live in Canada and commute across the border to US to work (most popular I have heard is Windsor to Detroit). So having a Canadian mailing address and a US employer does not necessarily complicate things unless you say you live in Ottawa and work in Buffalo (New York) :)
 
my take on the address issue

Under the new law (C-11), you could have been outside of Canada for upto three years and still remain in status.

Under the spirit of this new law, if you have lived in the U.S. for less than three years, and now you are entering Canada to apply for a PR card, you are also demonstrating (even if unwittingly) that you have now returned to take up actual residence in Canada.

Therefore, your residential address upto the point in time you apply for the PR card could have been in Timbuktu. But now, and from this point on, your residential address must be in Canada.

Of course, after getting your PR card, there is nothing preventing you from returning to Timbuktu (or the U.S.). If you have less then than 3 years of foreign residence accrued, then you still have the balance of those 3 years to live outside Canada before losing your status again.

Come to think of it, this is not too much different from earlier: the main difference is that earlier, the horizon was 6 months, now it is 3 years. By applying for the PR card, you will have reported to the Canadian gov't how much of the 3 years grace you have used up.

The advantage is, this law gives a break to those of us who were out of status under the earlier law (and had to lie to get back in) by allowing us to return legally. But maintaining that PR status while not actually living in Canada beyond three years will still be the same - or greater - challenge as before with the 6-month horizon.

dimple2001's question on paying Canadian taxes is a good and relevant one. Any takers?
 
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thanx for ur replies

But again my doubt is about the employment history.
I have paid taxes to canada as self employed with minimal earnings. So what should i fill in that section...? same as self employed..or as currently not working..just self studying???
Another thing is about the drivng ID. Did anyone get a drivng lic from canada in exchange for US driving lic?
And how about travel from USA to Canada..Is it safe to go by bus??
I did get the application for canadian PR. They sent it by mail to my canadian residence. You can also get the forms online.
Pls post ur replies. Thank you all again.
 
Beware, we may need to make two trips!

All,

If you read the detailed instructions for the PR card, you will see that it requires us to pickup the card in person (they are not gonna mail it). They say that 'your PR card will be delvd. to you from your nearest CIC location'.

Did anybody receive it in mail? Or we must make two trips to Canada (one for applying and one to pick it up)

logicators
 
PR card in person

Yes, one has to go to the CIC office to pick up the PR card. When you do, would they ask for an ID to prove who you are? If they do,, would they specifically request to see the drivers license - a canadian drivers license?
 
I landed in Aug'02. I stayed there a few days and came back to US. A few days ago my relative in Canada told me that I received a letter from the consulate in Canada that I had to appear in person to get the PR card as the photos didn't match the size reqmt. I had to reschedule the appt to a later date since the dates had already elapsed. The actual problem is that my IMM doc. is not valid for travel, I now have to get a oneway visa to go to canada and get my card.
Is there anyway by which I could travel without that? I've heard that I can travel in a rental car from buffalo to canada but is that legal?
Please advise.
Thanks,
 
I have travelled from Buffalo to Canada in 2000, when I used to come here for a job interview. and went back easily to US. But things have changed. Thats all I can say for now.
 
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