Help Returning to Canada

[lmartens]

In 1981 my family immigrated to Canada and in 1983 my mother and I returned and my parents divorced.

In 2001 I came back to Canada, able to use the papers that were issued to me in 1981.

Then came the PR CARD.

My mom is now wanting to come back to Canada to live with us. she has only been here for visits.

In June she was denied a flight as she did not have an ETA. when we looked into it they refused her because she has a permanent status from 1981.

we are stuck as to no how to move forward with this.

Does she renounce the permanent residency and then I can sponsor her or is there another way.

Please help!

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your mother’s situation and question with us.

We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation.

In terms of the process when re-entering Canada and whether or not someone is still considered a Canadian Permanent Resident, each time a permanent resident enters Canada, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada may calculate 5 years back from the date they have entered or re-entered Canada to see if they have fulfilled their residency obligation.

You can find information on the process that is followed when entering Canada in this Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ENF 23 - Loss of Permanent Resident Status manual.

Here is an excerpt from the manual on what happens at the port of entry here:

"7.8 Examining Permanent Residents at a POE (Port of Entry)

When a permanent resident appears at a POE for examination, the officer must confirm that the person is a permanent resident. Officers must remain cognizant of the fact the Act gives permanent residents of Canada the right to enter Canada at a port of entry once it is established that a person is a Permanent Resident, regardless of non-compliance with the residency obligation in A28 or the presence of other grounds of inadmissability.

Port of entry officers (POE) can refuse entry to a Permanent Resident only when the person has already lost the status in accordance with the provisions of A46 (such as when a final determination has been made that they have failed to comply with the residency obligations or when a removal order comes into force).

In other words, once a permanent resident’s status is established, the person may enter Canada by right and the immigration examination under IRPA concludes.

If an officer has concerns that a permanent resident has not complied with the residency obligation of A28, the officer should advise the permanent resident when the examination is concluded that they are authorized to enter Canada; however, the permanent resident may wish to answer additional questions so the officer may determine whether their concerns are well founded or not.

In cases where:

• permanent resident status is established;
• the permanent resident refuses to provide any further information and enters Canada;
  and
• the officer believes, on a balance of probabilities that the person is in non-compliance with the residency obligation, officers may report the person, pursuant to A44(1). if there is sufficient evidence to support an inadmissibility allegation. In the absence of sufficient evidence to support the writing of an inadmissibility report, officers may enter any available information into FOSS (date of entry, last country of embarkation, current address in Canada etc.).

and

If an officer has concerns that a permanent resident has not complied with the residency obligation of A28, the officer should advise the permanent resident when the examination is concluded that they are authorized to enter Canada; however, the permanent resident may wish to answer additional questions so the officer may determine whether their concerns are well founded or not.

It is important to note that in terms of loss of permanent residency, a person does not lose it until a final determination has been made.

According to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) ENF 23 - Loss of Permanent Resident Status manual,

It is important to note that a permanent resident does not lose their status under A46(1)(b) until there is a final determination of the decision made outside Canada that they have failed to comply with the residency obligation under A28.

Permanent residents are not finally determined to have lost their permanent resident status until the right of appeal has been exhausted.

Additionally, we have previously received some information from one of our legal researchers related to entering Canada and being in Canada after not meeting the residency requirements.

According to their research, the five-year time frame set out in the Refugee and Immigrant Protection Act is not static. Rather it is a moveable window that is dependent on the time at which a visa officer examines your situation. Therefore, if a permanent resident cannot fulfill the two-year (730 day) requirement for the five-year time frame starting from when they became a permanent resident, they should remain in Canada until they can satisfy the requirement for another five-year time frame.

The IRCC’s Permanent Residency Status Determination Manual states:

For persons who have been permanent residents of Canada for more than five years, the only five-year period that can be considered in calculating whether an applicant has met the residency obligation is the one immediately before the application is received in the visa office. A28(2)(b)(ii) precludes a visa officer from examining any period other than the most recent five-year period immediately before the date of receipt of the application.

The officer cannot choose any five-year time period for consideration, but must always assess the most recent five-year time period (the one immediately preceding examination).

You can find some information regarding entering Canada when you do not have a PR card on the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) website in the I am outside of Canada and do not have a PR card. How can I return to Canada? section.

Here is an excerpt,

Returning by private vehicle

There are other documents you can use to enter the country.
When you return to Canada, apply for a PR card if you plan to travel outside Canada again.

Some examples of private vehicles include, but are not limited to: a car, truck, motorcycle, or recreational vehicle that you own, borrow, or rent, and that is not available for public use.

You may want to contact a lawyer who is familiar with Canadian immigration issues for some assistance and additional information regarding your mother’s situation and regarding her options.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

=====
Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org