PR Card Renewal and Unemployment - Questions

[alexteru]

Hello friends!
I have to renew my PR card and I am very estress, I made a mistake, I left Canada to go go my origin country 2 times while I was in unemployment without notifying that.

I messed it up I KNOW, but pls give me a serious advise.

[Klaus]

Hi,

the Service Canada website states:

Am I allowed to leave Canada while receiving regular benefits?

Usually, you are not eligible to receive regular benefits while you are away from Canada. However, you can receive regular benefits if you show that you are available for work in Canada while abroad and you inform your local Service Canada Centre that you will be away temporarily.

You can be outside Canada for a period of seven consecutive days for the purpose of:
•attending the funeral of a member of your immediate family or a close relative;
•accompanying a member of your immediate family to a medical facility, provided that the treatment sought is not readily available in the family member’s area of residence in Canada;
•visiting a member of your immediate family who is seriously ill or injured; or
•attending a bona fide job interview.

You can be away from Canada for a period of 14 consecutive days for the purpose of conducting a bona fide job search.

If you indicate that you have taken measures to be reached if an employment opportunity presents itself during your absence and that you are able to return to Canada within 48 hours, we will accept that you have proven your availability.

and

Absence from Canada

Usually, you cannot receive EI regular benefits while outside Canada. (For exceptions, see “Am I allowed to leave Canada while receiving regular benefits?” in Section 4.) One measure we take to enforce this rule is to compare EI information with information from the Canada Border Services Agency. If we find you have been out of the country while collecting regular benefits, we will try to determine whether you are entitled to those benefits. If not, we will calculate your overpayment, which you will then have to repay.

We may also impose penalties of up to three times your weekly benefit rate or three times the amount of your overpayment. As well, you may have to work more hours to qualify for regular benefits in the future.

So, while your PR status is not affected and the PR card renewal is not at risk, you may have to pay back the EI benefits, get fined and you will have a harder time getting EI in the future and may not be eligible as early.

What I would do is to go to Service Canada, confess that you were outside Canada while you received EI benefits and hope for mercy. They will find out anyways and it certainly looks better if you tell them about it before they find out. You will still have to pay back the EI benefits, but chances are that the fine is lower if you admit your mistake.

Regarding the PR renewal: EI fraud is not considered a serious crime, so there is no reason to worry about your status.

I hope this helps
Klaus