Quick Q re:CIC Correspondence

Hi

Harmonia wrote: When applying for the PR Card, does CIC send a letter confirming they have received the application?  If so, how quickly does this get sent -- or do people generally hear nothing until the "Come and pick up your card" letter comes?  Thanks.

Nothing until you get the pickup letter.

Keep checking the website for processing times. You can always check with the call centre after 2-3 months to see if they opened your application and put it into the queue for processing.

Or try eCAS with your client ID and see if the PR Card application status appears.

Nothing much other than that though.

Ordinarily a PR applying for a new PR card submits just what the instructions say to submit: the completed forms, identity documents as required, photos as specified, and receipt for fees paid. This is subject to certain specified documents for particular individuals, as set out in the document checklist at the end of the application form under "If this applies to you . . . "

Thus, ordinarily a PR applying for a new PR card the applicant does NOT submit additional documentation or information to prove they have been "in Canada" beyond completing the application form.

Thus, for example, ordinarily, NO, a travel record from CBSA is not required to be submitted with the application, and no, ordinarily one should not be included.

That said:


The long answer, which is more or less about some issue lurking regarding compliance with the RO:


Ordinarily a PR applying for a new PR card submits just what the instructions say to submit: the completed forms, identity documents as required, photos as specified, and receipt for fees paid. This is subject to certain specified documents for particular individuals, as set out in the document checklist at the end of the application form under "If this applies to you . . . "

Regarding proof of residency (to be submitted with the application): this is primarily for people who were physically outside Canada for more than 1095 days in the immediately preceding five years, and/but who otherwise are entitled to credit for being in-Canada some of the time they were abroad due to one of the applicable exceptions (most common being employed by a Canadian company or accompanying a partner who is a Canadian citizen). The reference in the checklist is to the appendix in the guide and that information, in the guide, is a generic description of the Residency Obligation. Bottom-line here: Except for those entitled to sufficient credit pursuant to the specified exceptions, anyone not in Canada for at least 1095 days in the preceding five years really should NOT apply for a new PR card but rather wait until they are in compliance with the RO before applying.

Anyway, for the ordinary PR applying for a PR card, the application itself along with the documents specified by the checklist should be sufficient. The application includes all the information they need, such as travel history including dates of presence in Canada, residence/address history, activity history, and so on. If this information indicates compliance with the RO, that is sufficient UNLESS for some reason they doubt the veracity or accuracy of that information, in which case they will (it appears based on the reports of others) send the applicant a request for additional documents or information. (This is where I do not fully concur with PMM above: his answer, as in no communication until the "pickup letter" is for an application that is simply granted; there can be a request for additional documents or the application can be referred to the local office for further processing/assessment.) At that stage the applicant would, of course, submit the requested information -- this is usually about submitting additional proof of compliance with the RO. The list of supporting documents in Appendix A of the guide really is not applicable, since those are about showing entitlement to credit for time abroad due to, for example, being abroad with a Canadian citizen sponsor or due to an assignment abroad while working for a Canadian company.


I do not recall for certain, but I vaguely recall that your partner does not fit into the category of an "ordinary" PR applicant for a new PR card. If I recall correctly your situation, or rather your partner's situation, is a little out of the ordinary: your partner became a PR a long time ago and then lived outside Canada for well over five years, in applying for sponsored PR it was discovered that your partner still has PR status so then your partner simply needs to have a PR card issued. Not sure how this fits with the interview for determining PR status July 2010. So maybe I have your situation confused with someone else's.

But, in any event, if there are concerns that some questions are going to arise about actual proof of compliance with the RO, I do not know to what extent this can be resolved upfront by sending in additional information or documentation proving compliance along with the application itself. For someone who has something in their file that alerts CIC of a potential RO issue, maybe it would be better, indeed, to also submit additional proof as if the "proof of residency requirements" section applies, but I would not go overboard in this.

Again, however, the list of supporting documents in Appendix A of the guide is not applicable to this situation, since those are about showing entitlement to credit for time abroad due to, for example, being abroad with a Canadian citizen sponsor or due to an assignment abroad while working for a Canadian company.

Thanks so much dpen -- you always have the best responses. You were not confusing my situation.  My partner became a landed immigration in the 70's.  Stayed here, and then eventually left Canada (for longer than 1095 days).  She returned here over 2 years ago, and we went through the sponsorship process.  It got returned, saying that she was already in the system as having PR status.