Author Topic: permanent resident travel permit application - Send real passport or copy?  (Read 5006 times)

EnjoyTheJourney

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We are in-process on applying for a permanent resident travel permit for my wife. She has retained permanent resident status despite living outside Canada because she's been continuously living with me since we left Canada (for which you can send her well deserved and heartfelt condolences, of course).

The required documentation list includes a current passport. It doesn't say "copy thereof", just "current passport." That seems off because IIRC it can take up to six months for them to process this and being without a passport for six months is quite a long wait. They might also lose my wife's passport (or not return it?).

Does anybody here have experience with getting a Canada permanent resident travel permit while living outside Canada? Did you need to surrender an original and current passport until they finished processing this document and returned it to you? Alternatively, did you include a copy of key pages from a current passport and was that sufficient documentation to have the application move foward?

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.

nalor511

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We are in-process on applying for a permanent resident travel permit for my wife. She has retained permanent resident status despite living outside Canada because she's been continuously living with me since we left Canada (for which you can send her well deserved and heartfelt condolences, of course).

The required documentation list includes a current passport. It doesn't say "copy thereof", just "current passport." That seems off because IIRC it can take up to six months for them to process this and being without a passport for six months is quite a long wait. They might also lose my wife's passport (or not return it?).

Does anybody here have experience with getting a Canada permanent resident travel permit while living outside Canada? Did you need to surrender an original and current passport until they finished processing this document and returned it to you? Alternatively, did you include a copy of key pages from a current passport and was that sufficient documentation to have the application move foward?

Thank you in advance for any insight you can provide.

There's an email link to contact your local Canadian consulates, probably worth getting it from the horse's mouth on something so important

Freedomin5

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According to the Government of Canada website:

Important information:
You must send your original, valid passport. We need this to attach your Permanent Resident Travel Document.
Send photocopies of all other identity and immigration documents. Do not send originals, as they will not be returned to you. See the document checklist for more details.

Here’s the link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5529-applying-permanent-resident-travel-document.html

I’m assuming this is what your wife is applying for?
« Last Edit: January 21, 2022, 11:17:19 PM by Freedomin5 »

EnjoyTheJourney

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FWIW, past attempts to work with our area consulate through email (and by phone) were not successful. Basically, the replies were "look online." Maybe I just had bad luck with whomever received and responded to my communication efforts, though, if others are having better luck.

I read the "don't send original documents, you won't get them back" part before, which made me very reluctant to send along a real passport without confirmation that it is indeed needed. But, I didn't look in the "refugees" section before, as that doesn't apply to my wife. But, at least the rationale for providing a real passport is made more clear by the link provided.

Thank you both for your reply.


Freedomin5

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I don’t think that’s from the refugee section. That’s from the immigration section’s “Instruction Guide”, so I think it should still apply to your wife, if that helps.

EnjoyTheJourney

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I over-focused on the word "refugee" and thought it wouldn't pertain to my wife. Thank you for pointing it out; I've read that webpage and have it bookmarked now.

The other resource I found didn't explain things as well as this webpage; thank you again for bringing it to my attention.

Margie

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Make sure you count her absences from Canada exactly as they want them recorded.  The PR application counts each day she spends a minute out of Canada as a day out and the Citizenship counts only full 24 hours out or vice versa.

It is strange to me that they use different counting methods. 

Good luck! 

EnjoyTheJourney

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Thank you for the tip!

As a bit of follow-up, my wife now has her travel permit.

It wasn't an easy process, but in the end it worked out.