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Residency requirements, Government in Canada, Bringing child born overseas...
Unaware of Potential PR until Detained at Airport
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mayiara Posts: 1
Posted On: 7/26/2014
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Hi,
I am a US citizen living in Washington DC. About two years ago, I was detained at the airport and questioned on whether I had ever had PR in Canada or applied for it. Apparently my father applied to immigrate to Canada a few decades ago when I must have been 4 or 5. Since my family ended up immigrating to another country, we never ended up living in Canada. In other words, we never satisfied the residency requirement. While I travelled to Canada at least 3 times in the intervening years, until this most recent trip, I was able to enter and exit Canada using my US passport with no issues.
I have a few questions:
1) How would I figure out whether I have ever had it or not?
2) If I did have PR status at one point, then how would I relinquish it? Ie. where would I get a copy of IMM 1342B and where would I send it to?
3) I did not have PR status at any point, what do I need to do to get into Canada as a US citizen without being detained?
I have tried finding this information in ENF 23
Loss of Permanent Resident Status, and in this forum, but I have not been able to understand what to do next. I would like to travel to Canada soon. I have also tried calling the NYC consulate at 212 596 1628, but I was not able to figure out which option to select or how to otherwise speak to a person.
Any guidance you can provide would be very much appreciated.
Thanks for your help.
Mayiara
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Moderator Moderator Posts: 4142
Posted On: 7/31/2014
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Hello Mayiara,
Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.
We can appreciate that you would be concerned about this situation and would want to resolve it.
According to some CIC representatives, if you are able to contact the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Call Centre, they would be able to search to confirm whether or not you are a permanent resident.
As you may know, you cannot call the toll-free number from outside of Canada.
However, we have had some of our users previously state that they have been able to contact CIC from abroad by dialing 1 613 944 4000. Listen to the options to get to CIC.
Please note though that some have reported that it did not work for them or that it is no longer working.
You may want to give it a try.
Long distance charges will apply.
The CIC representatives also stated that the way you could initiate the process of relinquishment, if in fact you were a permanent resident, would be by trying to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) at the nearest Canadian Visa Office.
They stated that you would have to indicate in your application that you are unaware of your status and that you are aware that you are applying for the travel document knowing that it will likely be refused.
In these cases, they are generally refused and then offered an option for appeal. Refusing the appeal option will mean loss of permanent residency.
Again, as they suggested, you may want to try and contact the CIC Call Centre if possible or the nearest Canadian Visa Office.
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.
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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org
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