Regaining PR Through the Family Class After It Lapsed

Our family (me, my wife and our two daughters) first obtained Canadian permanent residence in 2003 and lived near Vancouver. At the time our income was in Japanese yen, but the yen became extraordinarily weak and life became difficult, so 3 years later I alone returned to Japan to work. A year after that our younger daughter also returned, and we were forced into a life in which my wife and our elder daughter stayed in Canada.

After that, I ended up living in Japan much longer than expected, and my Canadian permanent residence lapsed. However, I couldn’t forget how wonderful the living environment in Canada was, and I also wanted to give our younger daughter the option of choosing either Japan or Canada for her future, so I began to want to obtain permanent residence once again.

First, we had to have it officially confirmed that my previous permanent residence had lapsed. To prove that I did not meet the residency obligation of living in Canada for 2 out of 5 years, I applied to the immigration authorities for a travel document and had the loss of my permanent residence officially recognized.

Then, since my wife still held permanent residence, we decided to have her act as sponsor and apply for me and our younger daughter under the Family Class. After applying, we obtained it in 7 and a half months, much faster than we expected.

Because this was a Family Class application, to have the fact of our marriage recognized we had to describe in detail how my wife and I met and came to marry, and gather photos in chronological order. We’ve been married for 20 years, so we had forgotten a lot, and tracing back our memories was the hardest part (laughs).

Also, our younger daughter had turned 18, and there was information that a change in the immigration rules would lower the age limit for sponsors’ children from under 22 to under 19 or 18 starting the following year. We had to gather all the documents and apply within the year, so it was a race against time. In addition, the PR card we were told would arrive within 4 to 6 weeks of landing just wouldn’t come; we were instructed to retake photos and so on, and in the end it took 5 months for the PR card to reach us. It reminded me that you can’t let your guard down until the very end.

I came to Canada after retiring from my job in Japan, so basically I want to enjoy life in Canada, but I’m still healthy enough to work, so if there’s a job I can do, I’d also like to take on the challenge of a new world. Spending my days golfing in Canada is also a dream (laughs). A better score would be perfect, but just being able to play to my heart’s content amid Canada’s great nature makes me happy.

To everyone aiming for permanent residence: I hear that obtaining it will become more and more difficult, and the immigration authorities change the rules all the time, so I think it’s best to consult someone like Ms. Shiraishi who is thoroughly familiar with the law. If you are blessed with a good consultant and have the determination not to give up until the end, I’m sure a path will open.