June 16, 2026

Successful Permanent Resident Travel Document Applications for Children Who Had Not Met Their Residency Obligations

Our office recently assisted with successful Permanent Resident Travel Document applications for two children who had been outside Canada for more than 10 years and had not met their permanent resident residency obligations.

The children became permanent residents of Canada together with their parents when they were only seven years old. After landing in Canada, they remained in the country for approximately four months before returning abroad with their parents.

Years later, the children wished to return to Canada and resume their lives as permanent residents. However, because they had spent more than 10 years outside Canada, they did not meet the residency obligation required under Canadian immigration law. Without valid Permanent Resident Travel Documents, they would not have been able to travel back to Canada as permanent residents.

Our office prepared and submitted Permanent Resident Travel Document applications on their behalf, requesting that their circumstances be assessed on humanitarian and compassionate grounds. We explained that the applicants were children when they left Canada, that their prolonged absence resulted from decisions made by their parents, and that they now had a genuine desire to return to Canada and re-establish themselves here.

The applications were approved.

This positive outcome allowed the applicants to return to Canada as permanent residents despite their significant absence from the country. It is an important reminder that permanent residents who do not meet the residency obligation may still have options, particularly where compelling humanitarian and compassionate factors are present.

Every case is unique, and past success does not guarantee future results. However, this case demonstrates the importance of presenting a clear, well-supported application that explains the full circumstances behind a permanent resident’s absence from Canada.