Canada's "Ming Pao" reported that the latest updated regulations for Maple Leaf Card replacement issued by the China Overseas Chinese Network and updated online by the Immigration Department show that cardholders can continue to hold the old card that is still valid when applying; that is to say, even if the applicant is waiting for a new card, he can still go abroad with the old card and does not need to worry about being refused entry because he does not have a Maple Leaf Card.

According to reports, the Immigration Department has a plan to modify the Maple Leaf Card replacement method at the end of March, so that applicants do not need to hand over the old card that is still valid when applying. However, due to the unsatisfactory progress of the Immigration Department’s computer system update, the new regulations were delayed until April 21 before they could finally be implemented.

Immigration lawyer Wang Renduo said that he was very happy that the Immigration Department finally changed the regulations. The reason is that for a long time, according to the immigration law, the Immigration Department did not have the right to require Maple Leaf Card holders to hand over the old card when applying for a replacement card.

It has been five years since the Maple Leaf Card was implemented. The Immigration Department has always known that it has no authority to make such a request. However, it has not changed the relevant regulations for a long time, which has caused a lot of inconvenience and anxiety to Maple Leaf Card holders when they change their cards without a Maple Leaf Card.

Wang Renduo explained that from now on, as long as the Maple Leaf Card has not yet reached the expiration date, applicants do not need to hand over the old card when applying. Therefore, he suggested that those whose Maple Leaf Cards have not yet expired should start processing the card replacement in advance. In view of the current waiting time for Maple Leaf Card replacement announced by the Immigration Department is 65 days (this is the latest statistics released by the Immigration Department on March 26), he suggested that applicants reserve 3 days for themselves. months or longer, so that it can be more guaranteed.

The new rule that you don’t have to pay for the old card when changing your Maple Leaf Card is great news for many Chinese applicants. It is particularly helpful for some Chinese immigrants who have returned to Canada from overseas to change their cards. As long as they are within the validity period of the Maple Leaf Card and meet the Maple Leaf Card residence time requirement of 5 years of residence and no less than 2 years, after they apply in the country, they can return to Hong Kong or China and return to Canada to get the new card while waiting for the notification from the Immigration Department to pick up the new card.

Mr. Tan, a Chinese citizen who is about to return from Hong Kong to redeem his Maple Leaf Card, said that he has been troubled by the problem of handing back the old card when changing cards. He said that he does not know how to make arrangements. Now that the new regulations are implemented, he will return to Canada as soon as possible to change the card, and then return to Hong Kong to handle business. When he receives the notice to collect the new card, he will return with the old Maple Leaf Card to pick up the new card. (Zhang Lingzhu).