PERMANENT RESIDENCY & PR CARDS
A permanent resident of Canada is someone who has gained their permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada, but they are not Canadian citizens. These individuals maintain their citizenship in their original countries.
Those who are in Canada temporarily, such as students or foreign workers, do not hold permanent resident status.
Refugees who are relocated from overseas attain permanent resident status through either the Government-Assisted Refugee Program or the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.
However, a person making a refugee claim in Canada does not automatically become a permanent resident. The Immigration and Refugee Board must first approve their claim, and only after that can they apply for and obtain permanent resident status.
Keeping your Permanent Resident Status
To maintain your permanent resident status, it is essential to have spent a minimum of 730 days in Canada over the past five years. These 730 days do not necessarily have to be consecutive.
Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days:
- You work outside Canada
You need to work full-time for:
- a Canadian business or organization, or
- the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
- You travel with a spouse or common-law partner
Your spouse or common-law partner needs to be:
- a Canadian citizen, or
- a permanent resident working outside Canada, full-time for:
- a Canadian business, or
- the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
- You’re a dependent childand travel with your parent
Your parent needs to be:
- a Canadian citizen, or
- a permanent resident working outside Canada, full-time for:
- a Canadian business or
- the Canadian federal, provincial or territorial government
Rights of Permanent Residents
Being a Permanent Resident grants you several rights in Canada, including:
- Access to most social benefits that Canadian citizens receive.
- The freedom to live, work, or study anywhere within Canada’s borders.
- The eligibility to apply for Canadian citizenship.
- Protection under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
However, as a responsible member of society, you are required to fulfill certain obligations, such as paying taxes and adhering to all Canadian laws at the federal, provincial, and municipal levels.
What you cannot do as a Permanent Resident
You are not allowed to:
- vote or run for political office,
- hold some jobs that need a high-level security clearance.
How you Lose your Permanent Resident Status
Your permanent resident status does not automatically expire when your PR card does. To lose your permanent resident status, specific official processes must be followed.
Your permanent resident status can be lost if:
- An adjudicator determines, after an inquiry or PRTD (Permanent Resident Travel Document) appeal, that you are no longer a permanent resident.
- You voluntarily choose to renounce your permanent resident status.
- A removal order is issued against you and becomes effective.
- You acquire Canadian citizenship.
It’s important to note that even if you fail to meet the residency obligation (Not spending enough time in Canada), you still maintain your permanent resident status until an official decision is made regarding your status.
Voluntarily giving up (renouncing) permanent resident status
The loss of your permanent resident status is not automatic and requires specific actions on your part. There might be situations where you no longer wish to maintain your permanent resident status in Canada. If this is the case, you have the option to apply and voluntarily give up (renounce) your permanent resident status.
For instance, if you:
- Acknowledge that you have not met the residency obligations, having spent an extended period outside of Canada.
- Wish to visit Canada, but do not want to wait for a visa officer to conduct a formal assessment of your permanent resident status. OR
- Prefer to avoid processing delays at the Port of Entry.
In such instances, until your permanent resident status is resolved by either obtaining a Permanent Resident Travel Document or voluntarily renouncing your permanent resident status, you may not be permitted to enter Canada.
Permanent Resident Card
You need a valid Permanent Resident (PR) Card to prove you’re a permanent resident when you return to Canada from another country.
PR cards have a validity period, so they have to be renewed regularly (every 5 years). The government fee for renewing Permanent Resident Card is $50.
However, you do not automatically lose your permanent resident status if your PR card expires. To maintain your permanent resident status, you do need to meet certain residency requirements.
Permanent Resident Travel Document
If you are outside of Canada without a valid PR card, you are required to apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to return to Canada.
It’s important to note that a PRTD is typically issued for a single-entry use only. The government fee for Permanent Resident Travel Document is $50.