Canada Permanent Residence
Canada Permanent Residence
A Canadian permanent resident is someone who has been granted permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada.
A permanent resident enjoys many of the same benefits as Canadian citizens. However, unlike citizens, they must maintain their status by meeting certain requirements like the residency obligation.
Benefits of Canadian PR status
1. The ability to live and work anywhere in Canada
Canadian permanent residents have the legal right to live and work anywhere in the country. If a new PR starts in Montreal but finds a better job in Toronto, they will have every right to move. Permanent residents aren’t tied to a specific employer or province.
Additionally, Canadian permanent residents can leave and enter Canada’s borders using their Canadian permanent resident card, or permanent resident travel documents (PRTD).
2. Access to universal healthcare and social services
3. Family sponsorship
Permanent residents can apply to sponsor their spouse, common-law partner, and dependent children to join them in Canada. That said, if you immigrate through Express Entry, you can include your family on your initial application so you won’t have to sponsor them later on.
4. Free education for children
5. Can transition to Canadian citizenship
6. Protected rights
Permanent residence cards
Permanent residence card renewal
Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD)
Canadian permanent residency requirements
Canadian citizenship
Foreign nationals wishing to become Canadian citizens must meet several requirements, including having valid permanent resident status in Canada. In addition, permanent residents wishing to become citizens have different residency obligations than those required for permanent resident status renewal. Consult Global Solicitors’ web resource to learn more about becoming a Canadian citizen.
Renouncing permanent resident status
Is permanent residence the same as citizenship?
Canadian permanent residents are not citizens of Canada. Canadian permanent residents cannot apply for a Canadian passport, among other benefits enjoyed by citizens. Unlike Canadian citizens, there are also certain requirements a PR must fulfill to keep their status.
Can Canadian permanent residence be revoked?
The Canadian government may revoke permanent resident status for one of the following reasons:
- Serious criminality;
- If an individual achieved PR status using misrepresentation; or
- They are unable to meet their residency obligations
How long is Canadian permanent residence valid?
Can a permanent resident leave Canada?
How can I become a Canadian permanent resident?
Many immigration pathways will enable a person to become a Canadian permanent resident. For example, permanent residence can be achieved through economic immigration, business immigration, sponsorship, or refugee/humanitarian programs.
Complete our free online assessment to find out if you’re eligible for Canadian immigration.
Permanent Resident Cards
Once a person has been approved for Canadian permanent residence, they become eligible to receive a permanent resident card (PR card). The PR card is usually valid for five years, but in very rare cases may only be valid for one year. This card can be used as a valid travel document for entering Canada’s borders. It is advised that permanent residents obtain their PR card since this card allows permanent residents to travel outside of Canada’s borders and demonstrate proof of status if necessary.
Did you know?
Your permanent resident status does not expire when your PR card expires. A person can only lose their PR status if they go through an official process. Even if you fail to meet the permanent resident residency obligation, your PR status remains in effect until an official decision is made on your status.
Permanent residents without valid PR cards who are outside of Canada and wish to travel to Canada may apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD). The PRTD will facilitate travel to Canada, where the person may apply for a PR card renewal or replacement.
Permanent Resident Card Application
New permanent residents do not need to apply for a PR card. They will be automatically mailed a PR card when they immigrate to Canada and determine their Canadian mailing address. Only individuals who meet one of the following criteria must apply for a PR card:
- You didn’t receive your PR card within 180 days of immigrating to Canada;
- Your PR card is expired or will expire in less than nine months;
- Your PR card has been lost, stolen, or destroyed, or;
- You legally changed your name and need to update your PR card.
PR card applications must be submitted in hard copy to one of IRCC’s specified Case Processing Centres for PR cards.
Did you know?
Urgent Processing
In certain situations, it may be possible for the Canadian government to expedite the processing of a permanent resident card. To qualify for urgent permanent resident card processing, you must be travelling within the next three months due to:
- A job opportunity;
- Your serious illness;
- The death of a family member;
- Work related to your current job, or;
- The serious illness of a family member.
It should be noted that even if a person is eligible for urgent processing, the Canadian government cannot guarantee they will process applications urgently or that PR cards will be received on time. It’s therefore advisable to always maintain a valid PR card in case of emergency.
If your PR card is approaching the end of its validity period, and you have not yet applied for Canadian citizenship, you may be interested in applying for a permanent residence card renewal.
Permanent Resident Card Renewal
It is encouraged for permanent residents of Canada to carry a valid PR card at all times. Not only does the PR card allow a permanent resident to show proof of status, but it also allows a person to freely travel in and out of the country. If a PR card is within 9 months of expiration, or it has already expired, a permanent resident can apply for a new PR card.
In order to renew a permanent resident card, an applicant must submit a complete application in hard copy to one of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Case Processing Centres for PR cards. Upon submission, provided that an application is complete and that the permanent resident meets all requirements, a new PR card will be issued.
It should be noted that permanent resident status does not expire when a person’s PR card expires. A person can only lose their PR status if they go through an official process. You can lose your PR status in the following situations:
- An officer determines you are no longer a permanent resident after an inquiry (including PR card renewal) or permanent resident travel document (PRTD) appeal;
- You voluntarily renounce your permanent resident status;
- A removal order is made against you and comes into effect, or;
- You become a Canadian citizen.
Even if a person fails to meet the permanent resident residency obligation, their PR status remains in effect until an official decision is made on their status.
Permanent Resident Travel Document
Generally, PRTDs are valid for a single entry to Canada, allowing a permanent resident to enter the country before obtaining a new PR card. A permanent resident may only apply for a PR card from inside of Canada, so the PRTD is often necessary to facilitate entry to Canada. A person may apply for a permanent resident travel document if they meet the following criteria:
- They are a permanent resident of Canada;
- They do not have a valid PR card showing PR status;
- They are outside Canada, and;
- They will return to Canada by airplane, boat, train, or bus.
If a person meets the criteria for a PRTD, they can apply. Please note that upon submission of the application, a visa officer will review it to ensure it is complete and that the applicant has met their residency obligations. If the applicant has failed to meet their residency obligations, then their status as a permanent resident may fall into jeopardy. Please note that immigrants from countries requiring a visa to enter Canada who have received their confirmation of permanent residence (COPR) should be issued a travel visa with their COPR. This travel visa allows them to travel to a Canadian Port of Entry (POE) to enter Canada where they can begin the process of obtaining their PR card. A newly confirmed permanent resident doesn’t need to obtain a PRTD, as the above-mentioned travel visa will be issued to those immigrants who require it.
Residency Obligations
- Determination of Status
- Residency Obligations and Provincial Nominations
Canada’s residency obligation for permanent residents requires a person to be physically present inside of Canada for at least 730 days within five years, or to meet one of the following situations:
- The person is outside of Canada accompanying a Canadian citizen who is their spouse or common-law partner, or the person is a child accompanying their parent;
- The person is outside of Canada and employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the public service of Canada or of a Canadian province;
- The person is an accompanying spouse, common-law partner, or child of a permanent resident who is outside Canada and is employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the public service of Canada or of a Canadian province.
Usually, whether a permanent resident has met their residency obligations is assessed when they are applying for a permanent resident card renewal, permanent resident travel document (PRTD), or Canadian citizenship. Please note that if a person has had Canadian permanent residence for more than five years, the residency obligation will be calculated based on the five years before the date an application was received by the visa office.
If a person has been a Canadian permanent resident for less than five years, they may be eligible to apply for a permanent resident card renewal or PRTD provided they can demonstrate that they will be able to meet the 730 days physical presence day within the five years.
Determination of Status
A permanent resident of Canada can only lose their status through a formal determination of status. Any time a permanent resident applies for a PR card renewal or a permanent resident travel document (PRTD), a visa officer will conduct an official determination of status to see if the person has met their residency obligations and has no other barriers from renewal.
Until this formal determination has been completed a person will technically remain a permanent resident of Canada. If permanent resident is aware that they have not met their residency obligation, they may formally renounce their permanent resident status.
Residency Obligations and Provincial Nominations
Canadian citizens and permanent residents hold the right to live and work in any province in Canada, as found in Section 6 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. These rights begin when Canadian permanent residence is activated. It is important to note that while Canadian citizens and permanent residents have constitutionally protected mobility rights, Canadian law determines that immigrants belonging to the provincial nomination class must intend to reside in the province that has nominated them.
If the intention to reside in the selected province is found never to have been sincere, applicants risk being found guilty of misrepresentation which can result in loss of status and inadmissibility to Canada for five years. Misrepresentation is a criminal offense in Canada and can have devastating effects on your immigration application and status in Canada. Applicants interested in selection by a Canadian province must show intention to reside in the province upon landing.