General Information
The Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) is the official proof of your status as a permanent resident in Canada. People who have permanent resident status in Canada can apply for their first Permanent Resident card (PR card) or its renewal or a replacement of a PR card.
To be eligible for a PR Card, you must :
- Be a permanent resident of Canada
- Be physically present in Canada
- Not be under an effective removal order
- Not be a Canadian citizen or a registered Indian under the Indian Act and
- Not be convicted of an offense related to the misuse of a PR card
For applicants under the age of 18, a clear and legible photocopy of one of the following is needed :
Applicant’s birth certificate (showing the applicant’s name, date of birth, place of birth and the names of the parents or adoptive parents)
OR
Legal documentation proving guardianship, if the applicant has a legal guardian.
Permanent Residents seeking to re-enter Canada after having spent time out of the country, must present their valid PR Card as evidence of their status. If you are unable to present a valid PR card, you will need to obtain a travel document from a Canadian visa office. It is important to know that nothing else will suffice; in particular, the old landing papers previously issued by Immigration Canada.
The PR Card is usually valid for a five year period, therefore it is important to know the expiry date printed on your PR Card and apply in advance for renewal. You must be in Canada in order to apply for your PR.
To travel outside Canada, you can’t use your PR Card because it is not your passport. You must still use your old passport (and any visas that you must have) to enter any foreign country including the United States. The Permanent Residency Card is not a travel document, but an identification document to state your status in Canada. You may use it to get back into the country along with your valid passport.
Please call us at 905-461-2424 if you have any questions or concerns related to your PR Card renewal or if you wish to use our services.
Our Online PR Card Renewal Packages and Services
We offer advice and full support with respect to preparing and submitting your PR Card application. On clicking the button below, you will be able download our application package with all the instructions outlining the step-by-step procedure.
Services |
Average Processing Time |
| Regular Service (No Urgency) | 5-8 months |
| Urgent Service (Proof of Urgency Required) | 20-30 Days |
| Regular Service (No Urgency) | 5-8 months |
| Regular Service (No Urgency) | 5-8 months |
As per IRPA
Before applying, be sure you meet all of the obligations of a Permanent Resident, as described in Section 28 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). This means that permanent residents must:
- Be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days out of the five year period; OR
- Have been traveling with a Canadian citizen who is their spouse, common-law partner or, in the case of a child, their parent; OR
- Be employed on a full-time basis outside Canada by a Canadian business or in the federal public administration or the public service of a province; OR
- Be accompanying a permanent resident outside Canada, who is their spouse, common-law partner, or in the case of a child, their parent and who is employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the federal public administration or the public service of a province.
It is important that you keep the evidence of your entries and exits, to and from Canada, such as airline tickets and travel itinerary. Even keeping a list of your dates of travel ishelpful when applying for you PR Card renewal as you will need to demonstrate that you comply with requirements of Section 28 of the IRPA (see above).
Before applying, ensure that your PR Card renewal application is completed in full and all of the necessary supporting documentation is submitted. If your application is incomplete, it will be returned to you. If you do not submit the appropriate supporting documentation to demonstrate that you have met your permanent residency obligations (outlined above), there could be serious repercussions.
Often permanent residents think that they can wait until a month or two before the expiry date printed on their PR Card to submit the renewal application – not true. A permanent resident of Canada can submit their renewal application at any time, so think ahead if you’re planning on traveling in the future.
It is important to note that you will need to be physically present in Canada when you submit your application e. This means that you will be required to remain in Canada during the entire time it takes for a new PR Card to be processed.