Permanent resident card and the Renewal Procedure

The permanent resident (PR) card

The PR card proves that you are a permanent resident of Canada. In any case if you travel outside Canada you need this card to re-enter in Canada by any means. Residents needs to show their permanent resident card when entering to Canada in order to show their residency.

If someone does not have a PR card or someone is not carrying their PR Card while travelling outside the Canada they have to apply for permanent resident travel document before returning to Canada. If your PR card expires, it does not mean that you have lost permanent resident status.

Losing your permanent resident status

Losing your permanent resident status does not happen automatically. You cannot lose your permanent residence status by living outside Canada for longer period of time and don’t meet the residency requirement. Unless you have gone through an official process, you have not lost or given up your permanent resident status, even though you may not be eligible to return to Canada as a permanent resident.

When you apply for a permanent resident travel document or temporary resident travel requirements, you can lose your status if an adjudicator considers that you are not a permanent resident anymore after the inquiry/investigation or a visa officer thinks that you do not meet the required residency requirements.

There are chances that you can lose your permanent resident status in one of the ways as described above if you live in the country for two out of five years or you are convicted of a serious crime and inadmissible to Canada or you become a Canadian citizen. As I mentioned above, you would not lose your PR card unless it expires.

PR Card Renewal

If you don’t have a valid PR card or Permanent resident travel document, you can’t travel by any means to Canada. Without any travel document you will not be able to board inside Canada. When you show it, this should be valid. You are still a permanent residence but you would have to apply for the new one if it expires.

Eligibility for renewal of PR card

You can apply for a permanent resident travel document to return to Canada, if you are outside Canada. Once you arrived, you should apply for PR card as soon as possible. Otherwise your application will not be processed. If just in case, you are not eligible for PR card you will be ask by the govt. of Canada to leave the country. If you are a Canadian citizen, you don’t need a PR card. In future, when you become a Canadian citizen your PR card will be taken by the Govt. of Canada at citizenship ceremony.

Usually, PR card is issued for 5 years, but sometimes it can be issued for just a year. The Immigration, Refugee, and Citizenship Canada only sends PR cards to addresses within Canada. In some cases, you may have to pick up your card in person at one of the IRCC offices.

What if PR card expired outside Canada

Typically, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada only sends PR cards to addresses within Canada. However, you still have the option to apply for your card outside while outside Canada.

Even though you can apply for a PR card while outside Canada, you eventually need to return to Canada in order to receive it. If this is the case for you, you can get a Permanent Resident Travel Document in order to enter Canada. Prior to applying for a Permanent Resident Travel Document, you need to make sure you are meeting the residency requirement, because the application can be refused even if your PR card application has been approved. You can apply for urgent processing if you have an urgent travel date. Always check processing time to understand how long you have to wait to get the new card.

How Long Do I need to Wait for the Card to be Renewed

In most cases, it will take about 104 days for your PR card renewal application to be processed. However, it can take more than a year for complex cases where applicants do not meet the residency obligation. Alternatively, if the IRCC has too many applications to work on, your application can be delayed as well.

In order to avoid delays or refusals, you, as an applicant, need to make sure your application package is complete, and you have fulfilled the residency requirement.

If you have an urgent travel date coming up, you may be able to determine whether or not you qualify for urgent processing. To qualify for urgent permanent resident (PR) card processing, you must be travelling within the next three months due to:

• Employment reasons
• serious illness (your own or your family member’s)
• the death of a family member

Please note, the IRCC cannot guarantee the urgent processing, even if you qualify.

Contact Akrami and Associates

In order to have a successful application, it is highly recommended that you seek professional guidance prior to attempting to start your own application. Filling out forms and gather necessary documents to apply for your permanent resident card may be confusing, or sometimes, overwhelming. If this sounds like a headache, don’t worry! Akrami & Associates is experienced in providing legal aid for individuals who are applying for a permanent resident card and can be your legal assistance for anything required from these forms. If you have further questions or concerns, you can contact us at our office number: (416) 447-2545. We can provide legal assistance or consultation with immigration professionals in order to assist you to the best of our ability!

With Akrami & Associates, there is always a way!