Canada Permanent Resident Card

The Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) was introduced on 28 June 2002 upon the implementation of Canada's "Immigration and Refugee Protection Act". It was originally billed as the "Maple Leaf Card"

It is the primary method by which Canadian permanent residents (formerly known as "landed immigrants") can prove their status.

Application Process

New permanent residents

Permanent residents arriving in Canada on or after 28 June 2002 apply for a Permanent Resident Card as part of the landing process.

It is necessary to supply a Canadian residential address at the time of landing. If a Canadian address cannot be supplied at the time, it is necessary to provide one to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) within 180 days. Otherwise a new application for a PR Card will be required.

There is no fee for a PR Card applied for at the time of the landing process.

Existing permanent residents

Permanent residents as of 28 June 2002 and new permanent residents who did not provide a Canadian residential address, or whose PR Card was lost or stolen, must apply to CIC's processing centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia for a new card. The fee is C$50. In these cases, the PR Card must be collected in person at a CIC office in Canada. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/prcard.html Details]

Validity of a PR card

The PR Card is normally issued for 5 years. In some circumstances it may be issued for 1 year only.

Possession of a valid PR Card does not ensure that one's permanent resident status will remain valid until the expiry date. In some circumstances - notably where breaches of residence obligations are involved - permanent resident status can be lost before this date.

Similarly, a PR Card's expiration date does not indicate that the holder's status as a permanent resident has expired, or will expire, on that date. It is the date after which the card must be replaced with a new card, if the holder is still a legal permanent resident at that time.

PR card can only be applied for in Canada

It is not possible to apply for the PR Card outside Canada. Instead, those permanent residents wishing to prove their status may apply for a single use Travel Document which allows a journey to Canada as a permanent resident. The application may be submitted to any CIC office outside Canada and the fee is $50 CAD. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/applications/travel.html Details]

Processing times

CIC publish processing times for PR Cards on their website. [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/canada/process-in.asp Details]

Proof of status in Canada

Whether one is a permanent resident or not is determined by the provisions of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. While possession of a valid PR Card creates a "presumption" that a person is a permanent resident, it is not compulsory for a permanent resident to hold one. In fact, it is possible to hold a valid PR Card and at the same time face loss of permanent resident status due to not meeting residence obligations.

Similarly, it is possible to be a Canadian permanent resident and not hold a valid PR Card, although it may be more difficult to prove one's status.

Required to enter Canada

In general, permanent residents must present a valid PR Card or Travel Document to a commercial carrier (eg airline, railway, bus company) in order to board a Canada-bound journey.

This requirement is effective from 31 December 2003.

However, those who hold passports that do not require tourist visas to visit Canada may normally board a flight on the strength of their passport alone (although some airlines may be reluctant to allow this if only a one-way ticket is held). A PR Card or Travel Document is not required for admission as a permanent resident on arrival at a Canadian port of entry.

Similarly, a PR Card or Travel Document is not required to cross the land frontier into Canada from the U.S.

PR card as proof of status

In Canada

A PR Card is the most convenient way of proving status to authorities within Canada (e.g. provincial governments, employers, schools). Most permanent residents have other documentation (such as original landing papers) which is also acceptable.

Outside Canada

Foreign government authorities may require the production of a PR Card in some circumstances:

* although the U.S. government does not exempt Canadian permanent residents from the visa requirement, those Canadian permanent residents using the Visa Waiver Program may be required to show U.S. immigration inspectors a PR Card if entering the U.S. with an onward ticket terminating in Canada.

* visa-free travel to Mexico for Canadian permanent residents requires a PR Card, unless the person's passport in itself is sufficient for exemption from the Mexican tourist visa requirement

A PR Card is the easiest way for any Canadian permanent resident applying to any foreign government for a tourist visa to prove his or her status in Canada.

ee also

* Permanent resident (Canada)
* Immigration to Canada
* Citizenship and Immigration Canada
* Canadian nationality law

External links

* [http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/pr-card/index.asp Permanent Resident Card Overview - Citizenship & Immigration Canada]