Permanent Residence Cards
Permanent Residence Cards are issued to all the new immigrants and existing permanent residents of Canada. PR Cards are issued for five years and are renewable after five years if the holder doesn’t become a Canadian citizen meanwhile.
The PR Card primarily serves as a travel ID that allows a valid cardholder unrestricted entry into Canada and also determines the immigration status while in Canada.
Any permanent resident whose PR Card expires while being outside Canada, is required to obtain the travel document to travel to Canada provided the applicant’s stay outside Canada in the last five years span was less than three years.
If during the five years validity of the PR Card, the permanent resident did not stay in Canada for a minimum of 2 years then he might be determined inadmissible and the foreign based Canadian visa office may not issue him/her the returning document.
If the applicant is declared inadmissible for not meeting the 2 years physical presence requirement then he/she is no longer a permanent resident.
If the returning resident document is refused by the Canadian visa office abroad, this decision is appealable before the Immigration Appeals Division of Immigration and Refugee Board in Canada.
The first Permanent Residence Card is sent by mail to all the newly landed immigrants at the address they provide at the time of landing in Canada either at the airport or land border. Whereas, it is mandatory for permanent residents who are already in Canada to personally collect their renewed or replacement cards from the local Citizenship and Immigration Canada office as notified to the applicant by the CIC.
It is mandatory to be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days during 5 years validity of a Permanent Resident Card in order to retain the permanent resident status. If an in-Canada applicant for the renewal of PR Card has not stayed in Canada as required, a renewed card will not be issued by the Citizenship and Immigration Canada and his inadmissibility proceedings would start at the Immigration and Refugee Board.
Though the renewal of PR Card can be requested on humanitarian and compassionate grounds in case the physical presence requirement is not met, the standard for meeting the eligibility criteria is not easy to maintain. Before any permanent resident of Canada is planning to apply for the renewal of PR Card and is expected to face any of the above stated situations that would put the permanent resident status in jeopardy, contact us to benefit from our expert advice in this area.