A permanent resident is someone who has been given permanent resident (PR) status by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) but is not a Canadian citizen.
Permanent residents are citizens of other countries.A person who is in Canada temporarily, like a student or foreign worker, is not a permanent resident.
Refugees who are resettled from overseas become permanent residents through theGovernment-Assisted Refugee Program or the Private Sponsorship of RefugeesProgram.
Someone who makes a refugee claim in Canada does not become a permanent resident at that time. To become one, the Immigration and Refugee Board must first approve their claim. Then, they must apply for and be granted permanent resident status.
If you travel outside Canada, the PR card is your proof that you are a permanent resident of Canada. If you leave Canada, you will need this card to re-enter the country on a commercial vehicle, like an airplane, boat, train, or bus.
Permanent residents who do not have a PR card, or who are not carrying their PR card when traveling outside the country, will need to obtain a permanent resident travel document before returning to Canada by air mode in order to comply with eTA requirements.
If your PR card expires, it does not mean you have lost permanent resident status. For more information and assistance with renewing your PR card, or applying for a travel document to return to Canada, please contact us directly
Being a permanent resident is not a right but a privilege, that's why you should remember to:
Stay for 2 (not necessarily straight) out of 5 years in Canada
Keep track of traveling, flights, tickets, gas receipts, hotel bookings, pictures, etc.,especially if the border officers don’t stamp your passport.
Why is it important to keep track of your traveling?
Example: Let's say you travel within Canada for one day and your travel history shows it. If the border officer did not stamp your passport and you weren’t tracking your traveling history yourself then you would not have any proof that you were within the country that day and would be a day short when applying for PR.
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