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 and is the only document that allows permanent residents to return to Canada. However, those from nations not requiring a visa to travel to Canada may be allowed entry on the strength of their passports alone.
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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, at a cost of $50 to the applicant. Manual applications for permanent residence cards take on average 67 days, compared to 30 days for those applied for at the time of landing.
There is no fee for a PR Card applied for at the time of the landing process.
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. [1]
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.
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. [2]
Previously, there were different application forms for different migrants depending on their circumstances. However, the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) integrated those different forms to create a new general application form for all permanent residence categories called "'Generic Application Form for Canada' (IMM0008)". All existing application forms (IMM5202, IMM5001, IMM5002) are replaced by the new IMM0008 form from July 18, 2011. [3]
CIC publish processing times for PR Cards on their website.[4] Application for Permanent Residence Cards are processed at the CIC Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Sydney, Nova Scotia
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.
In general, permanent residents must present a valid PR Card or Travel Document to a commercial carrier (e.g. 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).
Similarly, a PR Card or Travel Document is not required for those passport holders (described in the previous paragraph) to cross the land frontier into Canada from the U.S.
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.
Foreign government authorities may require the production of a PR Card in some circumstances:
Aruba, the Bahamas, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Costa Rica, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Honduras, Jamaica, Japan, Mexico, Netherlands Antilles, Nicaragua , South Korea and Turks & Caicos Islands. (It's better to confirm with the designated country's embassy/consulate or any travel agency/operator to be sure, as rules may change)
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.
Provided, that the individual fulfills certain conditions, it is usually easier for a Canadian PR card holder to get a tourist visa to most countries, where the individual's original passport/country of citizenship may not provide direct visa free entry and/or may require strict visa entry criteria to a designated country.