Pr card renewal

There comes a time where every permanent resident of Canada must renew their PR card. This can be a confusing process. But we're here to help.

In this guide you will learn everything you need to know when it comes to your permanent resident card and the renewal process.

Lets get to it.

What is a Permanent Resident card

There are many pathways to become a Permanent resident of Canada. The most popular ways to become a Permanent resident is through an Express Entry profile and family sponsorship. Gaining Permanent resident status in Canada allows the applicant to work and study in Canada without needing a visa (i.e study permit and work permit).

However, owning a PR card comes with it's responsibilities. To maintain your PR status you will have to meet your residency obligations. What does this mean? You will need to be physically present in Canada for a period of 730 days in a 5 year time period. But there are exceptions to this rule.

The exceptions to this rule are as follows:

• You're outside Canada with a Canadian Citizen who is your spouse or common law partner. If you're a minor, then accompanying your parents who are Canadian citizens will count towards your residency obligations.

• Employed on a full time basis by a Canadian business.

For those that like to travel to their home country you will need a valid PR card. However, you must make sure you come back to Canada to meet your residency obligation of 730 days (2 years) in respect to every 5 year period.

Eligibility for PR card renewal

To be eligible for a PR card renewal you must meet the following criteria:

• Have a PR card

• Be physically present in Canada

• Not under a removal order

• Free of any type of conviction

• Not a Canadian Citizen or a registered Indian under the Indian act

if your PR card renewal application is missing information then IRCC will send it back. This will delay the process about 1-2 months.

How to renew your Permanent Resident Card?

Renewing your permanent resident card can be a confusing process for some. You can seek professional help or do it on your own. If you decide to do it on your own you must be very careful becasue one small error can cause your application to be returned. An incomplete application package can take up to 3 months to be returned. This can delay your plans if you decide to travel to visit family or go on vacation. Also, if you're a long haul truck driver that drives internationally, this can have on leave from work until you have a valid PR status.

Documents required:

These are the following documents required to renew your PR card:

• Valid passport (validity of 6 months or more)

• Photocopies of your current PR card (front & back)

• Proof of address (if you don't have driver's license then a letter from the government of Canada not older than 6 months)\

• Valid photocopy of ID (Driver's license, Passport, Government photo ID card)

• I-94 travel history (If you're a truck driver travelling to the United States)

• meet photo specifications

What happens if my passport AND pr card is expired? What do I do?

This is a tricky situation. Because to apply for a pr card renewal you will need valid identity documents. The only document that can be used as an identity document is your valid passport.

Now, if your passport is expired, you will then need to prove you're a permanent resident. There are a few ways to do this:

• You will need to attach photocopies of the passport you landed in Canada with, along with the landing stamp the CBSA officer placed on your passport when you arrived at the port of entry.

• If you don't have your previous passport and there's no way for you to obtain it. Then, you will need to create a statutory declaration. This declaration should explain when you landed in Canada. Also, someone must attest and sign the declaration that they personally knew you before you landed in Canada as a Permanent resident.

These documents must be signed in front of a lawyer or paralegal and notarized by them. These are the options available if your primary identity document is expired.

Expired Permanent Residence card outside Canada

To return back to Canada you will need a valid PR card whether you're taking a bus, train or flight. If you plan on travelling outside of Canada and you know your PR card will expire you can renew it before you leave. However, you must be in Canada to renew your PR card and it can't be sent to a non Canadian address. With that being said, if you're outside Canada and forgot to renew your PR card you can apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document. This allows Permanent Resident's who don't have a valid PR card to travel back to Canada without any issues. This can only be obtained from the embassy/consulate in the country you are in.

The PR card renewal application can be a confusing process for some. It's best to receive expert advice to assist you in the process. Because if there is a minor error in the application package, then it will be returned to you after 1-2 months. This delays a lot plans you may have in the future if you travel outside Canada often. The overall processing time for a PR card application is about 2-3 months.

Working outside Canada

Some employers require their employees to work outside Canada. We have come across this mainly in the logistics company. If you work with a Canadian company, days spent outside Canada will count towards your residency obligations. You will need to include all days spent outside Canada.

Urgent Processing

The average processing time for PR cards is about 125 days according to CIC. This can delay your plans if you intend to travel or work outside Canada. However, you may apply for a PR card renewal under the Urgent processing. The government is very selective in terms of what is considered urgent. below is a list of reasons you can apply under urgent processing.

• close family member illness or death in the family & they're overseas

• Required to travel outside Canada for work

• Required to show PR status for work

Note: This list may vary - contact us for more information to see if you qualify for urgent processing.

To find out more about urgent processing click here

To have your PR card processed urgently it is at the discretion of the visa officer assessing your case. So it's really important to make the best possible case to have your PR card processed in less than 30 days. In this case the best option will be to seek professional help to see if you qualify for urgent processing. Be sure to submit the complete application to make the strongest case. One minor mistake can delay the process for about 2-3 months. If you're applying under urgency processing it would be best to make sure everything is done correctly.

How can I apply for urgent processing?

In certain circumstances, one can request urgent processing for their PR card renewal process. This is a sensitive option and should only be done with professional help. There is no guarantee your PR card will be processed urgently.

To make the best possible case for your urgent processing, you must fit one of the following criteria:

• There is a death in the family and you need a valid pr card to travel over the border and to return back to Canada

• Not having a valid permanent resident card is stopping you from getting a job placement or you're at risk of losing your current job for not having a valid permanent resident card.

• You are a truck driver and travel over the Canada and USA border everyday and need to have a valid pr card.

How soon can I renew my PR card?

We get this question everyday. And the simple answer is: you can renew your pr card 9 months before the card expires.

Now don't get confused. An expired PR card does not mean your status here in Canada is in jeopardy. It simply means if you want to travel over the border and come back to Canada, you will need to have a valid PR card. Basically, its your travel document along with your current valid passport.

Photo Requirements

The photos you provide to IRCC is extremely important. A minor error on your picture will result in your entire application being sent back. This will delay the process abut 1-2 months.

Below are examples of the perfect pictures and not so perfect pictures.