Canada permanent resident card

The permanent resident card (French: carte de résident permanent) also known colloquially as the PR card or the Maple Leaf card, is an identification document and a travel document that shows that a person has permanent residency in Canada. It is one of the methods by which Canadian permanent residents can prove their permanent residency status in Canada, and is one of the only documents that allow permanent residents to return to Canada by a commercial carrier.

Canadian Permanent Resident Card
Sample of a Permanent Resident Card of Canada
Type	Personal identification document
Issued by	Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Purpose	Identification Travel document
Eligibility	Residing in Canada as a temporary resident
Expiration	5 years (standard) 1 years (conditional)
Cost	C$50

Permanent resident holders are entitled to apply for Canadian citizenship after continuously residing in Canada for at least 1,095 days during a 5 year period, presenting a good moral character, passing the Canadian Citizenship test, and swearing an Oath of Citizenship

Like Canadian passports, all PR cards are issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and are the property of the Canadian Crown and must be returned or destroyed upon request.

History

Before 1910, immigrants to Canada were referred to as landed immigrant (French: immigrant reçu) for a person who has been admitted to Canada as a non-Canadian citizen. The Immigration Act 1910 introduced the term of "permanent residence," and in 2002 the terminology was officially changed in with the passage of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act.

The permanent resident card was first proposed during the aftermath of the September 11 attacks in the United States. After the establishment of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act in 2002 the first first Canadian Permanent Resident cards were distributed on 28 June 2002.

Starting from 10 November 2016, all travellers to Canada (except for Canadian citizens and permanent residents, U.S. citizens, nationals and lawful permanent residents, and travellers with a valid Canadian visa) are required to have an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) before boarding a flight to Canada. Hence permanent residents, including those from one of the visa-free countries (except the U.S.), need either a PR card or a PRTD to board a flight to Canada.

Rights and responsibilities of a permanent resident

A permanent resident holds many of the same rights and responsibilities as a Canadian citizen, including the right to live, work, and study in any province or territory of Canada. Permanent residents enjoy many of the same social benefits that Canadian citizens receive, including becoming contributing members of the Canada Pension Plan and receiving coverage by their province or territory's universal health care system, and as of 2022 are allowed to enlist in the Canadian Armed Forces. All permanent residents are entitled to the rights, freedoms, and protections under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

Permanent residents may apply for Canadian citizenship after living in Canada for a certain amount of time. Currently, a person must have been living in Canada as a Permanent Resident for three years (1095 days) out of the five years preceding their application (with up to one year of the time before becoming a permanent resident included). They also have the right to sponsor relatives for permanent residence, subject to fulfilling residence criteria and assurance of support requirements.

Restrictions of a permanent resident

Permanent residents do not have the right to vote in any federal, provincial, or municipal elections in Canada nor can they run for elected office in any level of government. However, several municipal governments in Canada, including Toronto, Vancouver, Halifax, and Calgary, have proposed giving permanent residents the right to vote in municipal elections, however these proposals made no avail. For national security reasons, permanent residents also cannot hold jobs in either the public or private sectors that require a high-level security clearance.

As non-citizens, permanent residents must use the passport of their current nationality in combination with a permanent resident card for international travel because they cannot be issued Canadian passports (unless they are stateless and issued a Canadian Certificate of Identity or Refugee travel document) Some countries will grant visa-free entry to Canadian permanent residents even if their current nationality would not typically qualify. To re-enter Canada on a commercial carrier (flight, bus, etc) a permanent resident must present either their permanent resident card or a Permanent Resident Travel Document issued by a Canadian diplomatic office.

Loss of permanent residence status

The Canadian permanent resident card is automatically lost upon becoming a Canadian citizen. However it can be revoked if the bearer is outside of Canada for longer than 730 days in a five year period (unless serving abroad as a Crown servant), or has committed criminal or immigration infractions resulting in a removal order.

Canadian permanent resident holders can voluntarily renounce status after filling form IMM 5782.

A permanent resident does not lose their status if their permanent resident card expires.

Design

There have been three types of PR card in circulation: the 2002, the 2009 and the 2015 version. As all PR card's lifespan cannot exceed five years, the initial 2002 and 2009 versions should be no longer in use.

All three versions of the card contain a maple leaf in the front of the card, hence earning the nickname "maple leaf card".

2002 version

Permanent Resident Card (2002-2009)

The card is an ISO/IEC 7810 ID-1 sized (commonly known as credit-card sized) document. The front of the card contains the holder's photograph, name, an 8-digit ID number, sex, nationality, date of birth, signature and the card's date of expiration. For the back of the card, an optical stripe which contains the holder's information is available on top. Below it are additional information on the holder including their immigration category, colour of eyes and height, country of birth as well as the day the holder became a permanent resident. A machine readable zone is at the bottom. The colour of the card is aqua, with graphs in purple and orange, and a maple leaf can be seen in the front.

2009 version

Permanent resident card (2009-2015)

Comparing to the previous version, the 2009 version of the card, which was introduced on 24 August 2009, contains the same information as the previous version. The design, however, was significantly changed with a white background colour, a transparent window on the right side of the card, a second ghost image located in the transparent window, and the replacement of optical stripe with a 2-D barcode.

PR cards issued after 1 February 2012 no longer contain the holder's signature.

2015 version

Permanent Resident Card (2015)

In circulation since 25 November 2015, the 2015 version of the card has an RFID chip which can be used for future land border crossings. Unlike the biometric chips found in Canadian passports, the RFID chip does not store any personal data, but instead a unique identifier. When entering Canada from a land port of entry, the RFID chip in the PR card will be read by RFID tag readers. The unique identifier is then transmitted to a secure database and the permanent resident's information is retrieved by the CBSA officer who will have information even before the vehicle stops at the inspection booth. The design is similar to the 2009 version, although an image of the Peace Tower is shown on the background. The new version also removed immigration category and the 2-D barcode from the back of the card.

Current version

A nuanced, mostly aesthetic redesign of the card was issued sometime after the 2015 version.

Permanent Resident Card (current)

Machine Readable Zone

There is a machine-readable zone at the back of the card. It consists of 3 rows each containing 30 characters. The format is compliant with ICAO Document 9303 Part 5.

Row	Positions	Length	Example	Meaning
1	1-2	2	CA	Document code (identifies the document as a non-passport travel document and to Canadian authorities as a PR card)
1	3-5	3	CAN	ISO 3166 Alpha-3 code of Canada
1	6-14	9	PA0123456	Permanent Resident Card number, matches with the small barcode at the top left and the text at the top right
1	15	1	0	Check digit for positions 6-14
1	16	1	<	Separator character
1	17-26	10	0123456789	UCI number, ID No at the front of the card
1	27-29	3	<	Separator character
1	30	1	5	Unknown digit
2	1-6	6	950110	Date of birth in YYMMDD format
2	7	1	3	Check digit for position 1-6
2	8	1	F	Abbreviated gender
2	9-14	6	250101	Expiry date in YYMMDD format
2	15	1	8	Check digit for positions 9-14
2	16-18	3	IND	ISO 3166 Alpha-3 code of country of citizenship
2	19	1	<	Separator character
2	20-25	6	200101	Issue date in YYMMDD format
2	26	1	<	Separator character
2	27-28	2	01	Unknown digits
2	29	1	<	Separator character
2	30	1	4	Composite check digit
3	1-30	30	JANE<<DOE<ANON	Family name(s) each separated by a single separator character (<), two separator characters (<<), given name(s) each separated by a single separator character (<)

Checksum calculation is the same algorithm used in Machine-readable passports. Multiply each digit by its weight. Weight of a digit depends on its position. The weight sequence is 7, 3, 1 and it repeats. All values are added and the result divided by 10 gives the check digit.

Application

New permanent residents

It is necessary to supply a Canadian residential address at the time of landing. If a Canadian address cannot be supplied at the time, one must be provided to IRCC within 180 days. Otherwise, a new application made to IRCC's processing centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, will be required, at a cost of CA$50 to the applicant. There is no fee for a first PR card provided that the applicant provides an address before the 180-day deadline.

Existing permanent residents and renewals

Permanent residents as of 28 June 2002 and new permanent residents who did not provide a Canadian residential address, or whose PR card was expired, lost, stolen or damaged, must apply to IRCC's processing centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia, for a new card. The applicant must demonstrate he or she has resided for at least 730 days before the five-year period of the card's renewal application. The fee is CA$50. In some cases, the PR card must be collected in person at an IRCC office in Canada.

Validity

The PR card is normally valid for five years. However, it may be valid for one year for those whose PR status is being assessed by the IRCC.

As permanent residents must meet the residency obligation (minimum of 730 days in every five years) in order to renew PR cards, all valid PR card holders are deemed to have not lost permanent resident status and have the right to enter and remain in Canada during the card's validity. If, however, the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer at the port of entry considers the permanent resident may not meet the residency obligation, the person may be reported to IRCC and may be required to attend a hearing to determine his or her PR status.

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.

Permanent residents outside Canada

It is not possible to apply for the PR card outside Canada. Instead, permanent residents wishing to travel to Canada who do not have a valid PR card may apply for a single use Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) which allows a journey to Canada as a permanent resident. The application may only be submitted to Government of Canada offices abroad and the fee is CA$50. The officers abroad will then determine whether the person still has permanent resident status.

Proof of permanent resident status

Whether one is a permanent resident or not is determined by the provisions of the IRPA. Under section 31(2)(a) of the IRPA, a person with a valid permanent card or signed confirmation of permanent residence document (electronic or otherwise) is presumed to be a permanent resident unless the IRCC officer determines that he or she is no longer a permanent resident. Similarly, under section 31(2)(b) of the IRPA, a person who is outside Canada without a valid PR card or signed confirmation of permanent residence document (electronic or otherwise) is presumed not to be a permanent resident unless proven otherwise.

The IRPA, however, does not specify the requirement for a permanent resident to hold a PR card, so a permanent resident who does not hold a valid PR card continues to be a permanent resident regardless of whether he or she is physically in Canada, if he or she satisfies the residency obligation and the status has not been revoked, although it would be difficult to prove the person's status in many cases.

Use as a proof of status and for visa-free travel

In Canada

A PR card is the most convenient way of proving status to authorities within Canada (e.g. provincial governments, employers, schools). All permanent residents have other documentation (such as original landing papers) which is also acceptable. However, there is no legal requirement for a permanent resident to carry a PR card at all times.

Outside Canada

For visa-free travel, Canadian permanent residents require a PR card, unless the person's passport in itself is sufficient for exemption. A Canadian PR card holder may travel visa-free to the following countries if not already exempt:

• All Dutch Caribbean territories (90 days)
• Anguilla (maximum 3 months)
• Bahamas (90 days)
• Belize (30 days)
• Bermuda (maximum 6 months)
• British Virgin Islands (up to 6 months)
• Cayman Islands (60 days)
• Costa Rica (30 days, PR card must be valid for more than six months)
• Cuba (30 days, PR card and a current and valid passport required)
• Dominican Republic (60 days)
• El Salvador (not applicable to all nationalities)
• Georgia (90 days in 180 days).
• Guatemala (30 days)
• Honduras (not applicable to all nationalities)
• Jamaica (up to 6 months)
• Kosovo (up to 15 days)
• Mexico (6 months)
• Nicaragua (90 days within 180 days, not applicable to all nationalities)
• Panama (30 days or 180 days)
• Peru (6 months, nationals of China or India only)
• Qatar (30 days)
• Saint Pierre and Miquelon (90 days in 180 days)
• Singapore (96 hours visa-free transit to or from a third country such as Canada, nationals of China or India only)
• Sint Maarten (90 days)
• South Korea (30 days when in transit, not applicable to all nationalities)
• Taiwan (30 days, online registration required, only applicable to certain nationalities)
• Turks and Caicos Islands (90 days)

For non-visa-exempt nationals, the UK allows holders of a valid PR card issued after 2002 to transit without visa under TWOV program.

Requirement to enter Canada

A Canadian permanent resident has the right to enter Canada under section 27(1) of IRPA, provided that their PR status has not been revoked, hence legally speaking, a permanent resident does not need a PR card to enter Canada.

Due to the changes in visa policy, however, all permanent residents are required to hold a valid PR card to board a flight to Canada unless they hold a U.S. passport. As any person can approach one of the Canadian land ports of entry along the Canada–United States border, a permanent resident does not need to hold a valid PR card to enter Canada from the United States, although they may face difficulties when boarding a commercial carrier (bus, ship or train).

See also

• Immigration to Canada
• Canada immigration statistics
• Canadian nationality law
• Green card, equivalent document in the United States
• Blue Card (European Union)
• Indefinite leave to remain, a British residence status equivalent to the Canada permanent resident card
• Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative

Further reading

• Noorani, Nick; Noorani, Sabrina (2008), Arrival Survival Canada: A Handbook for New Immigrants, Oxford University Press, p. 65, ISBN 978-0-19-542891-9
• Twomey, Patrick (2008), Working and Living in Canada, 2nd, Cadogan Guides, pp. 149–150, ISBN 978-1-86011-404-5

External links

• Permanent Resident Card Overview - Citizenship & Immigration Canada