Your PR card is not your PR status
Your PR card is proof that you are a permanent resident. It is not the status itself. IRCC is clear on this: you won't lose your PR status when your PR card expires. A card is usually valid for 5 years, and sometimes for only 1 year.
According to IRCC, you lose PR status only if an officer decides you are no longer a permanent resident after an inquiry or a PR travel document appeal following a refusal, if you voluntarily give up your status, if a removal order against you comes into force, or if you become a Canadian citizen. Even if you do not meet the residency obligation, you remain a permanent resident until an official decision is made about your status.
So why renew? Because you need a valid PR card, with a valid passport or travel document, to return to Canada on a commercial carrier such as a plane, boat, train or bus. A renewal is also the moment IRCC checks whether you meet the residency obligation, so treat the application with care.
When to apply for PR card renewal
IRCC says to renew your PR card if it will expire in less than 9 months or if it has already expired. Do not apply earlier: IRCC's instruction guide says that if your card is still valid for more than nine months (270 days), it will return your renewal application, unless your legal name or gender has changed.
You must be in Canada to apply and to receive the card. IRCC only mails PR cards to addresses in Canada and does not send them abroad or to a third party. If you plan a trip, apply well before you leave and check current processing times first.
- Card expires in 9 months or less: apply now.
- Card already expired and you are in Canada: apply now, and avoid international travel by commercial carrier until the new card arrives.
- Card expired and you are outside Canada: you cannot renew from abroad; apply for a PR travel document (PRTD) to come back, then renew once you are in Canada.
The residency obligation: 730 days in 5 years
To keep PR status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. The days do not need to be continuous. If you have been a permanent resident for five years or more, IRCC looks at the five years before your application. If you have been a permanent resident for less than five years, you must show that you will be able to meet the 730 days within five years of becoming a permanent resident.
Some time outside Canada can count. Under section 28 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, days can count if you were outside Canada accompanying a Canadian citizen who is your spouse or common-law partner (or, if you are a child, your parent), if a Canadian business or the federal or a provincial public service employed you full time and, as a term of that job or contract, assigned you full time to a position, an affiliated enterprise or a client outside Canada, or if you were accompanying a permanent resident spouse or common-law partner (or, if you are a child, your parent) employed and assigned abroad that way. IRCC's guide lists the letters and proof it expects for each situation.
On form IMM 5444 you list every absence from Canada in the past five years. IRCC asks for copies of 2 pieces of evidence that you lived in Canada, such as employment records or pay stubs, bank statements or rental agreements. If you spent fewer than 1,095 days outside Canada, the extra documents for absences are not mandatory, but IRCC warns that leaving them out may affect the assessment.
If you cannot meet the obligation, you can ask IRCC to consider humanitarian and compassionate reasons by answering question 5.7. You need to explain why you could not meet the obligation, give proof of the compelling factors, and describe the hardship that losing status would cause you, your family and any child directly affected.
How to renew your PR card online
Most renewals are done online. If you cannot apply online, IRCC has a help page for technical support and alternate formats.
- Sign in to the Permanent Residence Portal and start the application for a PR card (form IMM 5444).
- Complete the document checklist (IMM 5644) and any other forms that apply to you, such as IMM 5476 if a representative is helping you.
- Pay the $50 fee to IRCC online. Fees are not paid through the portal, so pay separately and upload your receipt.
- Upload your documents and photo, then sign by typing your full name exactly as it appears on your passport. A representative cannot sign or submit for you.
- Submit, wait for your acknowledgement of receipt, then track your application status online.
Documents and photos
IRCC's guide for a renewal asks for the following. Do not send originals, and include English or French translations where needed.
For an online application you need 1 digital photo, taken no more than 12 months before you apply, on a plain white background. IRCC accepts a professional digital photo or a scan of a professional print; a phone picture of a printed photo is not accepted. Paper applicants send 2 identical printed photos, 50 mm wide by 70 mm high.
- A copy of your current PR card.
- A copy of your valid passport or travel document showing its type and number, issue and expiry dates, your name, photo and date of birth.
- Your photo, meeting the PR card photo specifications.
- Proof that you paid the $50 fee.
- 2 pieces of evidence that you meet the residency obligation, plus proof for any days outside Canada you want counted.
- The completed document checklist (IMM 5644), and name change documents if your name changed.
Fee, processing times and urgent processing
IRCC's fee list shows $50 for a permanent resident card. The fee cannot be refunded while your application is in progress.
IRCC publishes current PR card processing times on its Check processing times page, under permanent resident cards. Times change, so check before you book any travel; you can also follow them with our processing times tool at /tools/processing-times/. IRCC says it cannot process a PR card application in less than 3 weeks.
Urgent processing is possible in some circumstances, if you need the card to travel for a job opportunity, work related to your current job, your own serious illness, the serious illness or death of a family member, or a crisis, emergency or vulnerable situation. Send proof of travel (itinerary or ticket and its receipt), a letter explaining the urgency, and proof such as a doctor's note, a death certificate or an employer letter. Online, tick that your request is urgent in the portal. IRCC does not guarantee the card will arrive in time, and if proof is missing it processes the application normally.
Travelling while your renewal is in process
IRCC says you should always have a valid PR card before leaving Canada. If you leave without one, you will need to apply for a PR travel document from outside Canada before you can return by commercial carrier, and that application includes its own residency assessment. If you return by private vehicle, such as a car, IRCC says you can use your PR card or other documents.
Watch one detail: if you apply for a new card, your current card stops being valid 60 days after IRCC issues the new one. If the new card is mailed while you are away, you may be stuck abroad with a card you can no longer use.
After approval and common mistakes
IRCC usually mails the new card to your Canadian address. If, after applying, you are moving within the next 3 weeks or have already moved, tell IRCC through its online address update form. If IRCC asks you to pick up the card in person, bring your passport, your old card and the originals of documents you sent as copies; cards not collected within 180 days are destroyed. Destroy your old card once the new one arrives, and check the new card for errors.
Common mistakes: applying when the card still has more than 9 months left, leaving Canada before the new card arrives, not keeping a record of your trips abroad, uploading a photo that does not meet the specifications, and forgetting to update your address. If you are close to the 730-day line or need to ask for humanitarian consideration, get advice before you submit.
We don't provide legal opinions; for advice on your file, contact an RCIC-verified consultant or a lawyer.