To renew a permanent resident card, an applicant must submit a complete application in hard copy to one of Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Case Processing Centers for PR cards.
You should only apply for a PR card if:
- your card is lost, stolen, or destroyed
- your card has expired or will expire in less than 9 months
- you didn’t receive your card within 180 days of immigrating to Canada
- you need to legally change your name, change your citizenship, change your gender designation, correct your date of birth
Upon submission, provided that an application is complete and that the permanent resident meets all requirements, a new PR card will be issued.
Residency Obligation
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don’t need to be continuous. Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days.Even if a person fails to meet the permanent resident residency obligation, their PR status remains in effect until an official decision is made on their status.
It should be noted that permanent resident status does not expire when a person’s PR card expires. A person can only lose their PR status if they go through an official process. You can lose your PR status in the following situations:
- An officer determines you are no longer a permanent resident after an inquiry (including PR card renewal) or permanent resident travel document (PRTD) appeal;
- You voluntarily renounce your permanent resident status;
- A removal order is made against you and comes into effect
- You become a Canadian citizen.