Top Myths and Facts About The Canada PR - Permanent Residence

Abhishek Rai
[Published 08 Sep, 2021 | 05:16 PM]
About Author - 6 min read
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Obtaining the status of Permanent Resident in Canada is a big milestone in your immigration journey. This offers you the freedom to reside, study or work anywhere in Canada. You can also avail the majority of the social benefits accessible by the Citizens of Canada. This is also a forward progression towards obtaining the Citizenship of Canada.

You also have certain obligations to be fulfilled as a PR status holder in Canada. Generally, you must be physically present in the nation for 2 years or 730 days in the past 5 years. There are some exceptions to this, however. It includes among others those who are overseas accompanying their Canadian Common-law-partners or Spouses. Also are included those who are full-time employed by a Canadian business.

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Meanwhile, the language and terms used in the descriptions of the obligations can be perplexing.

Nationwide Visas, the top Canadian Immigration Consultant in Delhi has been facilitating thousands of individuals to obtain and maintain the PR status. Here we have chosen some of the major myths regarding the obligations to be fulfilled for maintaining the PR status and facts dispelling them.

Myth: You lose your PR status automatically if you do not fulfill your residency requirement

Fact: It is correct that as a Permanent Resident of Canada, you are required to fulfill the requirements for residency. But you do not forfeit your status till the Government of Canada so informs you by means of a formal process inclusive of appeal options.

Meanwhile, as a PR status holder, you may at times have concerns regarding non-compliance with residency requirements. You must make efforts to resolve issues about your status in this scenario. This is important rather than assuming that you have already lost your PR status.

Myth: When your PR card expires, your PR status also expires

Fact: This is not true. You must bear in mind that a PR Card is just only a Card. It permits you to demonstrate your immigration status upon arrival in Canada. Usually, this card has 5-year validity and can be renewed at the end of the validity period.

Maintaining a valid PR Card is crucial for you being able to prove your PR Status while arriving in Canada from overseas. But what terminates at the end of five years is only the card and not your PR status. The PR status of an individual does not have a date of expiry.

It is very important to bear in mind this difference. Some PR status holders get misguided and apply for their PR Card renewal assuming that otherwise, it will lead to loss of PR status. This is even if they have not fulfilled the obligations for residency.

In many cases, it can result in an investigation regarding their PR status which may conclude in termination of their PR status. This is if they have applied for the PR Card renewal before the accumulation of the required period of stay in Canada for fulfilling the residency obligation. Thus, it is vital to keep a track of the days spent in Canada before you decide to apply for the PR card renewal.

Myth: You forfeit your PR status if you exit Canada and do not come back within 6 months

Fact: This is also untrue. No obligation exists that requires returning to Canada once in 6 months for maintaining the PR status. This misunderstanding can be possible due to an outdated law. It had required applicants to be present in Canada for a minimum of 6 months for a specific number of years for qualifying for Canadian citizenship.

Nevertheless, no such requirement was ever-present for maintaining PR status. The requirement is being present in Canada physically for 730 days in the past 5 years. The total days are not required to be consecutively accumulated. No law stipulates default loss of PR status for being away from Canada for a period exceeding 6 months.

Myth: Canada PR status holders must always possess a valid PR card

Fact: This is just not the case. You do not forfeit your PR status just due to the absence of a valid card. It is similar to when you do not have a valid Passport; your Citizenship does not cease to exist. So, you also do not lose the PR status upon the expiry of the Card. The PR Card just symbolizes the status and does not denote or is status in itself.

Myth: Every PR status holder must always display the card to CBSA officers upon arrival in Canada

Fact: To reiterate, this is also not a fact. The PR Card is needed only while traveling through a commercial vehicle to Canada like a bus or airplane. For instance, if a PR status holder arrives in Canada by private car, there is no compulsion at all to possess a valid card.

However, PR status holders not having a valid PR card have to provide other proof of status to CBSA. This is to convince the Officers regarding their PR Status. The original PR Confirmation or landing document must be adequate. CBSA officers are aware that the PR status holders are entitled to arrive in Canada.

Of course, it is more feasible to have and maintain the PR Card. However, you need not feel stuck in Canada if your renewal process gets delayed which often does happen.

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PR Card Renewal

The Canada PR Visa or PR Card is a plastic card. For several PR status holders, it serves as the chief identification. The card facilitates arrival in Canada and usually expires after 5 years. The advantages of having a Card for easy travel to Canada are self-explanatory.

However, several complications arise after the expiry of the card. These become evident when the application for the card renewal is submitted. Incidentally, chief identification is a realistic, but not a lawful, advantage of the PR card in several applications.

Waiting for PR Card renewal

The renewal applications for PR Card may and often get delayed. This is especially if you are dependent on anything excluding physical presence in Canada for satisfying the obligation for residency. For instance, you can be dependent on overseas employment for fulfilling the obligation. In this case, the processing of the application can require more time than usual applications.

Generally, 88 days is the approximate time taken for processing renewal applications for PR Card. The Canadian Passport is designed for serving a purpose similar to that of PR card – travel and processed in 2 to 4 weeks. However, when it comes to global mobility, PR status holders are under-resourced disproportionately in comparison with Citizens of Canada.

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Nationwide Visas is the leading Canada PR Visa agent in Delhi. We have rich experience of 14 years in facilitating the processing of thousands of Canada PR Visa applications. Get in touch with us today if you have any concerns regarding maintaining your Canada PR status.