IMM 5445 Guide: Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) – First application, replacement, renewal or to change gender identifier
You may be eligible to apply even if you don’t meet the minimum time lived in Canada if you’re a:
- Crown servant (certain categories of public officials); or
- family member of a Crown servant
Find out if you have lived in Canada long enough to apply to become a citizen.
We will not issue PR cards to Canadian citizens. Confirm your status in Canada before you apply.
If we cannot process your PR card application because you are a Canadian citizen, your application fee will be refunded.
Mistake in your name
If your Record of Landing (IMM 1000), Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) or other permanent residence document has a mistake in your name:
- Fill out and submit a Request to Amend the Immigration Record of Landing, Confirmation of Permanent Residence or Valid Temporary Resident Documents (IMM 5218) to correct it before you apply for a PR Card.
We will only correct administrative mistakes made by the department in recording your personal information.
Legal Change of Name
Read the information below to see which supporting documents you need:
If your present name is different from the name printed on your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688), you must submit:
- supporting legal documents as proof of your name change, and
- supporting identity documents as requested in section 2 of Step 1.
Submit any of these documents issued by a civil authority in a province or territory of Canada:
- a copy of a legal change of name document, court order, adoption order, or
- one of the following documents (unless you were married in Quebec on or after April 2, 1981 and are now a resident of this province). The document must show your new name:
- a marriage certificate;
- divorce decree;
- registration;
- declaration of union;
- revocation of declaration or annulment of union.
If you are a permanent resident and changed your name outside of Canada, submit:
- a foreign passport or other national authoritative document that shows your new name; and
- an official document linking the old and new names.
If your name change was already approved in a past PR Card application, include a photocopy of your last PR Card.
Important information: If you have had a legal name change, you must include a copy of your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) with this application.
Step 1: Gather documents
What documents do I need?
The instructions below outline the documents that you must include with your application. Use the Document Checklist [IMM 5644] (PDF, 2.19 MB) to gather the necessary documents. Send the completed checklist with your application.
Important information: If any of the required documents are missing, or photocopies are not clear, your application will be returned to you.
Note: We may ask for more documents at any time while we are processing your application. If you do not submit the requested documents, there will be delays in processing.
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Your PR Card
If you are applying to renew your present card, you should keep it until you get your new card and include a photocopy of it with your application.
If you are applying to replace a damaged card, send the damaged card with your application.
If we ask you to come to a local IRCC office, you must bring your old card and the original documents of the copies you had included with your application. We will ask you to destroy your old card after you get the new one.
Format: Original
-
One (1) main identity document
A photocopy of one of the following:
- your valid passport or travel document or
- the passport or travel document you had when you became a permanent resident (if applicable, include the passport page that was stamped when you arrived in Canada and became a permanent resident) or
- the certificate of identity or travel document issued by the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada or a foreign country.
Note: The copy should show:
- the document type and number;
- issue and expiry date;
- your name;
- your photo; and
- your date of birth
In exceptional cases, if it is impossible for you to obtain any of the above, you must provide a:
- photocopy of any identity document issued outside Canada before you came to Canada
or - statutory declaration signed by you attesting to your identity and a statutory declaration also attesting to your identity signed by:
- a person who knew you before you came to Canada (such as a family member) or
- an official of an organization representing people from your country of nationality or past residence.
All statutory declarations must be certified by an accredited commissioner of oaths. Provincial laws govern who can act in this position.
Format: Clear and legible photocopy
We may contact you for more information or ask you to provide more documents.
-
Photos
You will need two (2) identical photos taken within six (6) months of the date of this application:
- Put the two (2) photos in a small envelope (no staples or paper clips), and
- Write the name of the applicant on the envelope.
- IMM 5529 Guide: Applying for a Permanent Resident Travel Document
- Guide 5781: Applying to Voluntarily Renounce Your Permanent Resident Status
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