IMM 5445 Guide: Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) – First application, replacement, renewal or to change gender identifier

Table of Contents

• Overview
• Before you apply
• Step 1: Gather documents
• Step 2: Fill out the application
• Step 3: Pay the fees
• Step 4: Mail the application
• What happens next?
• Need help?
• Appendix A – Residency obligation

Before you apply

Permanent Resident Card

The permanent resident card (PR Card) is the official proof of your status as a permanent resident in Canada.

You need a PR Card if:

• you are a permanent resident (including a child);
• you plan on travelling outside of Canada; and
• you plan on returning to Canada by any commercial transporter, such as a plane, train, boat or bus.

Who may use this application

Use this application if you are a permanent resident in Canada who wants to apply for:

• your first PR Card;
• a renewal of your PR Card that has or will soon expire;
• you legally changed your name and need to update your PR card;
• a replacement of your PR Card that has been lost, stolen or damaged; or
• to change the gender designation on your PR Card.

Important information: If your PR Card is still valid for more than nine (9) months (270 days), do not apply for a renewal, unless your legal name has changed. Otherwise, your application will be returned.

I am a new permanent resident. Do I need to apply for a PR Card?

If you are a new permanent resident, you will automatically receive your new card by mail when you first arrive in Canada. This is part of the immigration process and you do not need to apply for a PR Card.

Are you eligible?

To be eligible for a PR Card, you must:

• be a permanent resident of Canada;
• be physically present in Canada;
• meet the residency requirement (see Appendix A – Residency obligation);
• not be under an effective removal order;
• not be a Canadian citizen; and
• not be convicted of an offense related to the misuse of a PR Card

Permanent Residents outside of Canada

If you are outside Canada and do not have a valid PR Card to return, you must get a Permanent Resident Travel Document from a Visa Application Centre or a Canadian visa office.

Important information: When you return to Canada, you should apply for a PR Card right away.

You may be eligible for Canadian citizenship

You may be eligible for Canadian citizenship if:

• you are a permanent resident of Canada; and
• regardless of your age, you have been physically present in Canada for at least 1,095 days during the five years right before the date you sign your application and meet all other conditions.

You may be able to use some of your time spent in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person towards your physical presence calculation. Each day spent physically in Canada as a temporary resident or protected person before becoming a permanent resident within the last five years will count as one half day, with a maximum of 365 days, towards your physical presence.