Canada announces more relaxed rules for the renewal of permanent resident card

Canadian department of Citizenship and Immigration (CIC) has recently announced few changes to the process of applying for renewal of a permanent resident card (or PR card) that will allow valid card holders to still travel outside of Canada while their application for renewal of PR card would be in process.

Effective April 21, 2008, Canadian permanent residents seeking renewal of their PR cards can hold on to their still-valid cards and return them to a CIC officer at time of collecting the new card. If the card is already expired, then it should be returned with the application for renewal. In all cases, a replacement card will not be issued until the previous card is returned or otherwise accounted for.

In past, applicants applying to renew their PR card were required to submit their soon-to expire card along with their renewal application, which prohibit them to leave Canada for the waiting period of approximately ten weeks. Canadians living abroad could still apply to renew their PR cards via mail by providing enough documents to prove their identity at a Canadian government-approved law firm.

The PR card is a status document that provides secure proof of permanent resident status to landed immigrants. To be eligible for a PR Card, an individual must be a permanent resident of Canada and be physically present in Canada. A permanent resident who is under an effective removal order may not be found eligible for the card. Permanent residents who are outside Canada and do not have a valid PR Card must apply for a travel document from a Canadian visa office in order to return to Canada.