Permanent Resident Cards, which are also called PR cards, are one of the documents that prove that an immigrant is a Permanent Resident.
Permanent Residency is the right to live, work, travel and study within Canada at will. The status does not expire, however there are certain things that can be done to make it invalid.
Most of the time you will only need your PR Card if you intend to travel outside of Canada, in that case the card, which is about the size of a credit card, will simply be an identification document.
Some of the reasons that your Permanent Residency may become invalid are:
- Extended stays outside of Canada. You must be able to spend a certain amount of days within the country in order to legally and permanently reside in Canada.
- Criminal convictions. Canadian courts are likely to revoke your Permanent Residency if you commit serious crimes. Most crimes will likely threaten your PR validity.
- You take back your Permanent Residency. If you file for the lapse of your Permanent Residency with the CIC, you will have to re-apply for entry into Canada because your status is no longer valid.
After a while your PR Card may expire, in which case you will have to secure a new one. Inside of Canada you will only need to mail in the renewal application and you will receive a brand new PR Card in a few months. Outside of Canada you may have to apply for a travel document or wait for a slightly longer time to get your PR Card.
Actual proof of your status in Canada is your landing document. This document is hardly ever necessary, however. Only in certain circumstances will you need it. Such as when filing for Social Insurace.
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