Permanent Resident

A permanent resident (PR) of Canada is someone who has been given permission to live, work, and settle in Canada indefinitely as long as their status is maintained. If a permanent resident of Canada reaches the age of eligibility, they can apply for citizenship.

If you are a permanent resident of Canada and pay your taxes and follow federal and provincial laws and regulations, you are entitled to the same social benefits as Canadian residents. For example:

Your permanent residency status can be extended every five years, but there are certain conditions that must be met in order to keep your PR status. In a five-year cycle, you must be physically present in Canada for at least two years (730 days). If you stay outside of Canada for an extended period of time, your permanent resident status could be revoked.

If you meet the following criteria, you will be able to count your days spent outside of Canada against the 730 eligible days:

Visiting another country with a Canadian resident:

If you have accompanied a Canadian citizen who is your spouse, common law partner, or parent outside of Canada, you can count the days (if you are under 19 years of age).

Accompanying a permanent resident outside Canada:

If you accompanied a permanent resident of Canada who is your spouse, common-law partner, or parent (if you are under 19 years old) and that person was working full-time by a Canadian company or in the public service of Canada or a province or territory during the time you accompanied them, you can include the days spent outside Canada.

Employment outside Canada:

If you work for a Canadian company or the Canadian government, or a province or territory, and you are assigned to a full-time role outside of Canada, or to a client or an associate of a Canadian company or the government outside of Canada, you can count your days outside of Canada against the permanent residency requirement. Following the assignment, you would work for the employer in Canada.

A permanent resident is given a PR passport, which serves as proof that you are a Canadian permanent resident while travelling outside of the country. You would not be allowed to display some other type of visa or permission to enter or re-enter the country. You’ll need this card if you’re taking a flight, commercial vehicle, aeroplane, cruise, train, or bus into or out of the country. It is your duty to check if your PR card is still valid when you return from your trip outside of Canada, and to apply for a new one when your existing one expires.