Permanent Resident Identification Card (Maple Leaf Card)

The new Immigration Act of 2002 (IPRA) created provisions for a Permanent Resident Card. These cards are now available and are referred to as Maple Leaf Cards or " PR " Cards.

A PR card expires five years after it is issued. A person, who wants to renew his/her PR card, must apply to Sydney for a new one and be present in Canada to receive it in person. An immigrant does not need a PR card unless he wants to leave Canada and come back in. A PR Card is required as a travel document for people who travel on passports issued by countries whose citizens cannot travel to Canada without Visitor Visas (i.e. Iran, China Taiwan, India, etc). .

A carrier dealing with someone from a non-exempt country who has a PR card can demand proof that the person is not in breach. The PR card by itself is only proof that the person was a PR when they applied for the Card. Depending on the issue date of the Card, they could be in breach on the date of travel. The carrier might send the person to the closest Canadian Visa Office to apply for a Travel Document reconfirming the person's Permanent Resident Status.

In practice, carriers at this time are accepting PR Cards, but they are forcing PR's without PR Cards to get Travel Documents confirming status. Such a person should consult an Immigration Consultant.

Permanent Residents can only renew their PR Card if they can prove that they have met the Residency Obligations as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. The new rule states that any immigrant who spends more than two years in any five-year period outside of Canada (less than 730 days during the last 5 years) can lose his status. That person is considered to be 'in breach' of their residency requirement. In this case If a person in 'breach' applies for a Permanent Resident Identification Card, the Card Processing Center in Nova Scotia that process the PR Cards will send the application to the local Canadian Immigration Center who will then make a decision to take away the person's status or grant them PR status for five more years. If positive, they will authorize the Card to be issued. If negative, they will take away the status and give the PR their right to Appeal.  

If you are in Canada and would like to apply for or renew a permanent resident

(maple leaf) card, please contact us for further assessment.