Your Permanent Resident Card is only valid for five (5) years at a time and you will need it if you intend on travelling to and from Canada. If your Permanent Resident (PR) Card is about to expire, you may face issues when travelling.
For example, if your Permanent Resident (PR) Card will expire before your intended return to Canada, you will not be able to board a commercial vehicle to Canada. This means that you will not be able to catch that plane, bus, train or boat to Canada. You cannot travel to Canada on an expired Permanent Resident (PR) Card.
That being said, maintaining your Permanent Resident (PR) Card is crucial to your ability to travel back and forth from Canada.
Urgent Travel
If you have an urgent travel need, there is still hope. If you intend on exiting Canada, you will definitely need your Permanent Resident (PR) Card. That being said, you should be sure to double check the expiry on your Permanent Resident (PR) Card to ensure that it will be valid for your return flight. If not, you can request for urgent processing of your card.
This means that Citizenship and Immigration Canada will take into consideration your request and do their best to ensure that you receive your Permanent Resident (PR) Card before your intended travel date, provided that you meet the residency obligation.
You will need to submit proof of impending travel and purchased tickets, for example.
PR Residency Obligation
To qualify for your Permanent Resident Card you must meet certain residency obligations. You must meet the residency obligation to obtain a Permanent Resident Card.
If you have been a permanent resident for five (5) years or more
- you must have been physically present in Canada for a minimum of 730 days within the past five (5) years.
If you have been a permanent resident for less than five (5) years
- you must show that you will be able to meet the minimum of 730 days of physical presence in Canada within five (5) years of the date you became a permanent resident.