Citizenship & PR

Permanent resident cards are valid for up to 5 years. If your PR card is about to expire or will expire in less than nine months, you can apply for a new one. You will remain a permanent resident even if your card expires. The PR Card renewal process will take a minimum of 49 days and, if required, can do it urgently. A fee of $50 has to be paid for PR renewal. To pay for the PR Card renewal, you must pay online and print the receipt attached to your application. The application must include photos as per photo specifications, or it may lead to the rejection of your application.

In order to be eligible for a PR card renewal you must be:

1. A permanent resident of Canada.
2. Be physically present in Canada.
3. Not under an effective removal order.
4. Free of conviction for any type of offense.
5. Not a Canadian citizen or registered Indian under the Indian Act.
6. Having proof of a lost or stolen PR card (if applicable).

To apply for a PR card renewal, you will have to fill out an application consisting of a form IMM 5444e along with requisite documents. The documents required are as follows:

1. Your initial PR card has expired or is soon to expire. If your card expires soon, you may keep it until the new one is issued.
2. In case of lost or stolen, proof of a lost or stolen PR card
3. A copy of a valid travel document such as your passport
4. Clear photos according to photo specifications in the guide
5. Other identity documents may be required.
6. Criminal records prove you are not under any convictions.
7. Other Requisite Documents:

In addition to the above, you may also need to provide other documents, such as:

1. A copy of the record of confirmation of permanent residence.
2. A copy of a valid ID such as a driving license, student ID, or photo-identity card.
3. Recent tax documents.
4. A birth certificate if the applicant is under 18 years of age.

People often miscalculate their physical presence in Canada and we often found that they are eligible for Canadian Citizenshipand need not renew their PR card. But if you need to renew your PR Card then in most cases the following documents are required for the PR card renewal application:

1. Copy of current Permanent Resident (PR) Card
2. Government-issued identity documents for identity purposes
   • copy of the current valid driving license
   • if obtained the travel documents to re-enter Canada upon expiration of PR card; also submit travel document copy
   • foreign passport copy or travel document in case of no passport
3. 02 Application photographs meeting the photo specification requirements of obtaining the PR card i.e. 50mm x 70 mm. (do not staple or use a paper clip instead place pictures in an envelope and submit with the application)
4. Proof that you are meeting the residency requirements of PR status i.e. 02 years of residence in Canada in the last 05 years. In case you are not meeting the residency requirements, submit the documents that prove that either:

It will take about 90 days for the processing to take place. New PR cards may be issued within 45 days. The IRCC website will provide accurate processing times on their website. It may take up to 6 months, depending upon the number of applications IRCC is working on, and complex cases may take up to a year to process.

A fee of $50 has to be paid for each application for renewal of the PR card. As the PR Card Renewal application fee is non-refundable, make sure you are eligible for PR Card renewal. Permanent Residence is a status, and status never expires; only the PR card expires. Submit a complete application to avoid the return of the whole application package.

If you wish to apply for Canadian citizenship, you may apply for a citizenship grant under the Citizenship Act. To apply for Canadian citizenship, you must be a permanent resident of Canada, be physically present in Canada, and meet other citizenship requirements besides citizenship residency requirements. Some points to consider when applying for Canadian citizenship are as follows:

1. You must be 18 years or older to apply.
2. You must have been physically in Canada for at least 1095 days in the past five years and meet all the citizenship residency requirements.
3. You must have filed income taxes for any three taxation years that are fully or partially within five years before you apply.
4. You are not prohibited under sections 21 or 22 of the Citizenship Act.
5. You must be able to communicate effectively in English/French.
6. You must know the Canadian responsibilities and privileges of a Canadian citizen and must be able to show that in English/French.

You may not be eligible to apply for Canadian citizenship if:

1. You have a criminal record.
2. You are under criminal convictions outside Canada.
3. You have been issued a deportation/removal order.
4. Your Canadian citizenship has been revoked.
5. You have failed to meet the terms and conditions required for citizenship, including citizenship residency requirements.
6. You have been previously refused citizenship due to misinterpretation or fraudulent information. 

The application package you have to use depends upon your condition:

• You are an adult (18 years or above).
• You are a parent applying for a child.
• You are a minor (below 18 years) applying without Canadian parents.
• You are an adult who has served in the Canadian Armed Forces.
• You are a stateless person born to a Canadian parent.
• A Canadian citizen has adopted you.

The application package will consist of an instruction guide and document checklist to help you fill out your application effectively. If you are applying for more than one person and want all applications to be processed together, you may send the applications together in one envelope with all requisite documents.

The application fee has to be paid in Canadian dollars. It is non-refundable. You may use one payment receipt if you send your family’s application together in one envelope.

It can take up to at least 12 months to process your application.

All adults applying for citizenship grants will be assessed on their knowledge of Canada and the responsibilities and privileges of a Canadian Citizen. The citizenship test will be written in multiple choices or an oral knowledge hearing. It can be prepared by the publication Discover Canada. If the applicant achieves passing marks (75 %), they will be deemed eligible for a citizenship grant. If the applicant is 55 years or older, they will not be required to take the knowledge test. After passing the test, the applicant will be called for an interview.

All applicants will be advised to maintain the requirement until Oath. After the knowledge test and final interview, the applicant must take a citizenship oath. The Oath will be taken in English or French.