Canadian Immigration News

How to Return to Canada After Spending More Than 6 Months Abroad

2.25 minute read
"The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will mail you a Permanent Resident (PR) card within 6 weeks of your becoming a Canadian permanent resident. A new permanent resident does not need to separately apply for a PR card."
Written by My Visa Source Team
Published on:  Sep 29, 2021
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The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will mail you a Permanent Resident (PR) card within 6 weeks of your becoming a Canadian permanent resident. A new permanent resident does not need to separately apply for a PR card. However, if you do not receive your PR card within this period, you must inform the IRCC. 

If you are an existing permanent resident applying to renew your PR card, then your application will be processed within 180 days. You can check the IRCC Processing Times for updated time frames. 

As a permanent resident, you are free to leave Canada and re-enter without any hassle as long as your trip abroad lasts less than 6 months. However, what to do if you are planning to travel abroad for more than 6 months? Do you need to make any additional arrangements?

The correct answer is that as long as you have a valid PR card, you should have no trouble returning from your travel abroad via car, bus, airline, or ship. However, you have to make sure that your PR card is valid. An expired PR card will make things complicated at re-entry.

How Long Can Permanent Residents Stay Out of Canada Without Losing Their Status?

There is a common misconception that permanent residents can travel outside Canada freely without losing their status. The truth is that your PR card is valid for a period of 5 years. During this period, you can easily travel abroad and return to Canada without any problem.

However, to renew your PR card, you must have accumulated at least 2 years of physical residence in Canada in the last 5 years to be eligible. That is unless you can explain your elongated absence on Humanitarian and Compassionate grounds or you were accompanied abroad by your Canadian spouse.

What Is the Residency Requirement to Renew Your PR Card?

The residency requirement is also called Permanent Residency Obligation, permanent residence must physically reside in Canada for at least 2 years in the last 5 years to renew their PR card. This means they can not be abroad for more than 3 years. Your absence from Canada will be calculated based on the days when you spent no time at all in Canada. That way, the day of your departure and returning will not be counted as absence since you were physically present in Canada.

How to Return to Canada If Your PR Card Expires While You Are Abroad?

You can apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) if your PR card expires while you are abroad. However, you will only be issued this document if you meet the residency requirements to retain your permanent residence. 

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