**ATTENTION SOFT LANDERS**
FIRST THING FIRST
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.
However,
You may also count days outside of Canada as days that you meet the residency obligation in these situations:
Situation 1. Accompanying a Canadian citizen outside Canada
You may count each day you accompanied a Canadian citizen outside Canada as long as this person is your spouse, common-law partner or parent (if you are a child under 19 years of age).
Proofs are needed
Situation 2. Employment outside Canada
You may count each day you worked outside Canada if:
you are an employee of, or under contract to, a Canadian business or the public service of Canada or of a province or territory and
as a term of your job or contract, you are assigned on a full-time basis to:
a position outside Canada
an affiliated enterprise outside Canada or
a client of the Canadian business or the public service outside Canada; and
you will continue working for the employer in Canada after the assignment.
Situation 3. Accompanying a permanent resident outside Canada
You may count each day you accompanied a permanent resident outside Canada as long as:
the person you accompanied is your spouse, common-law partner or parent (if you are a child under 19 years of age); and
the person was employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the public service of Canada or of a province or territory during the time you accompanied him or her.
Proof are needed
Humanitarian and compassionate grounds
If you cannot meet the residency obligation, we will consider any compelling humanitarian and compassionate factors in your individual circumstances that may justify that you keep your permanent resident status.
MOST IMPORTANT IS TO UNDERSTAND THAT YOU PR CARD HAS AN EXPIRY. SO ANY TIME YOU GO FOR RENEWL YOU MUST HAVE STAYED IN CANADA FOR 2 YEARS OUT OF PAST 5 YEARS FROM THE DATE OF EXIRY OF PR CARD.
NOW SOME IMPORTANT THINGS:
COPR/PR visa expiration is related to the medical expiry date and will be mentioned on it. You and all your dependents must enter before this date. Primary applicant must land first and activate the landing. Secondary/dependent applicants can either land together or follow at a later date but before the expiry.
On landing the address that you provide the border officer, is the one that will be used for mailing you your PR card once it is ready. As per current average times it may take anywhere between 63-120 days. (in most cases delay being due to photographs, which you are requested to resubmit).
If you leave the country without your PR card (which is now essentially your proof of residence as well as your travel card to re-enter Canada), then there are 3 options available for you in order to return back to Canada:
1. Have someone carry or send your PR card once received in mail. However Please note that it is possible but NOT RECOMMENDED to send PR card outside of Canada in mail/courier. If it is noticed at the border then it may be seized by the border authorities.
2. Apply for PRTD (Permanent Resident Travel Document) from the Canadian embassy once you leave. This is good for single entry and may take upto 3-4 weeks for the embassy to process.
3. If you have US visa (or dont need it) then fly to US and travel to Canada by road and enter by showing ur Copr. This is not ideal but is acceptable only for border crossings by "Road" in a private car.