I lost my PR card. . . . Now I work in US and travel very often between US and Canada. What do I need to renew my PR card?
You need to come to Canada, and be IN Canada, to make a PR card application. Otherwise, unless you affirmatively represent that you are IN Canada (and obviously it would be, well, stupid to make any misrepresentation as to this) you would be making a PR Travel Document application.
Since you are in the U.S., you should be able to drive to the Canadian border. Hopefully you can present a copy of your CoPR along with your passport, and explain you lost your PR card. But even just your passport will suffice as long as it is enough for border officials to positively verify your identity and confirm in GCMS you are a PR.
Since you are a Canadian, assuming border officials can confirm you are a Canadian, a PR (which, again, goes easier if you present a copy of your CoPR), they will (as they must) allow you to enter Canada.
Once in Canada you can make an application to replace your lost PR card.
I am a little confused on the PR card and PR status. so PR status will be lost if i didn't stay up to 2 years within the past 5 years? But PR card won't be renewed if i do not meet that condition, right?
While I was composing some observations
@Besram posted an excellent overview of the key things to understand.
While that explanation should easily make things clear for you, I will add some further comments and phrase things a little differently, just to be certain.
Residency Obligation Calculation:
Between March 2021 and March 2026 (your first five years), you are complying with the RO as long as the total number of days IN Canada, plus the number of days still on the calendar before March 2026, totals 730.
After March 2026 (after the fifth year anniversary of the day of landing), RO compliance is based on the number of days IN Canada within the five year time period prior to the day RO compliance is being calculated; to be in RO compliance, the PR needs to have spent 730 days IN Canada within the five previous years, as of any day, as of every day.
1. How can i provide the RO documents in that case? I travelled between US and Canada. I have bank accounts in Canada, and filed tax in 2021, but did not for 2022.
Regarding supporting documents (like bank statements) and proof of being in compliance with the PR Residency Obligation when making an application for a new PR card (be that to replace a lost card, or an expired card):
As long as the total number of days outside Canada is less than 1095, as automatically calculated in in the chart for reporting "Time Outside Canada," question 5.5 in the PR card application, all the PR-applicant needs to include as supporting documents/proof is just
two pieces of evidence showing residence in Canada. A bank statement that shows you had, at that time, a residential address in Canada is one such piece of evidence. A copy of the NOA for 2021 would be another.
As
@Besram noted, since it has been less than three years since you landed there are still enough days left on the calendar, to the fifth year anniversary of your landing, you currently meet the PR RO no matter how many (how few) days you have been in Canada so far. That is, date of landing and the calendar are sufficient proof you can meet the RO.
2. I heard in some cases, ppl got a new PR card with a new 5-year starting from the apply date. Reason I asked is that I need to calculate the dates that I will be staying in Canada to meet RO in the future.
Does the new card usually have a new 5-year timeframe?
I am not sure, but as I recall a new PR card will be issued to replace a lost PR card. So it should be a five year PR card with an expiration date five years from the date that card is issued.
But, as
@Besram noted, this has NO bearing, NO relevance in calculating your RO compliance.
For example, if you are traveling to Canada in April 2026, arriving at the Port-of-Entry April 19, 2026 for example, and the border officials examine you as to RO compliance, that calculation will be based on the number of days you have been IN Canada between April 19, 2021 and that day, April 19, 2026; to be in RO compliance you will need to have spent at least 730 days in Canada during that period, that is between April 19, 2021 and April 19, 2026. Same calculation if you have no PR card. Same calculation if you have a PR card that does not expire until December 2028.
Leading to . . .
For future RO - that means I can't travel back to Canada if i have not met RO? Or is there a way for me to travel back and wait to meet RO and renew my PR card? like by vehicle through Seattle?
As long as you have a valid PR card, you should be allowed to board a flight to Canada. And as discussed above, if you are in the U.S. and can drive to a border crossing, you can come to Canada even if you do not have a valid PR card. Being in breach of the RO can affect what happens at the PoE, whether in an airport or on the U.S. border.
A PR card valid until December 2028 might make a difference in whether the border officials conduct a Secondary examination as to RO compliance. It seems that a PR presenting a card still valid for a couple or more additional years has better odds of being waived through without RO questioning. But if you are referred to Secondary and examined as to RO compliance, again the calculation will be based on the number of days IN Canada within the previous five years.
If in breach of the RO, the PR must still be allowed to enter Canada. However, a Removal Order could be issued, so to keep PR status the PR would need to file an appeal within 30 days and then be successful in the appeal. A whole other big story.
In regards to better odds of being waived through, better odds there will not be any RO compliance examination when presenting a PR card that is valid for a couple or more additional years, it warrants cautioning this is based on how things have gone until recently, and that this could be changing in the future, perhaps even the near future. The Canadian government has been continuously upgrading and expanding its entry-exit record capturing and storing capacity and operational functionality, and has specifically indicated they intend to develop and implement procedures that will issue automated alerts if travel history records indicate RO compliance issues. So far there is little sign this is currently active. But seems likely to be coming, perhaps somewhat soon.
