PR card renewal
- Thread starter JSK_92
- Start date
It's definitely going to depend what the situation is. if it's a straightforward situation and you're in compliance with the RO, you do not need a lawyer or consultancy.
And if you're not in compliance - you're better off waiting until you are.
I think I got a clear case. I thought why not hire someone if it will cost a couple hundred bucks just to be sure.
Here’s a post I created sometime back.
https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/need-to-double-check-the-conditions-for-pr-status-continuity-with-members-here.853820/post-10896892
Have you looked at the forms? They're not that long nor complicated. Travel history tedious, but you're going to have to do that yourself anyway (probably).
Hiring someone is going to be more than a few hundred bucks, you'll spend time finding someone, and you'll end up having to provide them most of the info anyway.
Up to you though.
Ok so I just checked the form IM5444. I had earlier only checked the document checklist.
So the place where it asks the “Date where you became a PR”. Will that date be the date on the PR card?
I ask this because there is a difference of approximately six months when I got my COPR (in India) and the date I landed in Canada.
Moreover, on the back of the PR card it says:
PR since: xyz date.
So I think it is NOT the date I got my copr rather the date I went through the immigration and they asked me where to ship the PR card?
Edit: I just checked the instructions and it says the following—
1.4 – Date you became a PR in Canada
Write the date you became a permanent resident of Canada. You can find this on your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688).
Link: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/imm5444.html
I’m confused now because if I go by the date mentioned in the COPR then I don’t satisfy the 2/5 years in Canada clause to renew the PR.
However, as per the following instruction I just need to complete two years in the last five years “From the date I’m applying for renewal” which I will in June 2025. My PR card expires in September 2025 btw. I went by the date on the back of the PR card when I left Canada due to family reasons —
5.1 – Travel outside Canada
Check one (1) box, Yes or No, to identify if you travelled or lived outside Canada in the past five years.
Further, down the instructions it says that the “start date” for the residency obligation assessment will be the date calculated from the pr renewal application submission date. So it is NOT the pr date mentioned in the landing form or the COPR.
Period to be assessed:
The date in the “From” field should be the date from the past five (5) years preceding this application or since becoming a permanent resident if less than five (5) years ago.
The date in the “To” field, should be the date when you sign and submit your application form.
Last edited:
It is indeed the date on your PR card; rather self explanatory since that's precisely what "PR since: [date]" means.
I think you're overthinking this. "The date you are applying for renewal" is just the day you sign and send the form. That's also the 'start date' for when they look at your days in/out of Canada (but actually they look at your days outside Canada for the count - read on).*
For the rest, perhaps this will help:
-The residency obligation is more than 730 days IN CANADA in any five year period, looking back, except for the first five years (which is for five years from the day you became a PR).
The language about this in the law is a bit complicated, so the form uses - and I recommend everyone use - an identical in meaning formulation, which is any PR must be OUTSIDE CANADA for LESS THAN 1095 days in any five year period. (This is just an arithmetic/logical restatement of the residency obligation).
So if you are applying BEFORE you have been a PR for five years, you are still in compliance if you've been outside Canada less than 1095 days.
If you check the form, you will see a reference to total days outside Canada of more than 1095 days - because that would mean you were out of compliance.
And if you have more than 1095 days out, that's when you need to provide more info about reasons why they should be lenient and issue you a card (don't fill that out if you haven't been out more than that).
*Actually I'm not sure whether the 'start date' refers to the day you submit, or (one of) the day you became a PR/five years before the day you sign the renewal app. It should be clear from the context. Sorry, don't have time to look it up.