I have a local Canadian address of a family friend to provide for the PR card.. I will however be leaving within a week and they’ve agreed to courier it to me .... someone said it’s not permitted to courier the card ..
The prudence of sending (by courier or otherwise) a PR card abroad depends as much, if not a lot more, on its destination. There is rather little reliable information reported here regarding much of the world. UK or EU destination, not likely any problem. Probably many, many other destinations which will not pose a problem. That said, there are probably more than a few destinations for which there is some risk.
NOTE: There are practical considerations as well as the legalities of importation laws in the destination country.
I am curious regarding your source for "
someone said it’s not permitted to courier the card."
In contrast, there appears to be a cavalier, "
I did it, it was OK, therefore it must not only work but must be legal" approach commonly espoused, which of course is contrary to what, apparently, someone has said to you. Unfortunately, as is too often the case here, much is repeated without citation or even a suggestion as to the source, let alone reliable or authoritative sources, so it can indeed sometimes be difficult to figure out what it is easy to get away doing versus what is legal or not, and versus whether there may be a risk lurking for some.
What I do know is that some countries have significantly more strict document importation laws than many others. Which countries do so currently is not something I am not keeping up with. I am also not acquainted with current enforcement policies or practices, which can factor into what the risks might be even in countries which technically might prohibit importation of this or that document.
Disclaimer: I tend to be more risk averse than many others. I like sure bets. I prefer to KNOW what the outcome will be, not just what it is likely to be. (Usually. Not so much so in regards to certain traffic regulations, for example, such as my speed when driving on the 401 or the QEW, but of course what is at risk, or more to the point what is not at risk, plays large in that calculation.) When I see what "usually" works, I think about Russian Roulette odds, and recognizing that an individual can confidently put the revolver to one's head and pull the trigger knowing that usually, by a big margin, all that happens is an empty click, but also knowing those are an utter fool's odds if and when there are serious consequences at stake, which is why no sane person recommends playing Russian Roulette, despite the very favourable odds, even if there is, say, a big pile of cash or even gold to gain.