Permanent resident status

The Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) establishes residency requirements and obligations with respect to each 5-year period after becoming a permanent resident. The intent of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR), which govern the residency obligations of permanent residents, is to

• prescribe clear and objective rules and criteria for establishing and determining compliance with the residency obligation provisions of IRPA
• assist decision makers in assessing factors related to determining residency status
• enhance transparency and consistency in decision-making
• explain rules for calculating days of physical presence in Canada for the purpose of determining compliance with the residency obligation under section A28

The Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship is responsible for the administration of IRPA. Permanent resident status determination is an IRCC policy responsibility.

Permanent resident card as a status document

Subsection A31(1) provides for permanent residents of Canada to be issued a document indicating their status. IRPR further defines the term “status document” by designating the permanent resident card as the document issued to permanent residents to indicate their status under subsection R53(1). The permanent resident card provides holders with a convenient document that facilitates their travel to Canada.

For more information

• Permanent resident status determination
• ENF 23 – Loss of permanent resident status (PDF, 636 KB)
• Permanent resident travel document – Departmental policy
• Permanent resident travel document (PRTD) – Processing instructions