PR Travel Document

In order to return to Canada following travel abroad, a permanent resident must be in possession of a valid Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) or a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) if travelling by a commercial mode of transportation (e.g., plane, boat, train, bus).

There are situations when a person needs to urgently travel outside Canada and their PR card is expired or is about to expire during their travel. If that person was not able to apply for a renewal of their PR card on an urgent basis, they would need to apply for a special travel authorization called a Travel Document at the Canadian Visa Office/Embassy/High Commission outside of Canada by submitting an application to the Visa Application Centre (VAC) prior to their return by plane or any other commercial mode of transportation. Without proof of permanent resident status, the Canada Border Services Agency’s system will prevent the permanent resident from boarding the airplane to Canada.

For permanent residents of Canada, it is important to understand their obligations regarding maintaining the PR status and at what point the status determination by IRCC may take place. In some cases, it is risky to apply for a PRTD or renewal of the PR card when a permanent residency status may be jeopardized.

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will only issue a PRTD if they are satisfied that the permanent resident complies with the permanent resident residency obligation (physical presence in Canada) or if sufficient humanitarian and compassionate grounds exist.

If the application for PRTD is refused, this may trigger a procedure of the applicant’s loss of permanent residency status and the applicant may face appeal proceedings at the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD).

If you are considering renewing your PR card or applying for a PRTD, contact our office to discuss your eligibility and the appropriate procedure to follow to ensure that your permanent residency status is not affected by any such application.