Are you a permanent resident of Canada? You likely have a permanent resident card, or PR card. This card is proof that you are a Canadian permanent resident and are entitled to all of the rights that permanent residents of Canada have, including being able to leave and re-enter Canada as often as you wish. 
However, your permanent resident card does have an expiry date and Citizenship and Immigration Canada recommends that you take the steps to renew your PR card about six months before it expires. While this is not always possible, it can become a difficult situation if you are actually outside of Canada when your card expires. This is because you must be inside Canada to renew your card, but you cannot return to Canada without a valid card. So what do you do?
Apply for a travel document to re-enter Canada with an expired PR card
If your permanent resident card is expired while you are outside of Canada, you can apply for a travel document at your local Canadian consulate. This document will allow you to fly back to Canada, re-enter the country and ensure that you are able to renew your card.
But just like when you renew your permanent resident card, you need to show Canadian officials that you have met the residency requirement for permanent resident status before you can get a travel document. This means that you need to have been in Canada for at least two of the past five years.
If you cannot do so, you may run into issues and need to make humanitarian and compassionate arguments as to why you could not meet this requirement.
Are you facing difficulties in renewing your permanent resident card or obtaining a travel document? Give our immigration law firm a call.
President & CEO
Michael Niren
Mr. Niren is CEO of VisaPlace LLC and the President and Managing Partner of VisaPlace Legal Canada, an immigration law firm based in Toronto, and VisaPlace Legal US a law firm registered in The District of Columbia, USA. Mr. Niren is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School in Toronto, a member of the Law Society of Upper Canada, the Canadian Bar Association’s Citizenship and Immigration Section, American Lawyers Association, and an Associate Member of the American Bar Association.
