What you Ought to Know About Canadian Permanent Residency

Are you thinking about applying for Canadian Permanent Residency?  Do you know the rights and responsibilities of Canadian permanent residents? Perhaps you’ve recently become a permanent resident, and aren’t sure what the change means for you.

Below, we’re going to cover the basics of Canadian permanent residency including the rights and responsibilities of PR card holders. Bear in mind that this is general information, and you should contact a Canadian immigration lawyer for specific information relating to your individual circumstances.

Canadian Permanent Residence: What it Means

• You have been issued with a permanent resident visa by the government
• You are currently living in Canada but do not yet have Canadian citizenship
• You are still technically a citizen elsewhere (most likely the country you were born in)
• You are not staying in Canada on a temporary basis for work, school, or just visiting

Rights and responsibilities of PR Card Holders

• Access to health care and most other social benefits available to Canadian citizens
• The right to reside, work and study anywhere in Canada
• Protection under federal law
• Every democratic right and fundamental freedom that has been granted by the Charter of Rights and Freedoms
• The ability to apply for Canadian citizenship after a certain length of time as a permanent resident
• You must abide by all laws, including federal, provincial and municipal
• You can and will be convicted for any serious crimes, and as a result your permanent resident visa may be revoked

Residency Obligation

In order to continue being a Canadian permanent resident, you must ensure you meet the residency obligation requiring you to spend 730 residency days over every five-year period that you are a permanent resident. These days must usually be spent in Canada, unless any of the following conditions apply:

• You are accompanied by a parent, spouse or common-law partner who is a Canadian citizen
• You are employed full-time by a Canadian business
• You are a full-time employee at a federal public administration or a provincial public service
• You are accompanied by a parent, spouse or common-law partner who has a permanent Canadian resident visa, and is employed full time at a Canadian business, or works on a full-time basis at a federal public administration or a provincial public service.

Are you Interested in Applying for Permanent Residence in Canada?

The permanent residence application process can be very complex, time consuming and difficult. It is therefore essential that if you are considering applying for Canadian permanent residence, you get professional immigration help. We at Visaplace are more than happy to help you throughout the application process.

Getting started is easy. All you need to do is fill out our free eligibility online assessment form here and then one of our immigration professionals will get back to you with your results within one business day.  Additionally, you can contact us here.

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.