The USA is not the only country with a green card – Canada has its own version.
With a Canadian Permanent Resident Card, you can work and move around in Canada like a Canadian. Here’s all you need to know about permanent residency in Canada before you can benefit from endless job opportunities and excellent quality of life, from differences to the US Green Card to maintaining a permanent residence in Canada.
Canada’s Version of the Green Card
The famous Green Card is a US status card that allows a permanent resident to lawfully enter, live, and work in the United States. The Canadian Permanent Resident Card is Canada’s own version of the “Green Card.” These immigration cards allow people to reside and work in Canada or the United States, respectively.
A temporary visitor to Canada, such as a student or a foreign worker, is not a permanent resident. A permanent resident is someone who has been granted permanent resident status in Canada after immigrating, but who is not a Canadian citizen. Nationals of other countries are permanent residents.
When boarding a flight to Canada or traveling to Canada on any other commercial carrier, permanent residents (PRs) must have their valid PR card or permanent resident travel document (PRTD) with them. You may be unable to board your flight, bus, train, or boat to Canada if you do not have your PR card or PRTD.
You are obliged to check that your PR card is still valid when you return from your trip outside Canada and apply for a new one when your present one expires. If your PR card is past the expiry date, it doesn’t mean you’ve lost your status as a permanent resident.
To get a Canadian Permanent Resident Card, you must first apply for permanent residency in Canada. Canada welcomes more immigrants per capita than any other North American country. You can start by filling in our online contact form to learn more about becoming a permanent resident in Canada.
Differences Between Canada’s Permanent Resident Card and the US Green Card
Foreign-born individuals who immigrate to the countries but have not yet become citizens can get a Canadian PR Card or the Green Card in the USA. The most notable differences between the two cards are the rights that come with them.
The PR Card permanent residents get in Canada serves as both an identity and a travel document. Permanent residents in Canada are not required to keep their PR cards and are given rights that are not part of the card. When traveling outside Canada, the PR card is only necessary for re-entry.
On the other hand, Green Card holders over 18 are legally required to keep their cards with them at all times in the United States. This is because US officials can stop Green Card holders anytime and ask them to show their status certificate.
The Benefits of Being a Permanent Resident in Canada
Having permanent residence status in Canada comes with a slew of advantages. As a permanent resident, you have the freedom to live and work anywhere in Canada under the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms. You’re free to travel throughout the country and work in any province.
Another advantage of permanent residency is that it allows you to sponsor your family members when they’re in Canada. This can be a terrific way to reunite with a spouse or child that has lived in another country. Also, if you give birth to a kid in Canada, the child will be granted Canadian citizenship. Permanent residents can also use Canada’s universal healthcare system.
Permanent residents in Canada have many of the same rights as Canadians and can apply for citizenship after only three years in the country.
Here are the rights of a permanent resident at a glance:
You can live, work, or study anywhere in Canada
You can apply for Canadian citizenship
You can access most social benefits available to Canadians, including healthcare
You’re protected under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms
You must pay taxes and follow all municipal, provincial, and federal regulations in Canada. And here’s what you cannot do as a permanent resident in Canada:
Have a job that requires a high level of security clearance
Vote
Seek political office
How to Maintain Permanent Residency in Canada
While you have complete freedom as a permanent resident to leave and return to Canada as you please, you must physically remain in Canada for at least 730 days in five years to maintain your PR status. These 730 days don’t have to be consecutive; you can spread them over the course of five years.
If you fail to stay in Canada for a minimum of 730 days in five years, the Canadian authorities will cancel your permanent residency status. Whenever you arrive in Canada, you have to show your Permanent Residency Card to the customs officer.
You’ll also lose your permanent residency status in Canada if:
You voluntarily relinquish your permanent resident status
The authorities issue a removal order against you that becomes effective
An adjudicator concludes after an inquiry or PRTD appeal that you’re no longer a permanent resident
Or you become a Canadian citizen
Even if you don’t meet the residency requirement, you are still a permanent resident until the authorities have made an official decision against your PR status.
To keep track of your time in Canada, we recommend using a travel journal. You can also ask the border official how long you’ve been in Canada whenever you return to the country. Much easier is to ask UIS Canada. They will be happy to answer any questions you may have and help you renew or apply for a Permanent Resident Card in Canada if you’re eligible.