“Canadian permanent residents (PRs) are allowed to travel outside of the country and return even after sending their citizenship application to Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). However, it’s important to note that IRCC outlines specific measures that PRs must adhere to in order to maintain their eligibility for citizenship while outside of Canada.”
“To maintain eligibility for Canadian citizenship, IRCC specifies that PRs must:”
At the time of applying for citizenship, individuals must hold Canadian permanent resident status.”
“Canadian citizenship applications are exclusively open to Canadian permanent residents. Temporary residents of Canada, such as foreign workers and international students, are ineligible to apply for Canadian citizenship.”
“Continuously fulfill the residency requirement to uphold their Canadian permanent resident status.”
“As a condition of Canadian permanent residency, foreign nationals are required by IRCC to reside in Canada for at least 730 days within the past five years, known as the residency requirement. It’s important to note that these 730 days do not necessarily need to be consecutive, and certain periods spent outside of Canada may still contribute towards meeting this total.”
“Continue to hold permanent resident status until they complete the Oath of Citizenship.”
“In addition to adhering to the residency requirement mentioned earlier, maintaining eligibility for Canadian citizenship requires Canadian PRs to ‘not lose PR status before [taking] the Oath of Citizenship.’ For more details on the obligations of Canadian permanent residents, including information on what PRs can and cannot do while living in Canada, click here.”
“Utilize their PR card for convenient re-entry when traveling outside of Canada.”
“Traveling outside of Canada with your PR card greatly simplifies re-entry into the country. This is because the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) requires Canadian permanent residents to possess a valid PR card when returning to Canada via plane, train, bus, or boat.
For this reason, IRCC advises all PRs to renew their PR card before departing Canada if they anticipate its expiration during their travels. It’s worth noting that PR card renewals can only be processed within Canada, and IRCC does not mail PR cards to non-Canadian addresses or permit third-party retrieval on behalf of an applicant.
Individuals without a valid PR card must apply for and obtain a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) to re-enter Canada. Unlike PR cards, PRTDs can only be applied for from outside of Canada.
IRCC emphasizes that Canadian PRs attempting to return without either document may face denial of entry onto their flight, train, bus, or boat bound for Canada.”
Key points to note from IRCC concerning the citizenship process for Canadian permanent residents:
IRCC highlights several important aspects regarding communication and appointments/events for Canadian PRs:
IRCC typically sends letters, notices, and other documents only to addresses within Canada.
Email communication may also be utilized by IRCC, and recipients are expected to respond within a specified timeframe.
Failing to reply to communications or attend appointments without a valid reason may lead to a halt in application processing.
Attendance at scheduled appointments and events, such as citizenship tests, ceremonies, interviews, or hearings at IRCC offices across Canada, is mandatory.
In case of inability to attend, applicants should contact the local IRCC office that issued the event notice through email or written correspondence. Additionally, applicants can use the online web form provided by IRCC for communication purposes.
