Permanent Resident Obligations and Citizenship

Once a foreign national becomes a permanent resident of Canada, they will receive a Permanent Residence Card (PR Card). The Permanent Residence Card (PR Card) is required to be presented upon every re-entry into Canada by air, as well as for registering for certain social services, such as health care benefits.

Many foreign nationals confuse the requirements of maintaining permanent residence status with the requirements for obtaining Canadian citizenship. Although similar, the requirements are quite different. In addition, when one applies for Canadian citizenship, they must still ensure that they maintain their permanent residence status during the processing of the Canadian citizenship application.