A permanent resident (PR) of Canada may need to leave Canada from time to time for various reasons. To enter Canada on his return, he has to present his PR card confirming his permanent resident status.
The PR cards are valid for five years and sometimes for lesser durations. The expiry of a PR card does not mean loss of Canadian permanent residency. It only means that the person cannot re-enter Canada on an expired PR card.
A person can apply for a PR card only from inside Canada. If the PR card expires when the person is outside Canada, he cannot apply for a new PR card. The permanent resident has the option to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) to re-enter Canada.
A person should be a permanent resident and be residing outside Canada to apply for the PRTD. The application costs CAD 50.
The validity of the PRTD is six months. The resident can re-enter Canada within this period and can use the PRTD only once. After that, he has to apply for a new PR card on entering Canada.
The person applies for a PRTD via mail from the nearest Canadian Visa Application Centre (VAC). Or they can apply online if unable to send by mail to the VACs.
The person must submit their original passport with the application. Sometimes they will have a personal or virtual interview. If the application is successful, the PRTD comes as a counterfoil on the passport.
The government provides details of all VACs on their website for permanent residents overseas. However, some of the VACs are not there now. In addition, some do not accept PRTD applications due to the Covid-19 situation.
The Covid situation and the individual nature of each case prolong the processing time for the PRTD.
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