Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Permanent Resident Card FACT SHEET
OTTAWA, Dec. 4 /CNW/ - Recent media reports about the Permanent Resident (PR) card have left the impression that the project is not well managed and that there will be problems as of the December 31, 2003, deadline. Here are the facts.
BACKGROUND
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In October 2001, the Government of Canada, through the associated
regulations of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, introduced the PR card to meet our commitments to manage access to Canada and eliminate the fraudulent use of immigration documents.
The fraud-resistant card provides holders with secure, convenient proof of their permanent resident status when re-entering Canada. It is highly resistant to tampering and illegal duplication, and it offers transportation officials a more effective means of identifying people with permanent resident status in Canada.
Effective December 31, 2003, the PR card will replace the paper IMM 1000 Record of Landing form as confirmation of permanent resident status for individuals boarding any commercial carrier (airplane, train, boat or bus) bound for Canada. A permanent resident is someone who has been allowed to enter Canada as an immigrant but who has not become a Canadian citizen.
To ensure that permanent residents were aware of these requirements, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) launched an extensive advertising campaign in June 2002. We are pleased to report that, to date, the project has been managed on time and on budget.
Individuals who require a PR card for international travel were asked to submit their applications by September 30, 2003, to ensure that they received their cards before the December 31, 2003, deadline, as processing takes from eight to 12 weeks.
PROCESSING TIMES
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New Permanent Residents
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Newly arriving permanent residents automatically receive a PR card as part of the immigration process.
Usually, they receive the PR card within four weeks, as their identity was verified when they arrived at the port of entry as immigrants.
Existing Permanent Residents
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An existing permanent resident is someone who arrived in Canada before June 28, 2002.
On average, existing permanent residents receive their PR cards in eight to 12 weeks. Delays are longer simply because they must collect the card in person at a local CIC office to have their identity verified.
LATEST STATS
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Total number of PR cards distributed to date: 789,000
Total number of PR card applications to be processed: 0
(submitted before September 30, 2003)
Total number of PR card applications to be processed: 65,000
(submitted after September 30, 2003)
Total number of PR cards waiting to be picked up at local CIC offices:
(as of November 30, 2003, including appointments not kept by clients)
Halifax 486
Montreal 6,300
Toronto 24,000
Vancouver 12,400
FACTS
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PERCEPTION
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All Canadian permanent residents (landed immigrants) require a PR card whether or not they intend to travel internationally.
REALITY
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Who needs the PR card?
- Permanent residents returning to Canada by commercial carrier
(airplane, boat, train or bus) on or after December 31, 2003, require a permanent resident card.
- All permanent residents returning to Canada, including children, need the card.
- Children of permanent residents who were born in Canada are Canadian citizens and need proof of citizenship not a PR card, to travel.
Who doesn't need a PR card?
- Permanent residents returning to Canada by car on or after December 31, 2003, do not need a PR card as long as they can provide proof of their permanent resident status.
- Permanent residents who do not intend to travel.
- Canadian citizens.
- Refugees.
PERCEPTION
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It won't be possible to obtain a PR card after December 31, 2003.
REALITY
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- Permanent residents will still be able to apply for the PR card in
Canada after December 31, 2003.
NEXT STEPS
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Permanent Residents in Canada
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Individuals who have not yet applied for a PR card may still do so.
However, they will not receive their PR cards by December 31, 2003.
Application and information kits for existing permanent residents are available at www.cic.gc.ca. The application kit outlines the documents that are required, how to fill out the application form, and where it should be sent for processing.
Application kits may also be picked up at local CIC offices equipped with public access facilities.
Already applied for the PR card? Check the status of your PR card
application online by using the e-Client Application Status (e-CAS) service on CIC's Web site at www.cic.gc.ca.
Urgent Cases If you submitted your application for the PR card by
September 30, 2003, have not yet received your card and have urgent travel plans, please fax a copy of your travel tickets to (514) 496-8670. You will receive a response within 48 hours telling you the CIC office to visit to pick up your card.
If you are still in Canada, and have not yet applied for a PR card and must travel on or after December 31, 2003, proceed with your travel
arrangements. Go to the nearest Canadian visa office in the country you are visiting to obtain a temporary travel document in lieu of a PR card, before returning to Canada. For more information, visit www.cic.gc.ca
Canadian Permanent Residents Overseas
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Permanent residents who are already outside Canada on or after the
December 31, 2003 deadline, without a PR card and returning via commercial carrier, need to obtain a temporary travel document.
A temporary travel document is not intended to replace the PR card.
Applications for temporary travel documents are available from visa offices outside Canada only. Applications for these documents cannot be made from within Canada.
To view a list of the Canadian visa offices that issue temporary travel documents, visit www.cic.gc.ca.
Permanent residents returning to Canada by car on or after December 31, 2003, without a PR Card do not require a temporary travel document.
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