Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD)

What is a Permanent Resident Travel Document? 

A PRTD is a temporary official document that can be used instead of your PR card to prove your status as a permanent resident of Canada. It is a travel document for boarding commercial carriers to Canada, and must be used alongside a valid, unexpired passport. It does not confer PR status.  

If your PR card expires, is lost, stolen, or damaged while you’re outside Canada, or if you left Canada without it, you need a PRTD to return to Canada by commercial carrier. It is not a replacement for your PR card. It is typically meant for a one-time entry to Canada, because you cannot apply for a PR card from outside Canada. You should get a new PR card as soon as you return home. 

Who Needs a PRTD? 

Canada requires permanent residents to present proof of their PR status to board a commercial carrier to Canada. Permanent residents outside Canada without a valid PR card are presumed not to have PR status. Without a valid PR card or a PRTD, you won’t be allowed to board a flight, train, bus, or boat to Canada. 

You can apply for a PRTD if you have permanent resident status in Canada, do not have a valid PR card, are currently outside Canada, and plan to return to Canada by airplane or another commercial carrier. 

Who Cannot Get a PRTD? 

A PRTD cannot be issued to you if you are a Canadian citizen or a foreign national without PR status in Canada. You also cannot get a PRTD if you  

• are physically in Canada,  

• already hold a valid PR card,  

• have lost your PR status, or  

• have a pending or approved application to voluntarily give up your PR status. 

If your PR card has simply expired and you’re still in Canada, a PRTD isn’t the answer. You need to apply for PR card renewal instead. 

How to Apply for a PRTD 

You can apply for a PRTD online through the Permanent Residence Portal. You may be able to apply on paper at a Visa Application Centre (VAC) if you cannot apply online for accessibility reasons. 

Each person in your family who needs a PRTD must submit a separate, complete application. A PRTD application cannot be submitted on behalf of a group. 

Applicants 18 or older must sign their own application. Applicants aged 14 to 17 must sign alongside a parent or legal guardian. Children under 14 must have a parent or legal guardian sign on their behalf. 

PRTD Document Checklist 

Your application needs to show who you are, confirm your PR status, and prove that you’ve met your residency obligation.  

At a minimum, you should include: 

• The document checklist (IMM 5644) 

• Completed application form IMM 5444 

• Copies of all pages or your current and valid passport or travel document 

• Copies of all pages of any other passport or travel document used in the last five years 

• Proof of your PR status (such as your expired PR card, if you have it, or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence) 

• Proof that you met your residency obligation in Canada in the last five years (or since you became a PR, if it was less than five years ago) 

• Proof of payment of the $50 application fee 

• If you’re applying from China, an Inquiry of Exit & Entry Record for the last five years (translated into English or French) 

Photographs are not required as part of a PRTD application. If your application is missing required information or documents, IRCC will return it to you unprocessed. 

What is the Residency Obligation for Permanent Residents? 

When you apply for a PRTD, one of the things the visa officer will verify is whether you have fulfilled your residency obligation. The residency obligation requires you to have been physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in the five-year period immediately before your application. 

Those 730 days don’t need to be consecutive, but you do need to be able to demonstrate them. If you have complied and meet all the other requirements, a Permanent Resident Travel Document is issued to facilitate your travel to Canada on a commercial carrier. 

Documents that can support your residency claim include: 

• Employment records or pay stubs 

• Bank statements 

• Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) Notices of Assessment 

• Evidence of Canadian government benefits received 

• Rental agreements 

• Club or association memberships 

Some time spent outside Canada may still count toward the residency obligation — for example, if you were accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or common-law partner abroad, or working outside Canada on behalf of a Canadian business or government. 

If you haven’t met the 730-day requirement, your application may still be assessed on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds. Officers can consider factors like the extent of your absence, circumstances beyond your control, and the best interests of any child affected by the decision.  

H&C relief is discretionary, though, and is not applied in every case. If an officer determines you haven’t met the residency obligation and H&C considerations don’t overcome that, your application will be refused.  

Can I Apply for a PRTD from Inside Canada? 

No. A PRTD is only issued to permanent residents who are outside Canada and do not have a valid PR card. If you’re currently in Canada and your PR card has expired, you need to apply to renew your PR card before you travel.  

Applying for a PRTD before leaving Canada is not an option. If your PR card is expiring and you have upcoming travel outside Canada, renew your PR card before you go. 

PRTD Fees and Processing Times 

The application fee for a PRTD is $50 CAD. The fee is non-refundable once IRCC begins processing your application. 

All PRTD applications are processed on a priority basis. Processing times vary depending on the type of application, the volume of applications received, how easily IRCC can verify your information, and how quickly you respond to any requests for more information or documentation. 

If you need a PRTD urgently (for example, because of a serious illness or a lost or stolen PR card), you may apply for urgent processing. 

How Long is a PRTD Valid? 

A PRTD is normally valid for a single entry. In most cases, it’s issued for a period of six months from the date of issue. That gives you enough time to travel back to Canada and apply for a new PR card. 

In cases where an officer determines that you clearly meet your residency obligation, they have the discretion to issue a longer-validity or multiple-entry PRTD, up to a maximum of five years. Any PRTD cannot extend beyond the expiry date of your passport. 

What Happens if your PRTD Application is Refused? 

If your PRTD application is refused, you will receive a letter outlining the reasons for the refusal.  

A refusal triggers a formal permanent resident status determination, which includes an assessment of whether you met your residency obligation. 

If a negative determination is made, that is, if an officer finds that you did not meet all the conditions to maintain your PR status, you are at risk of losing your PR status. You have 60 days from the date of a refusal letter to appeal the decision to the Immigration Appeal Division (IAD). 

If you were in Canada at least once in the 365 days before the assessment was made and you appeal — or are still within the window to appeal — you may still be issued a limited PRTD to facilitate your return to Canada for the appeal. 

If no appeal is filed within 60 days, the refusal becomes final and you lose your PR status. 

What if You Can’t Wait for a PRTD? 

PRTD processing times vary and are not guaranteed. If you need to return to Canada urgently and can’t wait, there are three options. 

The first is courier delivery of your PR card. If you have a valid PR card in Canada, you can ask a trusted person to courier it to you abroad. There is, of course, always a risk that your documents might get lost or delayed. 

The second applies if you’re in the United States. Permanent residents may be able to enter Canada at a land border crossing by private vehicle without a valid PR card. A border services officer will assess your permanent residence status at the port of entry. You will still need to provide some proof of your status and may face additional questioning or delays. It is not a substitute for having proper documentation, but it is an option if you are able to return via the US. 

Third, if your situation is genuinely urgent, IRCC does offer urgent PRTD processing for certain circumstances. You must be travelling within the next five days for one of the following reasons: 

• Your own serious illness 

• The serious illness or death of a family member 

• A lost or stolen PR card while on temporary travel outside Canada 

• A crisis, emergency, or vulnerable situation 

To request urgent processing, you need to include a letter explaining the reason for urgency and your travel date, along with supporting proof such as a doctor’s note or death certificate.