Your Travel Document Back to Canada

01 What a PRTD Is & Who Needs It

A Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) is a temporary official document issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) that proves your status as a permanent resident (PR) of Canada. Permanent residents must carry and show a valid PR card or a PRTD when boarding a flight to Canada or travelling to Canada on any other commercial carrier — an airplane, train, bus, or boat.

You generally need a PRTD if you are a permanent resident outside Canada and:

• your PR card has expired while you were abroad;
• your PR card was lost, stolen, or damaged while you were outside Canada;
• you never received a PR card and do not have a valid status document to return; or
• you applied for a new PR card, your old one is no longer valid, and you left Canada without the new card.

To be eligible for a PRTD you must be a permanent resident outside Canada, confirm your PR status, not already hold a valid PR card, meet (or have grounds relating to) the residency obligation, and not be a Canadian citizen. If you wish to give up (renounce) your PR status, you should not apply for a PRTD.

02 The Residency Obligation

Every PRTD application includes an assessment of your residency obligation. Under section 28 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, a permanent resident must comply with this obligation for every five-year period.

Certain days spent outside Canada may still count toward the 730 days. Under the Act, time abroad can count if you were:

• accompanying a Canadian citizen who is your spouse, common-law partner, or — if you are a child — your parent;
• employed on a full-time basis by a Canadian business or in the federal or a provincial public service;
• accompanying a permanent resident spouse, common-law partner, or parent who is employed full-time by a Canadian business or public service.

03 Humanitarian & Compassionate Grounds

Even if you do not meet the 730-day requirement, you may still be able to keep your PR status. Before an officer can decide that a permanent resident has lost status, the law requires them to consider humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) considerations, including the best interests of any child directly affected by the decision. A positive H&C determination can overcome a breach of the residency obligation that occurred before the decision.

An officer may weigh factors such as:

• the reasons you were outside Canada and whether they were beyond your control;
• your degree of establishment in, and ties to, Canada;
• family circumstances and the best interests of any affected children;
• the hardship that losing PR status would cause you and your family;
• any other exceptional circumstances relevant to your case.

04 How & Where to Apply

You apply for a PRTD from outside Canada. Most applicants now apply online through the IRCC Permanent Residence Portal; a paper application submitted through a Visa Application Centre (VAC) may be available if you need an accommodation.

05 Single vs. Multiple Entry

A PRTD can be issued for a single entry or, in some cases, multiple entries to Canada. It is intended as a one-time travel document to get you home, not a long-term replacement for your PR card.

06 If You Don't Meet the Obligation

If an officer decides you do not meet the residency obligation and that there are not enough H&C considerations to keep your status, your PRTD application can be refused. You will receive a refusal letter explaining the reasons and your appeal rights.

On an appeal of an overseas residency-obligation decision, you may try to show the IAD that you:

• were actually physically present in Canada for at least 730 days in the relevant five-year period;
• had an allowable reason for being outside Canada that should count toward your days; or
• have sufficient humanitarian and compassionate grounds — including the best interests of any affected children — to keep your status.

If your appeal is allowed, you keep your PR status. If it is dismissed, you lose your status on the final determination. Because the rules, deadlines, and evidence are technical and time-sensitive, it is wise to get professional advice as early as possible.

07 The PRTD and Your PR Card

The PRTD and the PR card both prove your permanent resident status, but they are used in different situations. The PR card is your everyday status document and is only issued while you are in Canada; the PRTD is the document you obtain when you are outside Canada without a valid card and need to travel back by commercial carrier.

• In Canada, card expired or lost: apply for a new PR card — you do not need a PRTD while you remain in Canada.
• Outside Canada, no valid card: apply for a PRTD, because a PR card cannot be issued or sent to you overseas.
• After you return: a PRTD is a temporary, often single-entry document — apply for a new PR card once you are back in Canada.
• Driving across the border: if you return in a private vehicle (not a commercial carrier), different documentation rules may apply.

08 Frequently Asked Questions