Permanent resident (Canada)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A Permanent Resident in Canada is someone who is not a Canadian citizen and who has been granted permission to live and work in Canada without any time limit on his or her stay. A permanent resident must live in Canada for two years of every five years or risk losing that status. Time spent outside of Canada accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse is counted as time in Canada. [1]
A Permanent Resident holds many of the same rights and responsibilities as a Canadian citizen, the biggest exceptions being that permanent residents cannot vote in Canadian elections, run for elected office, hold Canadian passports, or work in certain government jobs.
Permanent residents may apply for Canadian citizenship after three years in Canada, however this is not a mandatory requirement. [2]
[edit] Permanent Resident Card
In 2002, the Department of Citizenship and Immigration started issuing the Permanent Resident Card (originally billed as the Maple Leaf Card) to all new Canadian permanent residents. All existing permanent residents were given the option of applying for a Permanent Resident Card at a cost of $50, though possessing a card is not mandatory except in the case of international travel. [3]
With effect from December 31, 2003, every permanent resident must be able to present his or her Permanent Resident Card upon boarding a commercial carrier (aircraft, train or bus) in order to travel to Canada. It is a plastified wallet-sized proof of status meant to facilitate entry back to Canada. It incorporates several state-of-the-art security features.
As the Permanent Resident Card may only be issued in Canada, a single-use Travel Document is available from Canadian visa offices outside Canada for those permanent residents wishing to return to Canada who do not possess a Permanent Resident Card.
The Permanent Resident Card expires every five years, and then may be renewed by making application and proving that the applicant has resided in Canada for the requisite time period.
[edit] Landed Immigrant
Landed Immigrant is a formerly official classification for a person who has been admitted to Canada as a non-citizen permanent resident. The current official classification for such a person is simply permanent resident. Nevertheless, the term "Landed Immigrant" was in use for so long, that it has become part of Canadian vocabulary, and even still appears on some government related forms and publications.
