2. Plan ahead before you leave Canada
Question & Answer
I’m a permanent resident. Do I need a PR card?If you travel outside Canada, you need to show proof of your status when you come back.
A commercial carrier won't let you travel with them to Canada if you can't prove your status. Commercial carriers include airplanes, trains, buses, and boats.
And you'll need to show proof of your permanent resident status to Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) when you get to Canada.
The easiest way to prove this is with a valid .
Before you leave
If your permanent resident card will expire before you return to Canada, you can apply for a new card before you leave. But you can do this only if your card is expiring within 9 months.
You must be in Canada:
- to apply for a permanent resident card
- while you wait for your permanent resident card to arrive
- to get your permanent resident card
Find out how long it will take to get a new card by checking the processing time.