dabas said:
Mates,
I am planning to renew my PR card expiring soon. is this process including the Residency Obligations will repeat every 5 years?
Put differently, do I have to be physically in Canada 730 days every 5 years? if yes, the PR was not really any permenant? ;D
To be clear, a PR does
not need to renew the PR card. For a PR physically present in Canada, the PR card has no effect on the validity of the PR's status. There are various agencies which might request the PR card to verify the PR's status for purpose of entitlements, like drivers license or health care coverage, resident school tuition, or such. But not having a current PR card does not affect the validity of the PR's status.
To also be clear, the PR Residency Obligation does not repeat every five years, but is an ongoing obligation. During the first five years, the PR meets the PR RO by not being absent for 1095 or more days.
After the fifth year anniversary, the obligation is continuous and based on the immediately preceding five years. For example, for any current PR who landed in 2010 or prior to 2010, regardless how long they have been a PR or when they last got a new PR card, to be in compliance the PR needs to have been present in Canada for 730 days since January 28, 2011 . . . and to be in compliance come March 15, 2016, they will need to have been present 730 days since March 15, 2011. And so on.
Pick any day. Within five years of that day, the PR needs to have been present for 730 days in Canada to be in compliance with the PR RO (or at least have credit as if present, such as for accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse).
If a PR goes abroad, however, the PR abroad without a PR card is
presumed to not have valid PR status. So to obtain a PR Travel Document, the PR has the burden of proof to show status and compliance with the PR RO.
Permanent Resident status is indeed permanent so long as the PR does not do something to terminate his or her status. Even when the PR does something which is grounds for terminating status, the PR retains PR status unless and until there is a formal adjudication terminating the PR's status . . . unless, of course, the PR dies, becomes a citizen, or formally relinquishes status.