TRAVEL DOCUMENTS FOR PERMANENT RESIDENTS OF CANADA

As of December 31, 2003, Canadian permanent residents require a permanent resident card when returning to Canada by commercial carrier (airplane, boat, train or bus). A permanent resident is someone who has been allowed to enter Canada as an immigrant but who has not become a Canadian citizen.

The permanent resident card replaces the paper IMM 1000 Record of Landing document and will be the official proof of status document for Canadian permanent residents.

Existing permanent residents must be in Canada to apply for the permanent resident card. Application and information kits are available on Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Web site at http://www.cic.gc.ca.

Canadian permanent residents presently located outside of Canada, who do not have a permanent resident card and who will be returning to Canada, should visit a Canadian visa office to obtain a limited-use travel document at a cost of CAD $50.00

To qualify for a travel document, you must demonstrate that you have met the residency obligations of a permanent resident of Canada. Generally, this means demonstrating that you have been physically present in Canada for at least two of the past five years; however, there are other circumstances under which a travel document could be issued. Please refer to http://www.cic.gc.ca for detailed information about your residency obligations, and to obtain application forms.