Renewing your PR card is straightforward, if you have lived in Canada for at least 2 of the past 5 years (730 days). You will need to fill out a PR application and the identification form. You then send it to the case processing centre in Nova Scotia. Find out how long it will take to get your new PR card on the CIC website.

Applying for Citizenship takes longer. You need to fill out more forms and provide more supporting documents. It can take up to 23 months to process, if your application is accepted. If CIC returns your application, you may face delays. For example, if you have been asked to fill out a Residence Questionnaire you might have to wait much longer.

However, you only have to apply for citizenship once. If you are a PR, you need to meet residency requirements, and renew your PR card every 1-5 years if you want to travel.

Travel documents are identity documents that you need to cross international boundaries. You need them if you are not a Canadian citizen and cannot use the passport of your country of nationality to travel, or if you are stateless (i.e. you don’t have a country of citizenship).

If you are a PR, it takes several months to get a travel document. There is no standard time your document will be valid for so it is possible that you may have to apply for this every time you travel.

If you meet the requirements, applying for citizenship is an option. You only have to apply for your citizenship once, and if you have a Canadian passport, you will not need to apply for a travel document.

You can sponsor some members of your family if you are a PR, living in Canada. You must be over 18 years old. You must also meet a few other conditions to be eligible to sponsor.

As the sponsor, you have a few responsibilities. The biggest responsibility is that you must agree to financially support the person you are sponsoring for up to 3 to 10 years (depending on their age and relationship to you). You may need to prove that you have enough income to do this.

As a PR you can get involved in Canadian politics, but in a limited way. You cannot vote or run for political office; only Canadian citizens who are 18 years or older have the right to do so.

However, you can learn about how Canadian politics work so that when you become a citizen you can make informed choices.

Some youth organizations and programmes such as Forum for Young Canadians have opportunities for you to educate yourself and become engaged in Canadian politics on the way to citizenship.

As a PR, you can also become a member of a Canadian political party. Most parties have youth wings that you can join. Membership rules vary from party to party, so check individual websites for info about minimum age of membership and membership fees.

If you are not a Canadian citizen, you may not be able to get help from the Canadian consulate abroad. You should contact the embassy or consulate of your country of citizenship if you have trouble when you’re travelling.

The Canadian consulate may be able to help you in some cases, for example, if you are both a PR and stateless, travelling using Canadian-issued travel documents, or if one of your family members is Canadian.

If you are a Canadian citizen, you can get help from the Canadian consulate in the country that you are travelling in.

If you have to give up your other nationality when you become a Canadian citizen, you may need a visa to visit your home country.

Canadians can visit many countries without visas. However, you may need a visa to visit certain countries or for extended travel (90 days or more). Some countries will give you a visa when you arrive, but most will require that you get one before you leave Canada. Some will give you one-time, lifetime or multiple-entry visas.

Before you travel, you should check if you need a visa. If you do need one, officials or the consulate of the country you are travelling to can help you get one.

If you are charged with committing a crime in Canada, you have a right to a fair trial in criminal court. This is true regardless of your immigration status. You can choose to have the trial in English or French.

If you are charged or convicted of a crime, your immigration status might be at risk.

If you are charged, it is important to get legal advice as soon as possible on both criminal and immigration law. Tell your criminal lawyer that you are not a Canadian citizen and you are concerned about how a conviction could affect your status in Canada.

When people who are not Canadian citizens are charged with a criminal offence, the police pass this information on to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). If you are convicted of certain offences, CBSA will take steps to enforce immigration laws against you. This might include deportation or detention.

If you are charged or convicted of a crime, your immigration status might be at risk. This might include detention or deportation. This might happen if you are:

• Convicted of a serious crime (where the maximum sentence is 10 years, or you are given a 6 month sentence)
• Convicted of a criminal offense outside Canada
• Suspected of criminal activity in or outside Canada

There is a time limit on how long you can be outside the country. You need to be in Canada for two years during any five year period to maintain your PR status in Canada.

If you travel, you will need to carry your PR card which is the official proof of your status as a PR. You are expected to have this card when you return to Canada.

If you need to travel before you get your PR card or if your PR card expires while you are abroad, you can apply for a Travel Document (Permanent Resident Abroad) at a Canadian embassy or consulate.

You do not have to give up your other citizenship to become a Canadian citizen. Canada allows you to have two or more citizenships.

However, some other countries might take away your citizenship if you become Canadian. Some of these countries include China, India and Japan. To find out if your country does not allow dual citizenship, contact your government’s office or consulate.

If you are over 18 years old, you can apply for citizenship without your parent’s permission. You will need to be a PR who has lived in Canada for 3 out of the past 4 years (1,095 days) to apply.

If you are under 18 years old, your immigration status depends on your parent’s or legal guardian’s status. When they apply for their citizenship, they can apply for yours. You need to be a PR but you do not have to live in Canada for 3 years. You will not have to write the Citizenship Test. If you want to become a citizen, it is important to speak to your parents about the value of citizenship and encourage them to apply for you.

If you are living in Canada (as a Permanent Resident or otherwise) and you are not a citizen, you:

• Are at risk of being deported. Deportation is when immigration authorities order you to leave Canada. People who are deported are sent back to their country or origin. People get deported for committing crimes, violating immigration rules (e.g. having an expired visa), or being a security threat to other Canadians.
• Cannot vote or get involved in politics.
• Cannot travel easily. You will need to get visas or travel documents to travel.
• May not be able to get help from the Canadian government when you travel. Only Canadian citizens are guaranteed help from the Canadian consulate when they travel.
• May not be able to hold certain jobs. Some jobs require high-level security clearance, which only citizens can have. This includes some federal jobs, and they tend to pay well and have many benefits.
• Can’t pass on Canadian citizenship to your children unless they are born in Canada.
• Might lose your PR status if you spend long periods abroad. PRs are at a risk of losing their status in the country if they spend long periods of time outside Canada.
• Will have to renew your PR card every five years.

Social services include a range of services such as social housing, employment support and financial assistance and disability services) provided by the federal, provincial and municipal governments.

You can access these services if you are a citizen, PR or a refugee claimant. You have to be over 18 years old and show proof of identity to apply for these services. However, under special circumstances such as abuse or lack of financial support from family, 16 and 17-year-olds may be able to apply for benefits.

Find social services that you can access on the Service Canada website, or call them at 1-800-622-6232.

You will find it easier to travel with a Canadian passport. Travel documents can be more of a hassle. Having access to a Canadian passport is a major benefit of being a Canadian citizen.

PRs can’t get Canadian passports. To travel, PRs need travel documents or a PR Card to re-enter Canada. If you are a PR and your card expires when you are outside Canada, you will need to apply for a travel document to prove that you have a right to return to Canada.

If you only use travel documents to travel, you will face a number of restrictions:

• Some countries will not accept your Certificate of Identity (needed to travel using Canadian travel documents). You should check with the consulate of the country you will be visiting.
• If you are a citizen of another country, you will not be able to travel there.
• If you are a citizen of another country, and you get travel documents or a passport from that country, you will have to give up your Canadian travel documents.
• If you got your Canadian travel documents before July 18th 2010, you will not be able to extend them. You will have to reapply to get new travel documents.
• You will have to present your travel documents or PR card to re-enter Canada.
• The expiry of your travel documents is determined by the issuing office (Canadian passports are valid for up to 5 years for adults).

Congratulations on your citizenship!

You can apply for your Canadian passport 2 business days after your citizenship ceremony.

You will need to fill out an application form and submit it with extra documents including passport photos and proof of citizenship, and pay the application fee of $120 for a 5-year passport, and $160 for a 10-year passport.

You can apply in person at a Passport Canada office or by mail. You can get your passport as quickly as 24 hours after you apply (urgent pick-up) to up to 20 business days (for mailed applications). Find out more about processing times on the Passport Canada website.

If you are not a Canadian citizen and you are arrested, and released without being charged with a crime, this will mostly likely not impact your immigration status.

If you are arrested and charged with a crime, your immigration status will be affected and you might be at high risk of deportation and losing your PR status. Some examples of crimes which might put your status at risk include: driving drunk, stealing (including small shoplifting), assault, drug-related crimes and murder.

If you are a citizen, one benefit includes not having your citizenship status at risk if you commit a crime. You will be protected under Canadian law and the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.