Nhiều người nghĩ rằng khi đã có thường trú nhân Canada (Permanent Resident – PR) thì sẽ giữ được mãi mãi. Tuy nhiên, sự thật là tư cách thường trú không phải lúc nào cũng được bảo đảm.

Bài viết này sẽ giải thích chi tiết các trường hợp có thể dẫn đến việc mất tư cách PR, bao gồm những lý do bất lợi (không đáp ứng nghĩa vụ cư trú, vi phạm luật) và cả lý do tích cực (tự nguyện từ bỏ khi trở thành công dân Canada).

1. Will I lose my PR if my PR Card expires?

A common misconception is that if your PR card expires, you will lose your permanent resident status. In fact, you will retain your PR status even if your card expires. However, you will need a valid PR card if you want to return to Canada by air, ship, bus or train after traveling abroad.

2. Failure to meet residency obligations

To maintain permanent resident status, you must have at least 730 days (equivalent to 2 years) of physical presence in Canada within 5 years.

• No need to stay continuously.
• Some situations outside Canada still count towards residency, for example:
  • Work full-time abroad for a Canadian company/organization or the Canadian government.
  • Accompanying spouse or parent who is a Canadian citizen or PR and is working full-time for a Canadian company/government.

Note: Dependent children accompanying their parents in this category are also counted for time spent outside of Canada.

Track travel schedules

IRCC encourages permanent residents to keep a travel diary:

• Date of departure/return to Canada (including short trips to the US).
• Countries visited.
• Reason for travel (tourism, work, visiting family…).

This helps demonstrate compliance with residency obligations when needed.

3. Becoming Inadmissible

Although permanent residents have more rights than temporary residents, only Canadian citizens have the absolute right to remain in Canada.

A PR may be considered inadmissible and forced to leave Canada in the following cases:

• Serious Criminality:
  • Convicted in Canada with a maximum sentence of 10 years or more, or imprisoned for more than 6 months.
  • Convicted abroad of an offence for which Canadian law provides for a sentence of 10 years or more.
  • This can be remedied by applying for rehabilitation or applying for a Temporary Resident Permit to return temporarily.
• Misrepresentation:
  • Providing false or missing information in the application.
  • Submit fake documents, lie about health, job, education...
  • Consequences: fines, forced departure from Canada, and possible ban on reapplying for 5 years.

4. Become a Canadian citizen

This is a case of “losing PR” but in a positive way. When you become a citizen, you are no longer a PR because you have officially become a Canadian Citizen.

Benefits of Canadian Citizenship vs PR

• The right to vote at all levels and to run for office.
• Work in positions requiring high security clearance.
• Passing on citizenship to children born outside Canada.
• No longer subject to residency obligation.
• Be protected by the Canadian embassy/consulate when traveling abroad.
• Get a Canadian passport, one of the strongest passports in the world, easy to travel to many countries.

Conclusion

You do not automatically lose your PR status when your PR card expires. However, you can lose your PR if you fail to meet your residency obligations, are found inadmissible, or voluntarily renounce your status to become a Canadian citizen.

Understanding these regulations will help you protect your permanent resident status and move toward successful naturalization.