• Immigration & Citizenship
• Permanent Residence
• Permanent Resident (PR) Status

I have not met my PR requirements, have I lost my PR status?

You cannot automatically lose your permanent resident status. An official process must take place for you to lose your permanent resident (PR) status. 

A review of your PR status may occur outside Canada or when you enter Canada, if you have not met your PR residency requirements.

This means that you do not lose your PR status until a final determination has been made.  Your PR status needs to be formally removed for your PR status to change.

Your PR card expiring does not affect your PR status. An expired PR card does not mean that you have lost your status as a permanent resident of Canada. 

How Can I Lose My Permanent Resident Status?

You can lose your PR status for the following reasons:

• You have not met the requirement of living in Canada for the required 2 out of 5 years;
• You used false documents or provided false information when you applied for or were sponsored for permanent resident status;
• You are convicted of a serious crime and ordered to leave Canada;
• You decide to voluntarily give up your permanent resident status;
• You have been given a removal order and it comes into force; or
• You become a Canadian Citizen.

The possibility of losing your permanent resident status is a very serious and complicated subject. It is important to get legal advice if your PR status is being reviewed or before you choose to voluntarily give up your PR status.

The general information provided above should not be taken as legal advice.

For More Information

• Understand Permanent Resident Status - Find out what you need to know about living in Canada as a permanent resident. From IRCC.
• Removal From Canada - Information on different Removal Orders and how to appeal and respond to them. From the Canada Border Services Agency.
• What are the residency requirements for permanent residents (PRs)? - Information on how much time a permanent resident must physically be in Canada. From Settlement.Org.
• How to appeal decisions about loss of permanent resident status - A guide to the Removal Order appeals process for people in and outside Canada. From Community Legal Education Ontario (CLEO).