Coronavirus disease (COVID-19): Landed permanent residents

Travel information for landed permanent residents

Landed permanent residents without symptoms of COVID-19 can travel to Canada.

You need a valid permanent resident card (PR card) or permanent resident travel document (PRTD) to travel to Canada by commercial vehicle (for example, airplane, bus, train or boat).

If your PR card is expired or about to expire

If it’s expired or will expire when you’re travelling, renew your PR card before you leave. You can only renew your card in Canada.

You may be eligible for urgent processing of your PR card.

If you don’t get your new PR card in time, you must

• apply for a PRTD once you’re outside Canada
• renew your PR card when you return to Canada

If you’re already outside Canada without a valid PR card

If you’re outside Canada and your PR card is expired, you need to apply for a PRTD to return.

Normally, you apply for a PRTD at a visa application centre (VAC). Due to COVID-19, many VACs are closed. Before you go to apply, check if your VAC is open and accepts PRTD applications.

If your VAC is open

If your VAC is open and accepting applications, find out how to apply for a PRTD.

If your VAC is closed

If your VAC is closed, submit your PRTD application by email.

PRTD applications are normally submitted on paper. We’re allowing email applications only in cases where a VAC is closed or unable to accept PRTD applications. Applying by email may take longer than applying on paper.

To submit by email:

Once we make a decision on your application, you’ll receive an email with instructions on how and where to submit your passport.

Don’t book your travel to Canada until you’ve received your passport with your PRTD sticker.

Due to the impacts of coronavirus disease (COVID-19), we can’t

• process applications normally
• provide accurate processing times

Bringing family members to Canada

Your immediate family members can only travel to Canada if they’re coming for an essential (non-discretionary)^{Footnote 1} reason. They can’t come for optional (discretionary) reasons like

• tourism
• recreation
• entertainment

They also need a visitor visa or electronic travel authorization (eTA).

Travel information for permanent residents who haven’t landed

To finish the application process, you have to land as a permanent resident.

Find out what to do if we approved your application but you haven’t landed yet.

Getting started in Canada as a new immigrant

If you’re exempt from the travel restrictions and can come to Canada, there are some things you should do when you get here.

Tell us where to send your first PR card

New permanent residents don’t need to apply for a PR card. We send one to you when you immigrate to Canada if you tell us your Canadian mailing address.

You have 180 days after immigrating to tell us your address. If we don’t get it in time, then you have to apply for your card.

Tell us your address

Get settlement services

As a newcomer to Canada, you and your family can get help adjusting to your new life. Settlement organizations can give you the information you need about:

• life in Canada and your new community
• language training
• help finding a job
• connections with established immigrants and Canadians

Resettlement organizations provide services that address the specific needs of refugees.

For now, settlement and resettlement service providers are focusing on critical services because of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

You can still get other services but the format and availability will depend on the provider. For example, some service providers can offer critical and non-critical services by phone, email and online. Contact your local service providers to find out what’s available in your area.

Find settlement services near you

If you applied for Canadian citizenship

Find out how your Canadian citizenship application is affected by coronavirus (COVID-19) to get guidance on

• citizenship event cancellations
• submitting your documents
• new citizenship applications
• time you’ve lived in Canada (physical presence)

Get COVID-19 information in multiple languages

The Public Health Agency of Canada website has resources in multiple languages to help you understand COVID-19. These include

• factsheets
• videos
• recordings
• infographics

You can find the languages of each resource under its description.

How do I make an electronic copy of my document?

An electronic or digital copy is a computer file copy of a paper document. To make an electronic copy, you can use a scanner or a digital camera. Scan or take a picture of your status document.

If you have to submit both sides of your status in Canada document, save both sides into 1 document. If you don’t have a photo editing software, the easiest way to do this is to save both images into a Microsoft Word Document.

We accept these file formats:

• PDF (portable document)
• JPG, TIFF, or PNG (image)
• DOC or DOCX (Microsoft Word document)

Take note of the name you give the file and where you save it so you can easily find the file later.

To avoid delays in processing, make sure the image is clear and your information is easy to read.

My documents are too large. How do I reduce the file size?

Here are some tips for reducing the size of your file:

PDF format

• Recreate the PDF using the “lowest file size” option available.
• If you have images, save them with a resolution of 96 DPI (dots per inch).
• Remove all unnecessary images.

You may find file size and image options under the advanced settings section of the software you are using.

JPG format

• Scan your document at a lower resolution (96 DPI).
• Remove all empty space around the image.
• Shrink the image.
• Reduce the JPG image quality.

TIFF and PNG format

• Scan your document at a lower resolution (96 DPI).
• Crop the image to remove any empty space around it.
• Shrink the image.
• Save the file in JPG format instead.

DOC and DOCX format

• Remove unnecessary images, formatting and macros.
• Save the file as a recent Word version.
• Reduce the file size of the images before they are added to the document.
• If it is still too large, save the file as a PDF.

Immediate family members

According to these travel restrictions, immediate family members include:

• your spouse or common-law partner
• your dependent child
• your parent or step-parent
• your guardian or tutor
• your spouse’s dependent child
• your spouse’s parent or step-parent
• a dependent child of your dependent child

See: Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada due to COVID-19

Updates and related links

• Find more information on COVID-19
• Public Health Agency of Canada: COVID-19 information (available in multiple languages)

Immediate family members

According to these travel restrictions, immediate family members include:

• your spouse or common-law partner
• your dependent child
• your parent or step-parent
• your guardian or tutor
• your spouse’s dependent child
• your spouse’s parent or step-parent
• a dependent child of your dependent child

See: Interim Order to Prevent Certain Persons from Boarding Flights to Canada due to COVID-19