27 June 2005

Citizenship and Immigration Canada celebrates success of Canada's Permanent Resident Card

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) today celebrated the one-year anniversary of Canada's permanent resident ard by issuing the 450,000th card.

The permanent resident card demonstrates how technology can be used to protect Canada against the fraudulent use of our immigration documents and, at the same time, protect the privacy of those who wish to make Canada their home. This is a major success story for the Department," said CIC Minister Denis Coderre.

Introduced one year ago on June 28, 2002, as part of the new Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, the card has met with widespread acceptance from Canada's permanent residents and offers substantial public safety benefits.

As of December 31, 2003, the fraud-resistant permanent resident card will replace the IMM 1000 Record of Landing document for the purpose of international travel. As of this date, permanent residents returning to Canada after international travel aboard a commercial carrier will have to show their permanent resident card to transportation staff before boarding. Since the card is machine-readable like a passport, it makes it much easier for transportation officials to confirm a permanent resident's identity.

Since CIC introduced the permanent resident card, it has issued close to half a million cards for new and existing permanent residents. In the last four months alone, the Department has received more than 200,000 applications for the card.

"As we approach December 31, 2003, when the card will become mandatory for re-entering Canada aboard a commercial carrier, we're seeing an increase in applications," said the Minister. "Permanent residents are increasingly aware of the need to apply early to avoid delaying the delivery of their card."

Permanent residents travelling internationally without a valid permanent resident card will not be permitted to board a commercial carrier to return to Canada. They will be referred to the nearest Canadian embassy or consulate to obtain a limited-use travel document at a cost of $50.

Permanent residents who arrive in Canada after June 28, 2002, automatically receive a permanent resident card as part of the immigration process. Permanent residents who were living in Canada before this date must apply for their cards according to a publicly available schedule. Canadian citizens do not need a permanent resident card.