Yes, you can lose your Canadian permanent resident (PR) status. This typically happens if you fail to meet residency obligations (living in Canada for at least 730 days in a five-year period), commit a serious criminal offense, commit immigration fraud, or voluntarily renounce your status. Status is not automatically lost, but rather revoked through a legal process.
Permanent Residency Obligations To Keep PR Status
You must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days within a 5-year period. This means that you can spend a total of up to 3 years outside of Canada during a 5-year period.
The three primary scenarios that can lead to you losing your Permanent Resident status are: Failing to meet Residency Obligations, becoming Criminally Inadmissible, or the positive outcome of Transitioning to Canadian Citizenship.
You will lose your permanent resident status if an immigration judge issues a final removal order against you. INA sections 212 and 237 describe the grounds on which you may be ordered removed from the United States.
To remain eligible for your Canadian provincial/territorial government health insurance, you cannot travel outside your province/territory of residence for a total of more than 7 months (212 days) within a year, or 6 months (183 days) if you live in Quebec, PEI or Nunavut. This includes travel within Canada.
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don't need to be continuous. Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days. See can my time abroad count towards my permanent resident status?
U.S. immigration law assumes that a person admitted to the United States as an immigrant will live in the United States permanently. Remaining outside the United States for more than one year may result in a loss of Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) status.
Abandoning residency through prolonged travel, being convicted of serious crimes, committing fraud or misrepresentation, failing to meet financial obligations (tax filing or child support), and voluntarily relinquishing status by signing Form I-407 are the top 5 reasons to lose permanent resident status!
Yes, you can lose your permanent resident (PR) status. If you haven't been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years, you may lose your PR status.
Reason 1: Committing a Serious Offence
Your Permanent Residency can be cancelled if you fail the Character Test, especially if you: Receive a 12-month prison sentence (even if suspended) Commit domestic violence.
Once you obtain Canadian Permanent Residence, you must renew your status every five years and meet residency requirements in order to maintain your status. After a required residency period in Canada, Permanent Residents may apply to become Canadian citizens.
What to expect from Canada's new immigration rules in 2026
A permanent resident loses their permanent residence status and faces deportation from Canada if they become inadmissible on grounds of serious criminality. Depending on the circumstances, even people who came to Canada as refugees may be deported.
Therefore, provided you have severed primary residential ties to Canada, it is possible to maintain certain secondary ties to Canada such as maintaining a bank account, investment account or credit card. The date you become a resident of the new country you are immigrating to.
If you've already acquired permanent residency and experience a breakup afterwards, rest assured that your partner cannot revoke your visa. This is because a permanent partner or spouse visa is inherently permanent.
Canada's 183-day rule is a key factor in determining tax residency: if you stay in Canada for 183 days or more in a calendar year, you're generally considered a resident for tax purposes for that entire year (a "deemed resident"), even if you don't have strong ties, subjecting your worldwide income to Canadian tax. However, this rule works alongside Canada's complex residency tests and tax treaties, meaning you might become a resident sooner with significant ties (like family or property) or avoid it if a treaty designates you a resident of another country.
To keep your PR status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don't need to be continuous. Some of your time outside Canada may count towards the 730 days you need. Find out if your time outside Canada counts toward your 730 days.
As a Canadian citizen, you can get a Canadian passport. You can travel abroad for as long as you like and you will not lose your citizenship status, unlike Permanent Residents (PR).
About restoration of status
If your temporary status in Canada (e.g. your study permit) has expired and you did not apply for an extension before the expiry date, you must apply to restore your status within 90 days of the expiry date if you want to stay in Canada. This process is known as restoration of status.
Permanent residents continue to have all the same rights:
Permanent Residence is a status – only an immigration judge can take away your permanent residence. Do not sign anything to give up your status without seeing a judge.
You can apply urgently for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD) if you're travelling back to Canada within the next 5 days. A PRTD will let you re-enter Canada if you don't have a PR card.
You can lose citizenship through voluntary renunciation, such as by applying for citizenship in another country with intent to give up your current one; through involuntary denaturalization, often due to fraud in the naturalization process or joining certain prohibited groups; or by committing acts like treason or serving in a foreign military at war with your country.
When your permanent resident (PR) card expires, you still have your PR status and can stay in Canada. You may still need your valid PR card for some services in your province. If you leave the country, you'll need a valid PR card to return to Canada by commercial vehicle.
Understanding Your Travel Facility
When you're granted a permanent residency visa, it comes with a five-year travel facility. This travel facility allows you to leave and re-enter Australia as many times as you like during that five-year period.
The Canadian government can revoke your permanent resident (PR) status under certain circumstances including: Not meeting residency obligations. Criminal conviction. Obtaining your PR status through misrepresentation.