What Are My Rights As A Canadian Permanent Resident?

If you recently just obtained your Canada PR, there are many rights and responsibilities you ought to know about. Your rights as a Canadian permanent resident are not the same as that of a Canadian Citizen. Therefore, it is important to know your rights and responsibilities as a permanent resident.

Here at Immigirl, we will enlighten you more about what it means to be a Canadian permanent resident.

As a Canadian Permanent Resident, you can:

As a permanent resident, you are entitled to most benefits that Canadian citizens enjoy. You are entitled to free public health services as well as funding from OSAP. You can live, work and study anywhere in the maple leaf country. As a permanent resident, you can attend any school, colleges, vocational or universities in Canada.

After a period of time residing in Canada as a permanent resident, you can also apply for Canadian Citizenship. You are fully protected under Canadian laws but you must also respect the provincial and federal laws of Canada. A responsible permanent resident must pay taxes.

As a Canadian Permanent Resident, you cannot:

As a permanent resident, you can not vote or run for a political office during an election. You can not even hold certain jobs especially high security related or federal jobs.

You may be deported from Canada if you are convicted of grave or serious criminal offence. To keep your Canada PR status, you have to live in Canada for a minimum of two years within a period five-year. You also lose your Canada PR status when you become a Canadian citizen.

The Permanent Resident Card

You must hold the Permanent Resident Card with you anytime you wish to travel outside Canada. The PR Card is the official proof of your permanent residency status in Canada. You will need the same PR Card to re-enter Canada.

However, in the case of an emergency in which you have to travel out of Canada, it will be helpful to already obtain your permanent resident card, in order to re-enter to Canada.