Maple Leaf Card is a certificate of identity for Canadian permanent residents, which can indicate the holder's permanent resident qualifications and is also an important document that needs to be used when traveling to and from Canada. Since this card has a fixed life span and generally lasts for five years, the cardholder must go through the renewal procedures before it is about to expire.

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1. Core conditions for renewal of Canadian maple leaf card

Maple Leaf Card Update must be related to the permanent residents' living requirements. Applicants must meet the two conditions of valid identity and long residence. The details are as follows:

(I) The identity remains valid

The applicant must be a permanent resident of Canada and is not disqualified from status. If your identity is cancelled due to the failure to meet the living conditions, deception and other behaviors (such as receiving the "cancel identity certificate" issued by the Immigration Bureau), you cannot apply for an extension. You must first restore your identity through legal procedures before you can apply again.

(II) Meet the residence time requirements

Applicants must ensure that in the past five years, the total number of days spent in Canada has reached 730 days, that is, two years. This standard is exactly the same as the residence regulations that permanent residents need to meet. The detailed calculation method is as follows:

The deadline for applying for renewal of residence permit is five years, and the cumulative number of days of residence during this period must reach 730 days. For example, if you submit a renewal application in June 2025, you must actually live for 730 days between June 2020 and June 2025.

Residence time determination:

My actual living time in Canada can be directly counted, including short-term departure (no more than one day) due to the epidemic and travel delays. These situations can be counted in it.

Special circumstances: If the party settles in a foreign Canadian partner, works for a Canadian company, etc. (exempts the requirements for permanent residents to live), then his duration overseas can be counted as the length of residence (the corresponding materials must be submitted).

2. Application materials for renewal of Canadian maple leaf card

Renewal applications must be submitted through the online platform. The key documents cover identity credentials, address records and personal information verification. The details are as follows:

(I) Identity and qualification certificate

Currently there is a photocopy of the maple leaf card: both sides must be copied in full. If the certificate is lost or damaged, a "lost certificate" must be submitted ( )

Identity initial confirmation documents, such as login paper, or COPR copy, are used to confirm permanent resident status.

Identity documents: A valid passport or other international travel document must be presented, which must be accompanied by a personal photo page and include all Canadian border inspection seal records to verify personal identity and entry and exit.

(II) Residence time proof

Materials required to prove living in Canada, including but not limited to:

Canada's address proof materials include rental agreements, housing loan payment certificates, water and electricity payment receipts, and bank statement lists (requiring Canadian address information) in the past five years. At least 1 to 2 relevant documents must be submitted for each address.

The certificate of entry and exit of the country can be applied for "travel documents" to the website of the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), or submit an entry stamp page with a passport to confirm the length of stay in Canada.

Special circumstances description: If the conditions for exemption from residence liability are met, such as living overseas as a citizen spouse, you must submit your spouse’s Canadian citizenship documents, an employment agreement for overseas work, and relevant materials for the establishment of the company.

(III) Personal Information Materials

The latest frontal uncrowned photo must meet the standards of the Canadian immigration department, the dimensions are 35 mm times 45 mm, the background is pure white, and the shooting time must be completed within six months.

To apply for the Maple Leaf Card Continuation Form, you must complete all items in the IMM 5444E form and then sign on the date.

Identity verification and background review: Those over the age of fourteen must submit physiological characteristic data (fingerprints) when applying, and they can be exempted from providing them in certain circumstances (for example, fingerprint data has been collected recently).

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3. The process and time of renewal of Canadian maple leaf card

(I) Application process

Create a personal account through the electronic platform of the official website of the Canadian Immigration Agency, then submit all the required documents, and finally pay the application fee. The current standard is 50 Canadian dollars.

Information collection: When receiving information from the immigration department, you need to go to the designated place to enter your fingerprint. If necessary, you need to pay 85 Canadian dollars.

The Immigration Bureau will check the submitted information. If it is found that it is not complete enough, it will issue a "supplementary document requirement". The applicant must supplement it within the specified time limit, which generally lasts 30 days.

Obtaining a license and making a certificate: After the application is approved, the relevant departments will start to produce a new identity document and then send it to the applicant's address in Canada by mail. Be careful not to send it to foreign regions. The entire processing process will take about twelve to 16 weeks.

(II) Key time nodes

The extension procedures for the maple leaf card should be handled six months in advance to prevent the slow approval process from invalidating the certificate. If the certificate has been invalidated but must travel to China, you can apply for a "Permanent Resident Travel Certificate" ( ) as a temporary certificate.

4. Countermeasures after Canadian maple leaf card expires

If the holder loses the timeliness of the maple leaf card, it will not cause the termination of permanent residence qualifications, but it will interfere with the round trip and personal certificates, and must be dealt with in accordance with the specific situation:

(I) Still in Canada

Qualifications are still applicable: As long as you meet the residence conditions, you can go through the extension procedures smoothly, and the period will not hinder your legal stay in Canada (the identity of a permanent resident has nothing to do with the duration of the document).

Identity verification is required: handling banking business, medical treatment, etc. in China, and being able to use expired maple leaf cards and login vouchers as identity proofs. Some units may need to submit "valid identity proof documents" (you can apply for an application on the Immigration Bureau website).

(II) Outside Canada

If you hold an expired maple leaf card, you cannot enter Canada. Border officials generally refuse such documents and must apply for "permanent resident travel documents" to pass.

Application conditions: Still a permanent resident and meet the residence requirements;

Application location: You need to submit it to embassies and consulates outside Canada, and the process takes about 4-8 weeks;

It is only applicable to entering Canada once or more times. You must apply for a replacement of the maple leaf card immediately after entering.

Special circumstances involve insufficient residence time: If you cannot apply for PRTD due to insufficient residence time, you need to use the "residence declaration" to confirm your close relationship with Canada. For example, if a relative owns property in Canada and owns property in Canada, you can enter Canada and apply for an extension once approved.

(III) Cannot renew the visa due to insufficient residence time

If the renewal is rejected due to the failure to meet the requirement of living for 5 years or more than 2 years, the visa must be rejected:

Requesting to restore a residence permit requires a reasonable explanation to the immigration management agency for the inability to meet the conditions of residence, such as serious health problems, an emergency at home, or showing a close relationship with Canada, such as children receiving education in the country, operating business activities in Canada, etc.

If the Immigration Bureau decides not to reapprove the application, the parties may file a complaint with the federal court and request the court to review the decision, and the court will finally determine whether the residence qualification should be restored.

5. Common misunderstandings and precautions

"Cards are outdated = identity is invalid": This statement is wrong. Maple Leaf Card is only a proof of identity, and even if it expires, it will not affect the permanent resident qualification. As long as it meets the living conditions, you can still apply for renewal.

No registration required for short-term outing: incorrect. Even if you leave the country for one to two months, you must keep the round trip certificate and relevant seals on your passport to avoid trouble when applying for a visa in the future because you cannot verify your length of residence in China.