An analysis by an immigration lawyer showed that one of the main reasons for the rejection of permanent resident travel documents is that the applicant has not lived in Canada for two years within five years, and there are not enough humanitarian and compassionate reasons. In fact, travel visas are more suitable for those who have expired or lost their Maple Leaf Card but still qualify as permanent residents. Many Chinese "astronauts" have businesses and families in their places of origin, so they live outside Canada all year round, which can easily lead to problems such as insufficient time to live in Canada. This is why visa offices in Beijing and Shanghai receive a large number of applications every year. Indeed, most of the applicants in Hong Kong are also from Guangdong and other regions.

Can you still have permanent resident status in Canada if your Maple Leaf Card expires?

Data shows that in recent years, whether they are replacing Maple Leaf Cards in China or applying for permanent resident travel documents abroad, the number of people whose status has been canceled has continued to rise because they did not meet the conditions of two years of residence within five years. Every year, there are a large number of 6,000 Maple Leaf Card holders. Some of them live in other countries, and some have expired their Maple Leaf Cards while traveling abroad. When they returned to Canada, they discovered that they did not have a valid identity document, eventually leading to the loss of immigration status.

So if the Maple Leaf Card expires, do holders of the Maple Leaf Card still have permanent resident status?

According to the provisions of Canadian Immigration Law. There are two situations in which permanent residents may lose their status. First, after a hearing by the Immigration Department Review Board, it was ruled that the permanent resident no longer had status. Secondly, when Maple Leaf Card holders apply for permanent resident travel documents, the immigration officer finds that they no longer have permanent resident status. At this time, they lose their permanent resident status.

In addition, not all people whose Maple Leaf Cards have expired abroad need to worry about being unable to return to Canada. Some immigrants under special circumstances, such as accompanying Canadian citizens outside Canada or being sent abroad to work by a Canadian company, are not subject to the minimum number of years of residence and do not need to worry about this issue.