VisaGiving up Canadian permanent residence requires approval from an immigration officer
Current permanent residents considering voluntary renunciation should check what happens to their family applications and any separate permission they need to stay or travel.
Official announcement date: not established (undated guidance)
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Edited and checked by the VisaWand editorial team
Check whether you want to give up your status
This guide applies to people who still hold Canadian permanent resident status and want to give it up voluntarily. Section 46 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act puts the change on the date an officer approves the request. Submitting a form is the start of a decision process. Under section 72.6 of the regulations, the officer needs evidence of citizenship, nationality or permanent legal residence in another country before approving the request.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada says that an expired permanent resident card does not by itself end status. A person who has spent years abroad may still be a permanent resident until there is a formal decision. If your aim is to travel back and retain your status, the immigration department’s permanent resident travel document guidance addresses that separate task. For example, an expired card and an upcoming flight do not establish that a person has already become eligible to travel as a visitor.
Check what happens to relatives and any pending application
Review your own immigration applications and any sponsorship you have submitted before filing. Section 72.7 of the regulations suspends a sponsorship application while the sponsor’s request to give up residence is being decided. IRCC’s instruction guide says approval leads to refusal of a family sponsorship and the sponsored relatives’ residence applications if they are still in process, without a refund of processing fees. It also says a citizenship application still in process will be refused.
Other relatives who already hold permanent residence can retain their own status. If more than one family member wants to give it up, the regulations require separate applications. For a child under 18, section 72.6 generally requires signatures from each person with custody or legal authority to act, unless a court orders otherwise. The checklist includes evidence for children such as birth records, guardianship or adoption papers, and proof of sole custody where applicable.
Assemble the documents and use the correct submission channel
Use the IRCC package for forms IMM 5782 and IMM 5783. The checklist asks for the signed form and two photographs. It asks for a copy of a valid passport or proof of another country’s citizenship or permanent residence if the applicant has no passport. It also asks for the original Canadian permanent resident card if it is still valid, and explains when to include a declaration about a missing card. Follow the checklist’s directions on originals and copies, then keep a copy of the completed package.
Guide 5781 gives an Ottawa mailing address for applicants living in Canada and office instructions for those living abroad. If you already applied for an Electronic Travel Authorization and IRCC asks you to submit renunciation documents to continue processing that case, use the secure online account specified in its letter. That is the specific electronic route. The generic application package otherwise directs applicants to mail their completed forms. IRCC charges no fee for the renunciation application itself.
Check your permission after approval before staying or travelling
Section 46 provides six months of temporary resident status for a person physically in Canada on the approval day, with an exception for applicants who filed at a port of entry. That provision also excludes anyone outside Canada on the approval day. Check the circumstances at approval before relying on it. The instruction guide says work or study requires separate authorisation once permanent residence ends. If you will need more time in Canada than the temporary status provides, check the separate visitor extension rules before it expires.
If you plan to visit from abroad after approval, use the government’s visitor visa and electronic authorization pages to identify the permission for your passport and travel method. The electronic authorization costs CAD 7 and a visitor visa starts at CAD 100. Those are separate travel application charges. The department’s guidance for people who may still be permanent residents advises waiting for the applicable document before booking travel. An approval to give up residence does not decide a visitor visa or electronic authorization application.
