To renew or replace your Permanent Resident Card it currently takes 90 days, on average, as of the pandemic. Please note that if your application is sent for “secondary review” or if you are sent the Residency Determination then you can expect the process to take more than year, or more.
Note: the current processing time for a first PR Card is 92 days.
There is an option to replace your card urgently, which usually takes 20-30 business days.
During the winter of 2015-16, processing times were much slower. The official processing time for renewals was over 190 days in January 2016. And it was over 100 days for new permanent residents. This delay was caused by a couple of different factors:
- First, IRCC began issuing new PR Cards with RFID tags in them. Though rumours circulated of a problem with the manufacture of the cards, a major problem with simply that numerous permanent residents, unaware of the new photo requirements, were asked to re-submit their photos. It seems as though many who applied for new PR Cards prior to the decision to change the card were then expected to submit photos according to the new specifications.
- A second reason for the delay was likely the diversion of IRCC resources to help process and settle the Syrian refugees.
However, things have greatly improved and the processing time is back within normal range.
