Help Center

CIC offers urgent processing for permanent resident cards, but only if you:

• Plan to travel outside Canada, and
• Need a valid permanent resident card to re-enter Canada on a commercial carrier (for example: by bus, airplane, train, etc.).

Depending on your situation, there are different things you can do. If you:

• Have already submitted an application, check your application status and then use the process for requesting urgent processing.
• Have not applied for a permanent resident card and will be leaving Canada in three weeks or later, you can submit an urgent request.
• Plan to travel in less than three weeks, it is unlikely you will receive your card before leaving Canada. Learn more about re-entering Canada without a PR card.
• Are outside Canada right now, please note we only send PR cards to addresses in Canada. Learn more about re-entering Canada without a PR card.

In exceptional circumstances, CIC will process applications urgently. CIC does urgent processing for applications for proof of citizenship, search of citizenship records for Canadian citizens, resumptions, and applications for grant of citizenship, in certain exceptional circumstances such as:

• the applicants need to travel because of death or serious illness in the family and cannot obtain a passport in their present nationality (which includes the Canadian passport); or
• the applicants have been in Canada for 1,095 days or more and face loss of employment or employment opportunity because they are not Canadian citizens; or
• the applicants are Canadian citizens and face the loss of employment or employment opportunity because they are not in possession of a document establishing Canadian citizenship; or
• an application delayed due to an administrative error; or
• an applicant for grant of citizenship who has received a decision from CIC, and who thinks that an error was made in that decision, has successfully appealed to the Federal Court; or
• any situation in which not expediting the citizenship application harms the applicant, such as the need to renounce foreign citizenship by a certain date; or
• the applicants need a citizenship certificate to access certain benefits such as a pension, Social Insurance Number or health care.

If you meet the above criteria:

• download and complete the application form (see Citizenship Applications);
• include required documents;
• write - “Urgent” on the envelope; and
• mail application. For further details, please refer to the instructions in the application instruction guide. The instructions will detail any specific mailing instructions, such as envelope size or acceptable couriers, etc.

If you are living in Canada and have already sent your application and now require urgent processing, contact our Call Centre.

If you live outside Canada, and have already sent your application for proofs, search of records and resumption, contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate responsible for your region.