Introduction of Maple Leaf Card:
Every Canadian permanent resident will have a "Maple Leaf Card" from the date of landing, which is a status symbol of Canadian permanent residents and a legal immigrant visa to enter Canada freely within the validity period.
According to the Canadian Immigration Law, the Canadian Maple Leaf Card is valid for five years from the date of issuance, and all Canadian permanent residents must live in Canada for 730 days. Maple leaf card holders must live for two years in the five-year validity period of the card, and as long as they do not become citizens, they must always fulfill this obligation of residence. Whether applying for a maple leaf card for the first time or reapplying for a second maple leaf card after the expiration of five years, all holders of Canadian permanent residence status must fulfill their residence obligations for more than 730 days in any five-year period. According to Canada's new immigration law, immigrants must live for two years within five years, otherwise their immigration status will be cancelled.
In order to facilitate reading and understanding, the relevant laws in Canada are decomposed according to the new immigration law and the newer official policies. One of the major changes is the implementation of the permanent resident residence obligation and the maple leaf card system, which is embodied in the following aspects:
First: Maple Leaf Card is an immigrant visa, a passport for Canadian permanent residents to return to Canada after leaving Canada (Maple Leaf Card is a visa, but it is an immigrant visa), and it is a kind of identification, commonly known as "Canadian Green Card". In the early years, the identity document of permanent residents was immigration paper (IMM- 1000), which later evolved into immigration identity confirmation paper (IMM 5292). Because paper documents are easy to be forged, according to relevant Canadian policies, a "maple leaf card" is issued to permanent residents.
Second: Maple Leaf Card and Landing Paper (IMM 1000 or IMM 5292) are two major identities of permanent residents in Canada.
Third: Canadian permanent residents who travel outside Canada and return to Canada by commercial means of transportation (such as ships, trains, planes, buses and taxis) must show this "Maple Leaf Card" to Canadian customs officers before they can legally enter the country.
Fourth: Maple Leaf Card contains all the data required for permanent resident status (including time in Canada). Only authorized officials can read these data. It will not be used to track the activities of cardholders, so it has the function of protecting the privacy of cardholders.
Fifth: each maple leaf card is valid for 5 years, and a new maple leaf card must be issued after 5 years;
Sixth, the condition for renewal of Maple Leaf Card is that "you must live for two years within five years (730 days in total)", and permanent residents are required to submit applications for new Maple Leaf Card in Canada (that is, applications must be submitted after returning to Canada, and applications outside Canada will not be accepted by the Canadian Immigration Department).
Seventh: those who have lived for less than two years within five years do not meet the conditions for renewing the Maple Leaf Card;
Eighth: If you can't get a valid maple leaf card, it means that you will not be able to enter Canada normally.
Ninth: if you have not lived for two years within the five-year period, the immigration law stipulates the following three exceptions, as follows:
1) Living outside Canada with family members with Canadian citizenship;
2) Full-time employees of Canadian enterprises stationed overseas, or full-time Canadian official civil servants stationed overseas;
3) A family member with permanent residency is sent overseas by a Canadian enterprise as a full-time employee or as an official Canadian official, in which case he stays abroad with his family members;