IMM 5444 Form: How to Fill Out the Application for a Permanent Resident Card in Canada
- Ansari Immigration
- 16 hours ago
- 7 min read
The IMM 5444 form is the Application for a Permanent Resident Card (PR card) or Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD). Permanent residents inside Canada use it to get, renew, or replace a PR card. Permanent residents outside Canada use it to apply for a PRTD so they can travel back.
Get one field wrong and the whole package comes back. IRCC returns an IMM 5444 application as incomplete if it is unsigned or undated, if it is stale dated (dated more than 90 days before IRCC receives it), or if you leave a mandatory field blank or type "N/A" where a real answer belongs. A returned application means weeks lost, and if you are close to your five year residency deadline or your card has already expired, those weeks matter. Confirm the current form and instructions on the official IMM 5444 form page and the instruction guide (IMM 5445) before you start.
What the IMM 5444 form is used for
One form covers several situations. On the first page you tell IRCC which one applies to you:
You are in Canada: you apply for a PR card. You can renew a card that has expired or will expire, replace a card that was lost, stolen, destroyed, or never received, or get your first PR card.
You are outside Canada: you apply for a permanent resident travel document (PRTD), unless you want to renounce your PR status.
Most permanent residents never file IMM 5444 for their very first card. IRCC mails your first PR card automatically if you give them a Canadian mailing address and a photo within 180 days of becoming a permanent resident. You only fill out IMM 5444 for a first card if that 180 day window passed.
How to fill out the IMM 5444 form, section by section
Here is the order the form follows and what each part is really asking for:
Applicant situation: choose PR card or PRTD, then the specific reason (renew, replace, or first card). Write your UCI number, the 8 or 10 digit reference number on your IRCC correspondence and your old PR card, in the top right corner.
Personal details: your name exactly as it appears on your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence, plus date of birth, citizenship, address, and marital status. If your name changed, you must attach proof.
Immigration history: yes or no questions about removal orders, inadmissibility reports, lost status, and appeals.
Personal history: every address, and all work or study activity, for the past five years, with no gaps. You must account for each month. This is where officers spot problems, so be complete.
Residency obligation: list all your absences from Canada in the past five years. IRCC's own guidance on the form says that if your total time outside Canada is less than 1,095 days you appear to meet the residency requirement; if it is 1,095 days or more (not counting certain protected time, such as days accompanying a Canadian citizen spouse or working abroad full time for a Canadian business or the public service), you may not.
Lost, stolen, or damaged card: complete this only if you are replacing a card.
Consent to disclose information: you can authorize IRCC to pull your entry history from CBSA and your tax history from CRA, which usually speeds up the residency check.
Consent and declaration: read it, then sign and date.
The single most useful button on the PDF is Validate, at the top of the form. It checks that every mandatory question is answered before you print. In practice, the applications that come back are almost never wrong on the hard questions; they come back because an address history has a two month gap, or someone wrote "N/A" instead of "unemployed" or "homemaker" in an activity row. Complete is not the same as valid, and IRCC returns the ones that are not valid.
Portal or paper: which version of the IMM 5444 form to use
This trips people up. There are two versions of the same form, and the signature rules are different:
Online (the default for almost everyone): you fill out a digital version of IMM 5444 inside the Permanent Residence Portal, and you sign it electronically by typing your full name exactly as it appears on your passport.
Paper PDF (only if you cannot apply online and need an accommodation): you download the PDF, validate it, then print and sign it by hand. IRCC will return a paper form that carries an electronic signature. Paper must be signed in original ink.
A note on the third party "fillable IMM 5444" sites that show up in search results: only the version on canada.ca is the current official form. Filling a copy on an unofficial site risks an outdated form or your personal data going somewhere it should not. Download it from IRCC.
IMM 5444 fees, processing time, and timing rules
Government fee: $50 per person, paid online, each time you renew or replace.
Minimum processing time: 3 weeks. Urgent processing exists for some situations and is not guaranteed.
PR card validity: usually 5 years, sometimes 1 year.
When to apply: if your card has expired, or expires within 9 months (270 days). Do not apply earlier unless your legal name changed, or your application is returned.
Also required: Document Checklist (IMM 5644), uploaded with your application.
Source: IRCC, Get, renew or replace a permanent resident card and the PR card fee answer. Verified July 2026. Fees and timelines can change without notice, so confirm on those pages before you pay.
The 3 weeks is a minimum, not a promise. Real world PR card timelines run longer and shift through the year; we cover what to expect in our guide to PR card renewal processing time.
If your absences are comfortably under 1,095 days and nothing on the form is unusual, IMM 5444 is a form most permanent residents can file themselves. If you are close to the residency line, have a removal order or lost status question, or your card already expired while you were abroad, that is exactly the situation worth a professional read before you submit: an eligibility check with Ansari Immigration's licensed RCIC settles it before a mistake costs you your status. Book a consultation.
Why the IMM 5444 form matters for your PR status
Your PR card is the proof of status you need to board a flight or bus back to Canada, and the residency section of IMM 5444 is effectively a mini residency audit. If your travel history shows you may not meet the residency obligation, the PR card application is where IRCC can flag it, so the accuracy of what you enter here follows you. Getting the form right is not paperwork for its own sake; it protects the status you already hold. If a representative is helping you file, they complete a Use of a Representative (IMM 5476) form alongside your application.
Have you renewed a PR card recently in Metro Vancouver or elsewhere? If you hit a snag on the address or absence history, share what happened in the comments, keeping it general, so others going through the same step know what to watch for.
Frequently asked questions about the IMM 5444 form
Where can I get the IMM 5444 form?
Only from canada.ca. If you apply online, you fill out the digital IMM 5444 inside the Permanent Residence Portal and never touch the PDF. If you qualify to apply on paper, download the PDF from IRCC's official IMM 5444 form page. Avoid third party filler sites.
How do I fill out the IMM 5444 form?
Work through it in order: applicant situation and UCI, personal details, immigration history, five years of address and work or study history with no gaps, your absences from Canada, then sign. Use the Validate button before printing a paper copy to catch missed fields.
How do I submit the IMM 5444 form?
Almost everyone submits online through the Permanent Residence Portal: complete the digital form, upload your IMM 5644 document checklist and supporting documents, pay the $50 fee online, upload the receipt, and submit. Paper applications by mail are only for people who cannot apply online and need an accommodation.
Do I need only the IMM 5444 for a PR card renewal?
No. IMM 5444 is the core form, but you also complete the Document Checklist (IMM 5644) and provide a photo that meets IRCC specifications plus supporting documents. Depending on your situation you may add other forms, such as IMM 5476 if a representative is helping you.
Why does my IMM 5444 say "in progress"?
"In progress" in your online account or status tracker means your application has been received and has not yet reached a decision. It is a normal status while IRCC works through your file, not a sign of a problem. Processing runs from a 3 week minimum and often longer, so an "in progress" status simply means your file is moving.
Related Posts
PR Card Renewal Processing Time in Canada: What to Expect in 2026. Realistic timelines for how long a PR card takes after you submit IMM 5444.
How to Extend Your Permanent Resident Card in Canada. What renewing a PR card actually involves and when to start.
What Is a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD)?. The document you apply for on IMM 5444 when you are outside Canada without a valid PR card.
Why work with Ansari Immigration: Flat CAD $1,000 for permanent resident card renewal representation, quoted upfront, with additional family members quoted separately. Every Ansari Immigration file is handled personally by the firm's licensed RCIC, regulated by CICC, and the relationship does not end at approval: clients get document expiry reminders even after the file closes, so a card renewal never sneaks up on you again. If your PR card renewal or permanent residence file needs a careful eye, or you are still mapping your path to becoming a permanent resident through Express Entry, book a $80, 30 minute consultation with Ansari Immigration, and tell us in the comments which IMM 5444 section you are stuck on. Reserve your consultation.
This article is for general information only. It is not legal advice. Program criteria, requirements, processing times, and selection approaches can change without notice. Always confirm details on official government websites or consult a licensed Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC) for advice specific to your situation.
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