Documents to upload, and when
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Proof of residence in Canada: what IRCC asks for on a PR card renewal
People search “proof of residence” or “proof of address” and get lists for banks and landlords. On a PR card renewal, IRCC uses the words differently. Here is what each one means and what IRCC actually asks you to send.
Three things people mean by “proof of residence”
The phrase covers three separate things. Mixing them up is the usual reason people send the wrong document.
| Who is asking | What they want | Where the list is |
|---|---|---|
| A bank, landlord, school or province | A document showing where you live today | Their own list. IRCC does not set it, so ask them. |
| IRCC, residency obligation | Copies of 2 documents showing you met the residency obligation in the past 5 years | Guide 5445, Appendix A |
| IRCC, address history | A written list of every address for 5 years, typed on the form | IMM 5444, section 4.1 |
This guide covers the two IRCC rows. For the first row, nothing here or on canada.ca tells you what a bank or landlord accepts.
What IRCC asks for: proof of your residency obligation
IRCC says you must provide copies of 2 pieces of evidence showing you met the residency obligation. That obligation is 730 days in Canada in the last 5 years.1
Appendix A gives these examples:1
- Employment records or pay stubs.
- Bank statements.
- A Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) notice of assessment for each of the 5 years before the application.
- Evidence that you received benefits from Canadian government programs.
- Rental agreements.
- Club memberships.
- Or any other relevant document showing you met the residency obligation.1
There is no item called “proof of address” on the list. IRCC does not say which item it prefers or what each document must show. An officer looks at your whole application.
Note: Send copies, not originals
IRCC says not to send original documents, because they will not be returned to you.1
Choosing your two documents
IRCC asks for two. It does not say how to choose them. These are our own suggestions, not IRCC rules:
- Pick documents that cover the whole five years, not one month of it. IRCC ties the notice of assessment to the full five years, so it is a natural fit.
- Make the two different kinds of document, for example a notice of assessment and a lease.
- Check that each one shows your name and a date.
A document is not enough on its own to show 730 days. It supports the day count you give on the form, which has to come from your own travel records.
Your address history is a list, not a document
IMM 5444, section 4.1, asks you to list all the addresses you have lived at, inside and outside Canada, for the past 5 years. Account for every month, with no gaps, from the most recent address to the oldest.2
Section 4.2 asks for all your work and study in the same 5 years. If you were not working or studying, IRCC says to name the activity, such as volunteering, homemaker or retired.2
You type these on the form. Appendix A does not ask you to upload a lease or a bill for each address.
If you lived outside Canada with a spouse, partner or parent
Appendix A has special situations for time spent outside Canada. If you were with a Canadian citizen (situation B) or a permanent resident (situation C) who is your spouse, common-law partner or parent, IRCC asks for proof of that person’s residential addresses for the 5 years before the application, among other documents.1
This is the one place the Guide uses the word “addresses” for proof. It is about the person you were with, not about you.
Important: Get advice on your case
If you are short of 730 days or your situation is unusual, speak to a licensed professional before you apply. Only lawyers and paralegals in a Canadian law society, Quebec notaries, and consultants who are members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants can charge you to represent you. prcard.ca doesn’t give advice on your case.3
Turn your records into the form answers
The renewal pack builds your address history and day count in the order the PR Portal asks for them. The interview is free.
Quick answers
What counts as proof of residence for a PR card renewal?
IRCC asks for copies of 2 pieces of evidence that you met the residency obligation. Its examples include pay stubs, bank statements, CRA notices of assessment, benefit records, rental agreements and club memberships.
Do I need a utility bill?
A utility bill is not on IRCC’s list of examples. The list also allows any other relevant document, but IRCC does not say whether a given document will be enough.
How many documents do I send?
IRCC says to provide copies of 2 pieces of evidence.
Do I send original documents?
No. IRCC says not to send originals, because they will not be returned.
Is proof of address the same as proof of residency?
Not for IRCC. Proof of residency means evidence that you met the 730-day obligation. Your addresses go on the IMM 5444 form as a typed list for the last 5 years.
