IRCC offers two ways to follow a PR card application online. Here is which to use, what the PR Portal's labels mean, and when it is worth writing to IRCC.
Renewal processing time: 38 days*Verified Sep 18, 2026 against canada.ca
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First, the acknowledgement of receipt
IRCC says
After you submit a complete application, we'll send you an acknowledgement of receipt letter or email. You can then track the status of your application.1
You do
Watch your email, including the junk folder, and your mail.
Keep the letter or email with your fee receipt. The status tool asks for the identification numbers on the documents IRCC has sent you.
This applies to renewals, replacements, updates to the card and first cards you applied for. A first card IRCC sends automatically after landing cannot be tracked.
Use the Client application status tool. This lets you securely view the status of your application online. You'll need to gather all the documents about your application that you've received and have the identification numbers from them ready.2
You do
Enter your details exactly as they appear on your passport or identity document.
The tool is updated daily. Your status only shows once IRCC starts processing the application.
It signs you out after 30 minutes without activity.
A PR card application disappears from the tool 30 days after you receive the card; that is normal.
Client Application Status
IRCC's tool on services3.cic.gc.ca. Opens in a new tab.
You can create an online account and link it to your existing application. In the IRCC secure account, you'll get status updates and messages about your application, instead of by mail. If you applied online, this is a different account than the one you used to apply.2
You do
Sign in to the IRCC secure account with GCKey or a Sign-In Partner (your bank login). This is not your PR Portal login.
Choose Add (link) your application to your account to check your status, and enter the information exactly as on your application. Five failed tries lock you out for 24 hours.
From then on, IRCC sends messages to that account instead of paper letters. If a representative was acting for you, they lose access when you link.
IRCC's status page lists the two tools above for PR cards; the PR Portal is not one of them. The portal's application list still shows a label for your application, and this is what it means.
Label in the portal
What it means
Initiated
You started the application and have not submitted it. IRCC has received nothing yet.
Submitted
The application went to IRCC. You can no longer view or change it in the portal.
Returned
IRCC sent the application back to you. It is not being processed; incomplete applications are returned.
38 daysIRCC's published processing time, updated Sep 16, 2026. It changes about weekly.
Delivery after that
Up to 6 weeksIRCC says the card can take up to this long beyond the normal processing time to reach you.
Minimum, even when urgent
3 weeks
The processing time looks backwards at recent applications. It is not a date for yours.
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When to contact IRCC
IRCC says
If you submitted an application and haven't heard from us recently, it means we're still processing your application. You don't need to do anything else. If we need more information, we'll contact you. Submitting another web form won't speed things up.5
You do
Wait until your application is past the normal processing time, then use the web form option Ask about your application.
Have your application number and your unique client identifier (UCI) ready.
IRCC's agents see the same status you see online; writing earlier does not add detail.
Moving within 3 weeks of applying, or already moved? Update your address with IRCC right away, so the card goes to the right place.
IRCC usually mails the card, to Canadian addresses only; in rural areas without home delivery it goes to a post office box. It cannot be sent to a third party. When it arrives, check it for mistakes and destroy your old card.1
Asked to pick it up? Bring your passport and the originals of the documents you sent copies of. A card not picked up within 180 days is destroyed, and you apply and pay again.
Not arrived after 6 weeks past the processing time, and less than 180 days: complete IRCC's solemn declaration and IRCC reissues the card.
180 days or more: apply for a new card and fill in Section 6 of IMM 5444 (lost, stolen, damaged or never received). If IRCC finds it made an error, it refunds the fee.
Common questions
How do I check my PR card renewal status?
Online, in IRCC's Client Application Status tool, or by linking your application to an IRCC secure account. Both work once you have your acknowledgement of receipt.
Why can't I see my PR card application in the status tool?
Most often because IRCC has not started processing it yet, or because a detail you entered does not match your passport. The tool is updated daily.
Can I check my PR card status in the PR Portal?
The portal shows whether your application was submitted or returned, but it is not one of the status tools IRCC lists for PR cards. Use the Client Application Status tool or an IRCC secure account.
How long after approval does the PR card arrive?
IRCC says it can take up to 6 weeks beyond the normal processing time. After that, follow IRCC's steps for a card not received.
Should I call IRCC about my PR card status?
Only once your application is past the normal processing time, and through IRCC's web form. IRCC says its agents have no more detail than what you see online.
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