The Permanent Residence Portal is IRCC's own website for PR card applications. This page is not the portal. It explains how the portal works, and every sign-in link on it goes to IRCC.
Verified Sep 18, 2026 against canada.ca and the portal itselfWe never ask for your portal password
What the PR Portal is
The Permanent Residence Portal (PR Portal) is IRCC's online application site at prson-srpel.apps.cic.gc.ca. Permanent residents use it to apply for a PR card; people immigrating use it to apply for permanent residence and, once approved, to confirm their status.1
Apply for, renew or replace a PR card (permanent residents only). This is the part this page covers.
Apply for a PR travel document, for permanent residents outside Canada without a valid card.
Apply for permanent residence under many immigration programs.
Confirm your permanent residence after approval. For this, IRCC creates the account itself and emails you a username and temporary password.
prcard.ca is not the PR Portal and is not IRCC. We are an independent guide. You sign in, apply and pay on IRCC's sites only; nothing you type here reaches IRCC.
1
Sign in on IRCC's site
IRCC says
The sign-in screen asks for your "Username / Email address" and your password. The Permanent Residence Portal is supported on Chrome, Firefox, Edge and Safari browsers.2
You do
Open the portal from the button below or from canada.ca, and check that the address bar reads prson-srpel.apps.cic.gc.ca before you type anything.
Sign in with the email address and password of your PR Portal account.
Your GCKey or Sign-In Partner (bank) login is for a different IRCC account, the IRCC secure account. It does not open the PR Portal.
Representatives have their own Representative PR Portal with a separate sign-in (see below).
The official PR Portal sign-in
IRCC's site, prson-srpel.apps.cic.gc.ca. Opens in a new tab.
Don't type your portal password on any other site, including this one. prcard.ca never asks for it, and neither should anyone helping you.
2
Create an account (first time only)
IRCC says
Create an account: "Please enter your email address and create a new password." You must enter the verification code sent to your email to complete your account registration.3
You do
On the sign-in screen, choose Create an account, enter your email and a new password, and accept the terms of use.
The password needs at least 8 characters, with an upper-case letter, a lower-case letter, a number and a special character.
Enter the verification code IRCC emails you. If it does not arrive, the screen has a Resend link.
Don't use an email address you might lose access to. A forgotten password is reset with a code sent to that same address.
3
Start your PR card application
IRCC says
In the portal, begin your application by filling out the application for a permanent resident card (IMM 5444). Complete the Document checklist (IMM 5644), and upload it to the portal.4
You do
Start a new PR card application. The portal lists it as "apply for, renew or replace a permanent resident (PR) card".
Fill in the digital IMM 5444 inside the portal. It replaces the PDF form; you do not download or print anything for it.
Download IMM 5644 from the application forms table, tick it, and upload it back with your documents.
Add IMM 5476 only if a representative is helping you, and IMM 5475 only if you want IRCC to share information with someone else.
4 MB per file at mostShrink a large scan before uploading rather than splitting a document.
File names
Letters, digits, hyphen, underscore and dot onlyFor example Last-First-Passport-1.pdf.
Photo
Two images: the front and the backThe back shows the studio stamp. See the photo guide.
A file that breaks these rules is refused at upload, so you find out on the spot, not weeks later.
4
Pay the fee outside the portal
IRCC says
Fees are not paid through the Permanent Residence Portal. Pay your fee to IRCC online, then upload your receipt to the Fee Payment section in the Permanent Residence Portal to show that you have paid. Refunds are not possible while the application is in progress.4
You do
Pay the $50 fee on IRCC's online payment site, then save the receipt as a PDF.
Back in the portal, upload the receipt in the Fee Payment section.
You won't see the "Submit your application" button until you complete all mandatory forms and components and complete the consent and declaration. Once you submit your application, you won't be able to make any changes.2
You do
Sign electronically by typing your full name exactly as it appears on your passport.
Check that every slot has its file: forms, identity, PR card, proof of residency, photo front and back, fee receipt.
Press Submit your application. Until you do, IRCC has not received anything.
After you submit, IRCC sends an acknowledgement of receipt by letter or email, and you can follow the application in its status tools.
The fixes below come from the portal's own messages and IRCC's help pages.
Problem
What to do
"Incorrect email and password combination"
Check the email address, then use Forgot your password? IRCC emails a verification code within 24 hours; check your junk folder. The reset only works for an account that already exists and was verified.
Temporary password refused
Temporary passwords come with accounts IRCC creates, for example to confirm PR. They can expire; ask for a new one by replying to the email with the subject "IRCC - Permanent Residence Portal (PR Confirmation)", or ask your representative.
Signed out in the middle
The portal ends idle sessions. Choose Continue session when the warning appears; if it has expired, sign in again.
Pages do not load or buttons do nothing
Use Chrome, Firefox, Edge or Safari, up to date, and clear your browser cache.
A file will not upload
Check the type (PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG), the size (under 4 MB) and the file name (letters, digits, hyphen, underscore and dot only).
Still stuck
Use IRCC's technical web form (below), with screenshots of the page and of the error.
6
Get help from IRCC
IRCC says
If you're having technical issues with the Permanent Residence Portal, you can contact us using the web form. If you don't have a unique client identifier number, enter 1111111111. If you haven't submitted an application yet, and don't have an application number, enter 0000000.1
You do
Choose your problem, name the program (PR card), and describe what happened.
Upload screenshots that show both the page and fields where you are stuck and any error message.
If you cannot apply online because of a disability or another accommodation need, IRCC offers the application in other formats, including paper, braille and large print.
Representatives work in a separate Representative PR Portal. They fill in the forms, upload the documents and submit. You still sign in to your own applicant account to review the application and sign the consent and declaration yourself; you cannot change the application from there.
A representative needs your completed IMM 5476 (Use of a representative) in the application.6
Common questions
Is prcard.ca the PR Portal?
No. prcard.ca is an independent guide, not IRCC. The PR Portal is IRCC's site at prson-srpel.apps.cic.gc.ca; you sign in, apply and submit there.
How do I log in to the PR Portal?
Go to prson-srpel.apps.cic.gc.ca/en/login and sign in with the email address and password of your PR Portal account. First time? Choose Create an account and confirm your email with the code IRCC sends.
Can I use my GCKey to sign in to the PR Portal?
No. GCKey and Sign-In Partner open the IRCC secure account, a different system. The PR Portal has its own account, made with your email address and a password.
Can I renew my PR card online?
Yes. PR card renewals are made in the PR Portal: the digital IMM 5444, your document uploads, the fee receipt and an electronic signature. The fee itself is paid on IRCC's separate payment site.
I forgot my PR Portal password. What do I do?
Choose Forgot your password? on the sign-in screen and enter your email. IRCC sends a verification code within 24 hours; enter it and set a new password. Check your junk folder.
6.canada.ca, PR Portal for representatives — canada.ca
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