What is a maple leaf card? What is the relationship with permanent residents in Canada? Where can I consult?

Maple leaf card is the common name of Canadian permanent resident card.

Many people think that if the immigration application is passed, they can get the maple leaf card directly, but it is not. After you become a permanent resident of Canada, the first document you receive is what we call "immigration paper", also known as landingpaper, and it is also the identity document that we must carry when landing in Canada. Only with this certificate can you apply for a maple leaf card, so the order between them should be that there is immigration paper before the maple leaf card.

The validity period is different. Immigration paper and maple leaf card are documents that can prove that you have permanent residency in Canada, but the validity period of maple leaf card is fixed at 5 years. You need to apply for a new maple leaf card at the end of five years. When you renew it, the Immigration Bureau will check your time in Canada, which is what we call immigration supervision. The immigration paper has no time limit, is permanent and valid, and there is no renewal when it expires.

In practical use, the most important purpose of maple leaf card is to facilitate entry and exit in Canada. It is a document used to prove identity when entering or leaving the country. General immigration papers may only be used when applying for passports, social security cards, jobs, schools, and various benefits in Canada. They are not used in other cases, but they must be kept well and not lost.