What documents do you need to submit?
Short answer: Submit the complete IMM 5444 renewal package plus a typed urgent-request letter, proof of travel (confirmed flight reservation), and reason-matching supporting documents: doctor letter or death certificate for family medical/bereavement, employer letter on company letterhead for work travel, or treating physician note for medical emergencies. Place a bold "URGENT PROCESSING REQUEST" cover sheet on top.
The urgent request is in addition to the standard renewal application (form IMM 5444). Submit the complete renewal package plus:
- A typed letter explaining the reason for the urgent request. State the qualifying category, the date of travel, and why the trip cannot be postponed.
- Proof of travel. A confirmed flight reservation, ticket, or booking confirmation showing your name and the travel date.
- Supporting documents that match the qualifying reason:
- Family illness or death: doctor's letter on letterhead, death certificate, or hospital confirmation. Include proof of the family relationship if it is not obvious from your existing IRCC file.
- Urgent work travel: a letter from your employer on company letterhead stating the work obligation, the date, and why you specifically need to travel. The letter should include a contact phone number.
- Medical emergency: a letter from your treating physician describing the condition, the recommended treatment location, and why the treatment cannot be received in Canada or postponed.
| Qualifying Reason | Required Supporting Documents |
|---|
| Family illness or death | Doctor's letter on letterhead, death certificate, or hospital confirmation; proof of family relationship |
| Work travel | Employer letter on company letterhead with contact number, stating the work obligation and travel date |
|
Include a cover sheet that says "URGENT PROCESSING REQUEST" in bold at the top of the package. Place it on top of everything else.
How do you submit an urgent PR card request?
Short answer: Mail the complete package via tracked courier (Canada Post Xpresspost, FedEx, UPS) to Case Processing Centre PR Card, P.O. Box 10020, Sydney NS B1P 7C1, Canada. Standard mail eats into your urgent window and the IRCC mailroom does not accept hand deliveries.
Mail the complete package to the same address as a regular PR card renewal:
Case Processing Centre - PR Card
P.O. Box 10020
Sydney NS B1P 7C1
Canada
Use a tracked courier service (Canada Post Xpresspost, FedEx, UPS). Standard mail can take a week to arrive at CPC-Sydney, which eats into your urgent processing window. The IRCC mailroom does not accept hand deliveries.
The IRCC Web Form is sometimes mentioned as an alternative for urgent requests already in progress. It is not a substitute for the initial mailed application. Use it only if you have already submitted and need to add supporting documents.
What happens after you submit an urgent PR card request?
Short answer: CPC-Sydney reviews the urgent request before opening the standard renewal. You receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt confirming arrival, then within 5 to 10 business days a second letter confirming whether urgent processing was approved or refused; approved files process in 30 days, refused files drop back to the 30 to 95 day standard queue with no fee refund.
CPC-Sydney reviews the urgent request before opening the standard renewal. You receive an Acknowledgement of Receipt that confirms the package arrived. The acknowledgement does not confirm that urgent processing was approved.
A second letter follows, usually within 5 to 10 business days, telling you whether urgent processing was approved or refused.
If approved: Your card is processed within 30 days and mailed to you.
If refused: Your application drops back to the standard processing queue (30 to 95 days). The $50 fee is not refunded. You can request reconsideration by submitting additional documents through the IRCC Web Form, but reconsideration is not guaranteed and adds time.
Why are urgent PR card requests refused?
Short answer: Frequent refusal causes: travel date more than 3 months away (hard cap), reason outside the three qualifying categories, insufficient supporting documents (flight booking alone is not enough), applicant outside Canada (apply for a PRTD instead), or open residency-obligation issues already flagged on the file.
The most common refusal reasons are:
- Travel date more than three months away. Three months is a hard cap. Trips planned six months out do not qualify.
- Travel reason does not match a qualifying category. Weddings, graduations, religious holidays, and family reunions are not qualifying reasons unless they tie to a documented serious illness or death.
- Insufficient supporting documents. A flight booking alone is not enough. The qualifying reason itself needs documentation.
- The applicant is outside Canada. Urgent PR card processing is for residents inside Canada. If you are abroad, apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document instead.
- The applicant has open residency obligation issues. If your file already has a flagged residency obligation problem, urgent processing is unlikely until the underlying review is complete.
