A person who did a soft landing in 2019 but then spent years working in the US (missing the 730-day residency requirement) asked whether they needed to reapply for PR entirely, having been advised by an agency to consider the PNP route again.
Members described an alternative that doesn't involve reapplying:
- You can re-enter Canada by land from the US using your CoPR (Confirmation of Permanent Residence), even if your PR card has since expired, as long as your underlying PR status itself hasn't been formally revoked.
- Stay in Canada continuously for roughly 2 years without leaving, even briefly, to accumulate the 730 days of physical presence within a 5-year window required to meet the residency obligation.
- Once you've met the 730-day threshold, you can then renew your PR card through the normal renewal process.
This avoids reapplying for PR from scratch through a PNP or other route, which the original poster was rightly suspicious might just be a costly and unnecessary detour suggested by an agency looking to charge fees.
Important caveat: this reflects community experience, not official IRCC guidance, and re-entering with an expired PR card and a residency shortfall carries real risk of being questioned or found inadmissible at the border. If your absence is significant, consulting a licensed immigration lawyer before attempting this is strongly advisable.