Permanent residents travelling abroad must have their permanent resident card as ID in order to travel back to Canada.
If a permanent resident loses their card while abroad, they will have to apply for a permanent resident travel document before flying home. Applicants for a permanent resident travel document will need to fill out a form with supporting documents and send it to the office listed in the guide of their citizenship application or, if they have already applied for citizenship, it can be submitted online or to the office processing their immigration. A processing fee of $50 will apply.
If the application is successful, permanent residents will get a Permanent Resident Travel Documents (PTRD) counterfoil in their passport, valid for six months, which will allow them to travel home.
IRCC tweeted about this recent change in Canada’s entry rules to help spread awareness about the new requirements.