A permanent resident of Canada is an individual who has been granted permanent resident status once they immigrate to Canada. Not to be confused with a Canadian citizen, a permanent residence is an individual with citizenship from other countries. A permanent resident card is used to show your permanent residency status in Canada. In the event that you travel outside of Canada, you will be required to show your permanent resident card, as well as your passport when you come back to the country. In order to keep your permanent resident status, you must stay in Canada for a minimum of 730 days out of the last 5 years.