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You should only apply for a PR card if:

• you didn’t receive your PR card within 180 days of immigrating to Canada;
• your PR card is expired or will expire in less than nine months;
• your PR card has been lost, stolen, or destroyed; or
• you legally changed your name and need to update your PR card.

Scenario 3 - If you were born outside Canada on or after January 1, 1947 to a Canadian parent or a parent who became a citizen as a result of the legislative amendments to the Citizenship Act on April 17, 2009 or June 11, 2015:

• proof that one or both of your natural parents were Canadian citizens when you were born, such as:

• your parent(s)' provincial or territorial birth certificate,
• Canadian citizenship certificate,
• certificate of registration of birth abroad,
• retention certificate, or
• British naturalization certificate

When you are a permanent resident, you can live outside of Canada, but must live in Canada for at least two years in a five-year period. If you live outside of Canada for longer, you may lose your permanent resident status.

For more information on how long you have to live in Canada, see Appendix A: Residency obligation of the PR card application package.

To meet these residency obligations, you must be physically present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) in every 5-year period.

This means that you can spend a total of up to 3 years outside of Canada during a 5-year period.

However, if you leave the country for an extended period of time, it is up to you to prove to Citizenship and Immigration Canada that you will be able to meet your residency requirements.[...]If you know that you will be out of the country for an extended period of time it is very important that you contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada and let them know that you will be returning. Citizenship and Immigration Canada no longer issues Returning Resident Permits.