Search through our Blog

Limitations of permanent residents

Depending on the country, permanent residents usually have the same rights as citizens except for the following:
they may not vote (some countries allow this, e.g. New Zealand)
they may not stand for public office
they may not apply for public sector employment (except some countries that allow it like Canada and New Zealand; some countries allow it only for permanent residents holding citizenship of another country of shared heritage they may not apply for employment involving national security (but some countries allow it[citation needed]). In Singapore, male PRs who have been granted PR before the age of 18 have to serve national service. Most first-generation males are exempted.
they may not own certain classes of real estate
they are not issued the passport of that country (unless otherwise stateless or unable to obtain a passport from their country of nationality, in which case they may be entitled to a certificate of identity instead)
they do not have access the country's consular protection (some countries allow this[citation needed])
they may qualify to apply for citizenship after meeting a specified period of residence