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COPR and coronavirus

Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
Greetings. I am relatively new here, and would appreciate some help with this:

1. My COPR was issued prior to March 18th 2020, and the expiration date was May 3rd 2020.
2. I raised my first RTT web form in the last week of September 2020 (however, I did not provide any supporting documents, and neither did I receive any 4 pointer email prior to this).
3. I raised my second RTT web form on the 17th of December 2020 with supporting documents (Proof of Funds, a Quarantine Plan mentioning that I was willing to book a flight ticket as soon as I would be issued a new COPR/ETA and also an AirBNB where I would use apps like InstaCart, Cornershop, GOcery etc. to purchase groceries, as well as some screenshots from LinkedIn/Indeed.ca etc. explaining that I was actively searching for a job and that would intensify my search by approaching HR managers when physically in Canada).
4. On 7th January 2021, I received a reply saying that my plan was insufficient ("specifically, you do not meet the requirements.....as you have not provided an acceptable plan to quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival in Canada such as proof of funds and a plan to show how you will obtain groceries, access medical care and other essential services.").

HOWEVER, much to my relief, the letter also said that "Rest assured that your application will remain open and be put on hold until after the travel restriction is lifted or until demonstrate that you meet the exemption criteria mentioned above."
5. On 8th January 2021, my profile was updated (it went from 'completed' to 'processing').
6. On 12th January 2021, I received an email saying that my medical had been extended to February 28th 2021, and that I had 10 days to reply to the email if I wanted to fly out before the expiration of my medical. The same email also said that a future extension would not be guaranteed without a re-medical.

While I am honestly not looking forward to flying out on such short notice, I am more than happy to be given the opportunity to do so after 10 months of uncertainty. I would appreciate any feedback on the matter, particularly: How do I respond in order to make sure that my plan seems legitimate?/Should I consider the possibility of flying out later (with a fresh medical), or is that risking too much? etc.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds to this.

P.S: I am an Indian applicant from New Delhi.
 

Penumetcha

Full Member
Mar 18, 2018
49
60
India
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
AOR Received.
13-Jun-2019
Passport Req..
5-12-2019
VISA ISSUED...
19-12-2019
Greetings. I am relatively new here, and would appreciate some help with this:

1. My COPR was issued prior to March 18th 2020, and the expiration date was May 3rd 2020.
2. I raised my first RTT web form in the last week of September 2020 (however, I did not provide any supporting documents, and neither did I receive any 4 pointer email prior to this).
3. I raised my second RTT web form on the 17th of December 2020 with supporting documents (Proof of Funds, a Quarantine Plan mentioning that I was willing to book a flight ticket as soon as I would be issued a new COPR/ETA and also an AirBNB where I would use apps like InstaCart, Cornershop, GOcery etc. to purchase groceries, as well as some screenshots from LinkedIn/Indeed.ca etc. explaining that I was actively searching for a job and that would intensify my search by approaching HR managers when physically in Canada).
4. On 7th January 2021, I received a reply saying that my plan was insufficient ("specifically, you do not meet the requirements.....as you have not provided an acceptable plan to quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival in Canada such as proof of funds and a plan to show how you will obtain groceries, access medical care and other essential services.").

HOWEVER, much to my relief, the letter also said that "Rest assured that your application will remain open and be put on hold until after the travel restriction is lifted or until demonstrate that you meet the exemption criteria mentioned above."
5. On 8th January 2021, my profile was updated (it went from 'completed' to 'processing').
6. On 12th January 2021, I received an email saying that my medical had been extended to February 28th 2021, and that I had 10 days to reply to the email if I wanted to fly out before the expiration of my medical. The same email also said that a future extension would not be guaranteed without a re-medical.

While I am honestly not looking forward to flying out on such short notice, I am more than happy to be given the opportunity to do so after 10 months of uncertainty. I would appreciate any feedback on the matter, particularly: How do I respond in order to make sure that my plan seems legitimate?/Should I consider the possibility of flying out later (with a fresh medical), or is that risking too much? etc.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds to this.

P.S: I am an Indian applicant from New Delhi.
This is a golden chance,,,,no applicant is going to get more than 60 days in case they receive Authorization Letter!!! Period!!! as per your second webform it seems you are ready to travel with a clear plan,,,,now after they auto-extended your medicals validity which is very very rare for CoPR expired in May ,,,if you reply that you can't travel before Feb-28 is clearly a contradiction,,,,if this opportunity is missed it is going to be a long waiting game which involves re-medicals,,,re-opening your case and re-approval,,,,and this whole process will start only after Feb-28!!!!
 

JOW

Star Member
Mar 5, 2019
69
23
Greetings. I am relatively new here, and would appreciate some help with this:

1. My COPR was issued prior to March 18th 2020, and the expiration date was May 3rd 2020.
2. I raised my first RTT web form in the last week of September 2020 (however, I did not provide any supporting documents, and neither did I receive any 4 pointer email prior to this).
3. I raised my second RTT web form on the 17th of December 2020 with supporting documents (Proof of Funds, a Quarantine Plan mentioning that I was willing to book a flight ticket as soon as I would be issued a new COPR/ETA and also an AirBNB where I would use apps like InstaCart, Cornershop, GOcery etc. to purchase groceries, as well as some screenshots from LinkedIn/Indeed.ca etc. explaining that I was actively searching for a job and that would intensify my search by approaching HR managers when physically in Canada).
4. On 7th January 2021, I received a reply saying that my plan was insufficient ("specifically, you do not meet the requirements.....as you have not provided an acceptable plan to quarantine for 14 days upon your arrival in Canada such as proof of funds and a plan to show how you will obtain groceries, access medical care and other essential services.").

HOWEVER, much to my relief, the letter also said that "Rest assured that your application will remain open and be put on hold until after the travel restriction is lifted or until demonstrate that you meet the exemption criteria mentioned above."
5. On 8th January 2021, my profile was updated (it went from 'completed' to 'processing').
6. On 12th January 2021, I received an email saying that my medical had been extended to February 28th 2021, and that I had 10 days to reply to the email if I wanted to fly out before the expiration of my medical. The same email also said that a future extension would not be guaranteed without a re-medical.

While I am honestly not looking forward to flying out on such short notice, I am more than happy to be given the opportunity to do so after 10 months of uncertainty. I would appreciate any feedback on the matter, particularly: How do I respond in order to make sure that my plan seems legitimate?/Should I consider the possibility of flying out later (with a fresh medical), or is that risking too much? etc.

Thanks in advance to anyone who responds to this.

P.S: I am an Indian applicant from New Delhi.
I don't understand how waiting could be 'risking'? Risking what? How?

My CoPR issued before March 18 expired on August 1st. Before the expiration I sent a web form informing IRCC that I most likely would not be able to go because the flights were being cancelled unilaterally by the airline companies and they told me to chill, it was fine, I should just raise another web form when I'm ready to travel. Well, I haven't been in the last 6 months and now (according to https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html#approved) I should not raise RTT web form any longer. I should just wait until they contact me asking if I'm ready to go.

I think now with the situation normalizing they'll contact everybody with CoPR and try to update the whole system throughout the year.
 

JOW

Star Member
Mar 5, 2019
69
23
Second this, the waiting is the worst. Since all evidence now points to earlier sent out webforms deemed null and void. This could be the best way to stay appraised.
I think it would be quite useful to have a mass of applicants with expired CoPR issued before March 18 discussing because those who receive the email from IRCC asking if they are ready to travel could share the experience and give a better idea to others of how much more they have to wait...
 
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Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
I don't understand how waiting could be 'risking'? Risking what? How?

My CoPR issued before March 18 expired on August 1st. Before the expiration I sent a web form informing IRCC that I most likely would not be able to go because the flights were being cancelled unilaterally by the airline companies and they told me to chill, it was fine, I should just raise another web form when I'm ready to travel. Well, I haven't been in the last 6 months and now (according to https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html#approved) I should not raise RTT web form any longer. I should just wait until they contact me asking if I'm ready to go.

I think now with the situation normalizing they'll contact everybody with CoPR and try to update the whole system throughout the year.
Hi. Thank you so much for your response. I understand where you're coming from - The 'risk' that I was talking about was based on the wording of the 'Are you able to travel to Canada soon' email: "Please note that if new travel documents are issued to you, IRCC will send you a letter that will be valid for up to 60 days (but not exceeding your medical or passport validity), and it may not be possible for IRCC to issue you with another extension.".

My worry is that if I respond to this email saying that I can travel before Feb 28th, and if they send me the travel letter, but I am then not able to board the flight due to my expired COPR (there seems to be some degree of confusion regarding this on this thread), then I most likely lose any future opportunities as well.

On the other hand, not replying to this email would still keep my profile active and in processing (which I am ok with as well).
 

Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
This is a golden chance,,,,no applicant is going to get more than 60 days in case they receive Authorization Letter!!! Period!!! as per your second webform it seems you are ready to travel with a clear plan,,,,now after they auto-extended your medicals validity which is very very rare for CoPR expired in May ,,,if you reply that you can't travel before Feb-28 is clearly a contradiction,,,,if this opportunity is missed it is going to be a long waiting game which involves re-medicals,,,re-opening your case and re-approval,,,,and this whole process will start only after Feb-28!!!!
Thank you so much for your response. My concern here is the shortage of time.

My understanding is that if I don't respond to this email, then I will have to redo my medical (which is something that I am OK with) in order to travel at a later stage. On the other hand, if I reply now, and wait for the letter from IRCC, then I will be in a race against time - especially considering that I have read a few posts here saying that some airlines are giving contradictory information regarding authorisation letters and expired COPRs. Please, if you have any information regarding this, then that would be highly appreciated.
 

Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
You need AL to travel.

If IRCC wants you to travel with your CoPR only then they would have provided you the instructions. Not sure why there is so much confusion regarding this?

This is my thought -> There could be chance of getting a short term AL i.e. for 15 days as 27th Feb is a month away. So you better be prepared to travel with such a short notice if situation demands.
Hi. I've been following your advice on this thread and appreciate the effort you put in here. I request you to help me with this topic (it's basically my nerves getting the better of me, which is why I'm repeating what you've already posted) -

I just received the 'Are you able to travel to Canada soon' email. My medical has been extended to Feb 28th 2021. I have about 40 odd days before it expires. If I reply now affirming my readiness to travel, and if IRCC sends me the letter on time, is that all that I need to travel? My COPR had expired back in May 2020.

Thank you, in case you respond!
 

Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
Just wanted to post a community update:
I had gotten my medicals done in Sept 2019, got my CoPR in Feb 2020, expired in Aug 2020. I had let IRCC know that I won't be able to travel to Canada in June 2020 to which they responded saying I can fill the webform whenever I'm ready.

I filled the webform on Dec 31 2020 letting them know I'm ready to travel. I don't think they specifically got to this webform really, but today I incidentally happened to get the 'Are you able to travel to Canada soon?' email from IRCC. They also extended validity of my medicals till July 2021.

Here's the text from that email:
Hi. In the last question regarding the quarantine plan, do we have to reply back with a simple yes/no, or do we need to give them a proper explanation of our plan?
 

Penumetcha

Full Member
Mar 18, 2018
49
60
India
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Ottawa
AOR Received.
13-Jun-2019
Passport Req..
5-12-2019
VISA ISSUED...
19-12-2019
Thank you so much for your response. My concern here is the shortage of time.

My understanding is that if I don't respond to this email, then I will have to redo my medical (which is something that I am OK with) in order to travel at a later stage. On the other hand, if I reply now, and wait for the letter from IRCC, then I will be in a race against time - especially considering that I have read a few posts here saying that some airlines are giving contradictory information regarding authorisation letters and expired COPRs. Please, if you have any information regarding this, then that would be highly appreciated.
If you have AL and counterfoils updated in your GC account,,,you won't face any problem while boarding Air India and Air Canada airlines!!!
 

whyCorona

Champion Member
Mar 17, 2020
1,016
994
Hi. I've been following your advice on this thread and appreciate the effort you put in here. I request you to help me with this topic (it's basically my nerves getting the better of me, which is why I'm repeating what you've already posted) -

I just received the 'Are you able to travel to Canada soon' email. My medical has been extended to Feb 28th 2021. I have about 40 odd days before it expires. If I reply now affirming my readiness to travel, and if IRCC sends me the letter on time, is that all that I need to travel? My COPR had expired back in May 2020.

Thank you, in case you respond!
You should receive both new CoPR and AL. Just do your best in showing your readiness to travel to IRCC if you really want to travel.

In my case I demonstrated my readiness to travel in next 60 days but after 60 days they asked me to redo the meds. So you never know whats coming next. Forget the rest and just focus on what you really want.

On another note, if you are an individual(not travelling with family) then you can think freely while booking the flights in a short notice even if they are quite expensive.
 

whyCorona

Champion Member
Mar 17, 2020
1,016
994
Hi. In the last question regarding the quarantine plan, do we have to reply back with a simple yes/no, or do we need to give them a proper explanation of our plan?
Proper explanation please as they are strictly reviewing the quarantine plan these days. Make sure to attach email exchanges or anything else which could support your case well.
 

Kay Cee

Full Member
Apr 20, 2020
22
10
You should receive both new CoPR and AL. Just do your best in showing your readiness to travel to IRCC if you really want to travel.

In my case I demonstrated my readiness to travel in next 60 days but after 60 days they asked me to redo the meds. So you never know whats coming next. Forget the rest and just focus on what you really want.

On another note, if you are an individual(not travelling with family) then you can think freely while booking the flights in a short notice even if they are quite expensive.
EDITING because I saw your response on a different message:

Thank you so much. Any particular suggestions for the quarantine plan section:
  • a place to stay
  • how you’ll
    • get to your destination
    • get your groceries
    • access essential services and medical care
 
Last edited:

whyCorona

Champion Member
Mar 17, 2020
1,016
994
EDITING because I saw your response on a different message:

Thank you so much. Any particular suggestions for the quarantine plan section:
  • a place to stay
  • how you’ll
    • get to your destination
    • get your groceries
    • access essential services and medical care
If you have friends or helpful relatives in Canada then it would make your life easier in demonstrating your quarantine stay.

Otherwise just let them know whatever you are planning. AirBnB or a hotel but make sure to have some information for supporting whatever you have demonstrated.
 

lnmora

Hero Member
Aug 27, 2020
237
117
Proper explanation please as they are strictly reviewing the quarantine plan these days. Make sure to attach email exchanges or anything else which could support your case well.
Really?. I just answered Yes . Since in the previous webforms I had shown evidence , my friend's letter proving my quarantine stay and arrangements. Can i send them again?...lol
 

whyCorona

Champion Member
Mar 17, 2020
1,016
994
Really?. I just answered Yes . Since in the previous webforms I had shown evidence , my friend's letter proving my quarantine stay and arrangements. Can i send them again?...lol
Just to be on safer side one should provide all relevant information with some supporting documents in these 4 or 7 pointer emails.