After visa is approved, when do we need to arrive?

[iClaudius]

I'm sponsoring my wife for a permanent resident visa from abroad, which I gather will take about a year. Is there any fixed window of time in which we need to arrive in Canada after the visa is approved (i.e, does she need to be in Canada within 6 months or something like that)?

Also, if we come before the visa is approved, will she need to re-enter the country after visa is approved?

Thanks in advance.

 

[BamBamBing]

It's normally 1 year after the medical was done.

 

[Survivor27]

I'm sponsoring my wife for a permanent resident visa from abroad, which I gather will take about a year. Is there any fixed window of time in which we need to arrive in Canada after the visa is approved (i.e, does she need to be in Canada within 6 months or something like that)?

Also, if we come before the visa is approved, will she need to re-enter the country after visa is approved?

Thanks in advance.

She must land Canada before the validity of the visa expires, which usually the same date when the medical had passed.

 

[Hurlabrick]

Also, if we come before the visa is approved, will she need to re-enter the country after visa is approved?

The visa once issued will have the expiry date on it, as the others have said, she must land before than.

To answer the question above, the simple answer is 'yes' - which is to say if she arrives before the visa is issued, she will have to re-enter again to activate her permanent residence - this process is called 'flagpole' or 'flagpoling'. This can be a same day crossing of the border between Canada and the US, or she may not actually need to go into the US, but turn back to Canadian customs once she has left. She can also arrange to 'land' as a CIC office, I know you can do this in Ottawa, dunno about other locations.

But be careful, if she comes to Canada before her CoPR, she can only enter as a visitor and will have to demonstrate ongoing ties to her country of citizenship and a return plane ticket etc. (e.g. continues to have a house overseas, is only flying in with luggage and stuff a visitor would normally bring etc. or they may refuse her entry. This bit is called 'dual intent' which is that if she can demonstrate that her visa application is well on the way (i.e. has copies of sponsor approval letter etc.), then she can enter Canada as a visitor while waiting for her visa.

Strongly suggest further reading on this subject. Search for 'flagpoling' and 'dual intent'.