Confirmation of Permanent Residence Form question (Manila, outland)

[mikaeru]

Hello,

we just received an email stating the following, and we would like if you could help clarify a few things:

Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence Form(s) to Canada is/are ready to be issued,
conditional to a final admissibility review by an immigration officer.
Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) Form(s) will be valid for your initial entry to
Canada until 05/08/2015 (mm/dd/yy).

1) I don't really understand, but according to CIC's timetable, we should have to wait 15 months for step 2, but we completed step 1 like 1-2 months ago. Does this email really means we're mostly at the end of it ? As the email mentions COPR, according to this "calendar" from another canadavisa user, we seem to be roughly at the end of our case: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiqQW9CdV8Q_dGNKMzZPT2laaVRvQm1NMGhkaERFUHc#gid=0

Also, currently my spouse is in Canada as a visitor until the end of march 2015, so we're wondering if this might mess up things or make them simpler:

2) It's not really clear in the mail, but are we supposed to send her real passport out somewhere, or just a photocopy of the main pages ? In the email, it states to write a "Address where your passport can be returned by courier collect", but also states "A copy of the passport biographical page for yourself".. (Actually, what is a return address ?)

3) Should we tell them the contact number and address is mine in canada, or should we use her phone / address in her country ? Since she's on vacation with me for a long while, she can't get her voice mail either...

4) It says "Your COPR Form(s) and your original documents will be sent to you by courier. We will make our best efforts to have the package out within 90 working days from their receipt at the Embassy.". Does it mean that once we send something to them, we will get something back within 90 days, or that after a while, they will ship something to us, but they might wait up to 90 days before doing so ?

5) What should we do? Is it ok for her to stay in Canada now as a visitor, or she absolutely have to return to her country until everything is fully completed ? (Because I guess if we have to send out her REAL passport somewhere while she's in Canada as a visitor, it's really not wise?)

6) In our situation, would it help to ask for a visitor visa extension ? She still has 5 months left.


thanks !

 

[Kayaker]

Hello,

we just received an email stating the following, and we would like if you could help clarify a few things:

Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence Form(s) to Canada is/are ready to be issued,
conditional to a final admissibility review by an immigration officer.
Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) Form(s) will be valid for your initial entry to
Canada until 05/08/2015 (mm/dd/yy).

1) I don't really understand, but according to CIC's timetable, we should have to wait 15 months for step 2, but we completed step 1 like 1-2 months ago. Does this email really means we're mostly at the end of it ? As the email mentions COPR, according to this "calendar" from another canadavisa user, we seem to be roughly at the end of our case: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/ccc?key=0AiqQW9CdV8Q_dGNKMzZPT2laaVRvQm1NMGhkaERFUHc#gid=0

Also, currently my spouse is in Canada as a visitor until the end of march 2015, so we're wondering if this might mess up things or make them simpler:

2) It's not really clear in the mail, but are we supposed to send her real passport out somewhere, or just a photocopy of the main pages ? In the email, it states to write a "Address where your passport can be returned by courier collect", but also states "A copy of the passport biographical page for yourself".. (Actually, what is a return address ?)

3) Should we tell them the contact number and address is mine in canada, or should we use her phone / address in her country ? Since she's on vacation with me for a long while, she can't get her voice mail either...

4) It says "Your COPR Form(s) and your original documents will be sent to you by courier. We will make our best efforts to have the package out within 90 working days from their receipt at the Embassy.". Does it mean that once we send something to them, we will get something back within 90 days, or that after a while, they will ship something to us, but they might wait up to 90 days before doing so ?

5) What should we do? Is it ok for her to stay in Canada now as a visitor, or she absolutely have to return to her country until everything is fully completed ? (Because I guess if we have to send out her REAL passport somewhere while she's in Canada as a visitor, it's really not wise?)

6) In our situation, would it help to ask for a visitor visa extension ? She still has 5 months left.

Is she Japanese? Then she shouldn't have to send her physical passport in.

1) CIC's "processing time" is a worst case scenario. It means only 20% of people waited more than 15 months. I applied in Feb 2014 and my COPR was issued in Sep 2014. (I am also Japanese.)

2) Send a copy of the main page of her passport - the one with her photo. Give the address you want them to send the COPR to.

3) Give the contact details where you want them to contact you. It's fine if it's in Canada.

4) I suppose they're saying they'll try to mail it out within 90 days but don't guarantee it?

5) She can stay in Canada. (I did. I crossed the US border and then came back to "land" as a PR.)

6) I don't think you need to apply for an extension.

(P.S. I didn't get the email you did, so I can't say for 100%, but the above is what I think.)

 

[mikaeru]

thanks for the reply !

yes, she's Japanese.
so you had to get out of canada first and re-enter ?
What do they issue ? Is it just documents, or it's a passport or whatever ?

 

[Kayaker]

In my case, they didn't request Appendix A or my passport (not even a copy of it). So I didn't get any email or anything from them. I saw on Ecas that they updated it to "Decision Made". They just mailed me my COPR (using DHL). There are 2 copies of the COPR - one you keep, and the other is taken away at the border where you land.

My husband and I just drove to the nearest US border, went into the US, drove around, had lunch, filled up on gas, and drove back into Canada and landed. Took about 15 minutes, very unexciting No fanfares, no marching band, no balloons!

 

[mikaeru]

ok that's strange...
but at least you got your PR

I still feel unsure about it though.. I'll post the whole email's content here so you can see why it looks strange to me. They really do mention that ALL documents should be SCANS, but at the end of the email, they say that we must not write on the back of pictures, and that if we want to write something on the pictures, we should use post-it or whatever inside the enveloppe. Also, why should we bother with picture specs if we use a scanner then! I feel like they just copy-pasted steps informations from the PDF about Japanese extra documents for step 1..

-------------------------------EMAIL CONTENT IN PDF-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This refers to your application for permanent residence in Canada. Your application is being processed in CPC Mississauga. You should contact our office in CPC Mississauga should you need to provide updates for any of your information.
Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence Form(s) to Canada is/are ready to be issued, conditional to a final admissibility review by an immigration officer.
Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) Form(s) will be valid for your initial entry to Canada until 05/08/2015 (mm/dd/yy).

In order to complete the process you must scan the required documents and send them by email to manil.immigration@international.gc.ca with the subject line “Passport information for visa issuance - F000XXXXX.”

1. A copy of the passport biographical page for yourself and every family member who will accompany you to Canada. Please ensure that copies are clear and readable.

2. Completed Appendix A (attached). Please ensure that you have clearly indicated your file number (F000XXXXX), your return address and all contact numbers for delivery purposes.
Change in Family Composition 1
If any of the following conditions apply to you, your spouse/common-law partner or your sponsor, you must immediately inform our office in CPC Mississauga, IN WRITING:
 Have you married, separated or divorced after you submitted your application?
...
 Have you changed your contact information: e-mail address/mailing
Failure to declare any changes of the above to the CIC could result in the cancellation of your immigrant visas and may render you and your spouse/common-law partner (if applicable) inadmissible to Canada. Failure to declare dependent family members during your application processing will permanently exclude them from later sponsorship in the Family Class, according to paragraph 117(9)(d) of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations 2002. You cannot declare new or previously undeclared dependants when you arrive in Canada and at the time you become a permanent resident; if you do, you and your family members will all be denied entry into Canada.
If none of the above conditions apply to you, your spouse/common-law partner or your sponsor, you may proceed with the instructions below.

3. Two (2) recent photographs each of yourself and every family member who will accompany you to Canada. Detailed instructions for the photographer are enclosed (Appendix B). Take these instructions to the photographer in order to obtain photographs with the required specifications.

The validity of a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) may not be extended and cannot be replaced with a new validity date. If you do not arrive in Canada before the date of expiry of your COPR, it will be forfeited. If you still wish to go to Canada, you will be required to make a new application for permanent residence (including paying a new application processing fee and meeting all selection and statutory requirements, with the appropriate processing times and delays).

Your COPR Form(s) and your original documents will be sent to you by courier. We will make our best efforts to have the package out within 90 working days from their receipt at the Embassy.

2

Please respond within thirty (30) days of this letter or risk refusal of your application.

Sincerely,

Immigration Section

Appendix B - Photograph Specifications

TAKE THIS WITH YOU TO THE PHOTOGRAPHER
Please read carefully and ensure that the photographer follows the instructions below:
The photographs must:
 Show a full front view of the person’s head and shoulders showing full face centred in the middle of the photograph;
 Have a plain white background;
 Be identical (black and white or colour) produced from the same untouched negative, or, exposed simultaneously by a split-image or multi-lens camera;
 Be produced on single weight matte paper.
The photographs must measure:
 Between 25 mm and 30 mm (1” and 1 3/8”) from chin to crown.
 Have a 35 mm x 45 mm (1 3/8” x 1 3/4") finished size.
Failure to submit the correct photographs will result in a considerable delay in the finalization of your application.
 Immigration photographs are NOT the same as passport photographs.
 Do not staple the photographs together.
 Ensure that the photographs are free of pen marks, stains, ink blots and creases.
 Do not write anything at the back of the photographs. To avoid confusion, label the photographs accordingly on a piece of paper or envelope.
 Only clear photographs will be accepted. The photographs must not be blurred and must be free from glares and rear shadows.
 You must take new photos. Old photographs will not be accepted.

4

Appendix A

Application Number: F000XXXXX
Please complete this form for yourself, your spouse/common-law partner, and your dependent children, whether or not they are accompanying you to Canada.
Send the completed form with your passports. DO NOT send passports for non-accompanying family members.
.......
* Please continue on a separate page if you have additional children.

Contact Telephone number(s):
IMPORTANT: Your contact telephone number must be from the country stated in the address you provide below.
Email address:
Address where your passport(s) can be returned by courier collect:

 

[Kayaker]

It looks like the email you got means that your COPR is ready to be issued, but they need to confirm that your passport hasn't changed, they need to confirm where to send the COPR, and they need 2 photos to put on the 2 copies of the COPR they are sending you.

You know what I'd do? I'd send electronic files (scans) of all the documents they need, and also mention that you are sending physical copies as well, and please disregard the physical copies if they don't need them. (From what I see, everything looks like scans are ok, I'm just not sure about the two pics - since they specify size and paper type, etc., I'd be afraid they want real photos, not a jpg. Although, didn't you send the required number of photos with your original application? Maybe they got lost?)

I'm guessing that they didn't require any of this from me because 1) I got a brand new passport with my new married name, so they knew that it was unlikely that I'd changed my passport. 2) I'd updated my address with them recently through the case specific inquiry, so they knew they had my current mailing address. 3) I sent them a copy of my new passport along with a second Police Certificate they requested so they could see that that passport matched the one on their files 4) Appendix A requires info such as eye color, heigh and address. My address had been updated and it's unlikely my eye color or height changed



In my experience, they do read the emails you send back to them, but they don't necessarily deign to reply. If you ask for confirmation like "this is what I think you are asking, is this right?" they will not bother reassuring you, unfortunately.

 

[rhcohen2014]

I'm just not sure about the two pics - since they specify size and paper type, etc., I'd be afraid they want real photos, not a jpg. Although, didn't you send the required number of photos with your original application? Maybe they got lost?)

since it looks like the COPR is being issued by Mississauga, my guess is there's a good chance they don't have the original pictures that were sent in the package, since the application was originally sent to Manila. It seems to be a common request for some applications that are being processed in Mississauga and OTtawa when they originally were sent elsewhere.

 

[Kayaker]

Yeah, I think rhcohen2014 is right. If in fact Mississauga is issuing the COPR (and that's what it looks like) they'd need your photos since they probably won't have them.

 

[mikaeru]

I like your ideas, I think that's what we'll try to do

thanks!

 

[Van Rooster]

We just got the same e-mail as mikaeru.

In order to complete the process you must scan the required documents and send them by email to manil.immigration@international.gc.ca with the subject line “Passport information for visa issuance - F000XXXXX.”

1. Passport info page
2. Appendix A form (attached)
3. Two (2) recent photographs each of yourself and every family member who will accompany you to Canada. Detailed instructions for the photographer are enclosed (Appendix B).


Just wondering if scanning and e-mailing the pictures as jpg is for sure what they want. It's what the e-mail seems to say but we just want to be sure.