COPR expired / family class

[armoured]

Perhaps this experience of use to others:

-We received our copr/visas for family class/spousal sponsorship (outland) not that long ago with a short validity date (from date of receipt).
-Due to the sheer logistics and covid issues as well, we decided we just could not travel before the COPR/visas expired and we'd have to risk it with IRCC that we'd find some way to travel and land at a later date.
-I pulled together info to request authorisation to travel (or whatever they call it) according to the instructions here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html#expired

-I sent that to the visa office that handled our application and also submitted a webform with the same info.

-Shortly thereafter, received a response from the visa office that our coprs and visas would be "reissued" with a validity date one year from the original expiry (i.e. two years after the medical), and that we would get a new passport request letter.
-New passport request letter came via GCKey not long after that. No requirement or request for us to get new medicals or police certificates. Same submission procedure as under the original passport request.

Warning: this is family/spousal sponsorship (i.e. immediate family exemption to covid travel rules). And I have no idea whether this is a new policy or a one-off or what criteria they are applying to this type of 'extension' or re-issuance of the coprs/visas. For example, I cannot say whether it's only this visa office or they will only do this for recently issued coprs.

 

[canuck78]

Perhaps this experience of use to others:

-We received our copr/visas for family class/spousal sponsorship (outland) not that long ago with a short validity date (from date of receipt).
-Due to the sheer logistics and covid issues as well, we decided we just could not travel before the COPR/visas expired and we'd have to risk it with IRCC that we'd find some way to travel and land at a later date.
-I pulled together info to request authorisation to travel (or whatever they call it) according to the instructions here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html#expired

-I sent that to the visa office that handled our application and also submitted a webform with the same info.

-Shortly thereafter, received a response from the visa office that our coprs and visas would be "reissued" with a validity date one year from the original expiry (i.e. two years after the medical), and that we would get a new passport request letter.
-New passport request letter came via GCKey not long after that. No requirement or request for us to get new medicals or police certificates. Same submission procedure as under the original passport request.

Warning: this is family/spousal sponsorship (i.e. immediate family exemption to covid travel rules). And I have no idea whether this is a new policy or a one-off or what criteria they are applying to this type of 'extension' or re-issuance of the coprs/visas. For example, I cannot say whether it's only this visa office or they will only do this for recently issued coprs.

Believe this is only due to the pandemic. Without the pandemic you would have been told you have the option of doing a soft landing.

 

[armoured]

Believe this is only due to the pandemic. Without the pandemic you would have been told you have the option of doing a soft landing.

Yes, you're quite right, and I should have emphasized that this is surely pandemic-related (as the instructions I linked to indicated). Normally one should do soft landing rather than let the docs expire.

And in normal circumstances that's what we would have done despite other inconveniences; but the information from government strongly suggests you should only arrive and land if you are arriving permanently (even if it's unclear that there are any actual enforcement mechanisms to prevent PRs arriving and then departing).

For others looking at this, we found much more effective to contact the responsible visa office - the instruction to 'send a webform' gives no information on what subsections to apply under to ensure it gets sent to responsible office (but it may be that we got lucky and/or depends on visa office). We were also concerned would take ages to get a response, and that the window of validity for any renewed documents would be quite narrow (which, given covid resurgence in many countries, also an issue - we want to be careful).

So far I've seen few reports about how these requests have been handled, although as noted - not clear what exactly policy is, and your mileage may vary. I had tried to get information prior to sending this in, but had no success except that yes, soft landings discouraged now.

 

[canuck78]

Yes, you're quite right, and I should have emphasized that this is surely pandemic-related (as the instructions I linked to indicated). Normally one should do soft landing rather than let the docs expire.

And in normal circumstances that's what we would have done despite other inconveniences; but the information from government strongly suggests you should only arrive and land if you are arriving permanently (even if it's unclear that there are any actual enforcement mechanisms to prevent PRs arriving and then departing).

For others looking at this, we found much more effective to contact the responsible visa office - the instruction to 'send a webform' gives no information on what subsections to apply under to ensure it gets sent to responsible office (but it may be that we got lucky and/or depends on visa office). We were also concerned would take ages to get a response, and that the window of validity for any renewed documents would be quite narrow (which, given covid resurgence in many countries, also an issue - we want to be careful).

So far I've seen few reports about how these requests have been handled, although as noted - not clear what exactly policy is, and your mileage may vary. I had tried to get information prior to sending this in, but had no success except that yes, soft landings discouraged now.

Don't want others to think that you can normally extend a COPR. The CS agents often give incorrect information so webform is good because it gives you a paper trail.

 

[armoured]

Don't want others to think that you can normally extend a COPR. The CS agents often give incorrect information so webform is good because it gives you a paper trail.

Yes, a very good point, does not normally apply.

We did actually submit through webform as well as email to official visa office address, for exactly the reason you suggest.

 

[sum321]

Perhaps this experience of use to others:

-We received our copr/visas for family class/spousal sponsorship (outland) not that long ago with a short validity date (from date of receipt).
-Due to the sheer logistics and covid issues as well, we decided we just could not travel before the COPR/visas expired and we'd have to risk it with IRCC that we'd find some way to travel and land at a later date.
-I pulled together info to request authorisation to travel (or whatever they call it) according to the instructions here:
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/immigration-applicants.html#expired

-I sent that to the visa office that handled our application and also submitted a webform with the same info.

-Shortly thereafter, received a response from the visa office that our coprs and visas would be "reissued" with a validity date one year from the original expiry (i.e. two years after the medical), and that we would get a new passport request letter.
-New passport request letter came via GCKey not long after that. No requirement or request for us to get new medicals or police certificates. Same submission procedure as under the original passport request.

Warning: this is family/spousal sponsorship (i.e. immediate family exemption to covid travel rules). And I have no idea whether this is a new policy or a one-off or what criteria they are applying to this type of 'extension' or re-issuance of the coprs/visas. For example, I cannot say whether it's only this visa office or they will only do this for recently issued coprs.

Hello, where did you find email address for Visa office?
My Application for parents under PGP was processed at CPC-Missisauga.

 

[armoured]

Hello, where did you find email address for Visa office?
My Application for parents under PGP was processed at CPC-Missisauga.

Was in address line of emails from them.

 

[nonhill]

Just wondering, when is your copr approved? I have the same situation with my parents and wondering what to do...

 

[sum321]

Was in address line of emails from them.

Do you mind sharing email id if it was CPC-Missisauga. Thanks

 

[armoured]

Do you mind sharing email id if it was CPC-Missisauga. Thanks

It was not.

 

[armoured]

We did actually submit through webform as well as email to official visa office address, for exactly the reason you suggest.

As a small update, we submitted passports through VFS locally before new year's and received back about two-three weeks after that - no problems - our COPR/visas were re-issued with an extended validity of more than six months; no complaints and great service. Again, see above - this was after writing to and receiving a quick response from the local visa office (Warsaw).

Today we finally received a response from 'webform central' (CE CSV do not reply / with an agent number). I had written to both the relevant visa office and to webform to make sure all of the bases were covered and there was a record of correspondence.

THAT response today is completely and utterly useless - it completely missed the point of the original message/application from us, which was that the COPR was no longer valid, and that we'd followed the instructions to write to them about what to do if the COPR was no longer valid.

I cannot determine from this response - which only took thirty days to reiterate the WRONG parts of the website - whether our original message was also forward to any other office.

I don't know if this applies to others, but I can only say that using webform - according to their own instructions about what to do in these situations - does NOT seem a reliable way to get any action on this particular narrow issue.

[Overall I have no complaints and I'm grateful for the approach they have taken and the service has been okay,even over holidays - but I would be livid if I had written a month ago to get only a form-letter response that completely missed the point, despite my having followed the instructions EXACTLY. Fortunately I did not just follow the instructions but also decided to write directly]

 

[Dharmeshmdudhat]

Hi ,
I sent my passport to IRCC on August 13, 2021 for stamping under spousal sponsorship and they didn't issue a visa because my medical will expire on Oct 14, 2021. there is still 11 weeks and I can finished my journey.

Please help if you have any idea about this.
Thanks you.