Hi, FSW-O applicant here, flying to Toronto on May 1. Been trying to make sense of the landing process but there's a few things that are unclear so some help would be appreciated.
- I don't have an address or anyone I know in Canada. Private mailboxes have been suggested but I've looked around and there's no clear information on whether or not you can get one online from abroad before travelling to Canada. Does such an option exist?
- After landing in Canada, do I have to leave and reenter to complete the process or is it completed once I enter Canada for the first time and do the landing interview at the airport?
- I've been accepted to a graduate program in Switzerland and, as such, I need to leave Canada for two years after collecting my PR card. Would that create a problem? I'll only be there for a month and a half at most when I go there for the first time. Do I need to file a change of address request before/after leaving Canada and can I file another one after leaving since I'll be in Pakistan from June to September so there'll be a change of address from there to Switzerland in September?
1. If you don't know anyone at all in Canada, you can get a UPS Mailbox - but you will need to get that in person after showing ID. If I was you, I'd call a UPS store and get their address and make sure they offer mail forwarding services. Then, once you land, give that store's address to CBSA. Once you've been admitted, go to that UPS store and sign up for mail forwarding.
Even if you need to change the address later (say that store doesn't let you sign up, but another does), you can do that later using the online form. CBSA just needs any address in Canada (not Quebec, though, unless you've been invited by Quebec). You have plenty of time to update the address since your card won't be processed for weeks.
2. Once you are allowed in by CBSA, and they stamp your CoPR - congratulations! You're a PR and can stay forever in Canada if you like.
3. No, it's not a problem as such. You need to fulfill your Residency Obligations (which is 730 days in the five year period after becoming a PR), and a 2 year stay will present no issues since you'll still have enough time to complete 730 days. You don't need to file any changes of address for this reason. After you're a PR, Canada doesn't care where you live in the world as long as your fulfill your obligations to Canada. You are not obliged to inform the government where you live.