Dealing with Passport Request while you're residing in Canada on OWP
This message is intended for people who came to Canada on an open work permit (OWP) issued under the Federal Skilled Worker Backlog program. It is not intended for people who arrived in Canada in a different program. I'm providing this information so that you all can benefit from my experience of getting my passport stamped as an inland applicant.
1. When you came to Canada on an OWP, your PR application wasn't reviewed. If your ECAS status shows "Application Received", it means that the visa officer has not started reviewing your application for permanent residency. Until your ECAS status shows "In Process", it means that the application is still under consideration. Therefore, check your ECAS status regularly to know any status change.
2. An ECAS status of "In Process" means that the visa officer has established that they have all the information required to process your application. When you find this status in ECAS, send an email to your visa office. In your email, mention that you anticipate a big problem if you receive a request to send your passport to your home country (India or Pakistan) since the government regulations prohibit its citizens to send passports outside the country of residence. In the same email, request the visa office to transfer your application to CPP-Ottawa for stamping your passport with the immigrant visa.
3. You will receive a passport request a few days after your ECAS status changes to "Decision Made". If your visa office does not consider your request for stamping your passport as an inland applicant (my visa office did not), it will ask you to submit your passport to your visa office. At this time, send another email requesting the visa office to transfer the finalization of your application to CPP-Ottawa. In this email, include evidence of how you came to Canada (under OWP issued to speed up your absorption in the Canadian labor market while your PR application was being processed) and also include any pay stubs of your current employment.
4. After #3, Wait 7 business days to receive a reply from your visa office. If you don't receive a reply, meet your local MP with the evidence of the communication that you initiated prior to receiving the passport request and subsequent to receiving the passport request. Request the local MP to contact your visa office on your behalf. The visa office will reply to a communication from an MP's office in 2-3 business days. Wait 3 business days to receive a reply. If you don't receive a reply after 3 business days, meet with the local MP again and communicate the urgency of your request.
5. Hopefully your visa office will request CPP-Ottawa to stamp your passport with the immigrant visa. In this case, you will receive a passport request from CPP-Ottawa. When you receive this request, send your passports and 2 latest photographs of each person, printout of the communication from CPP-Ottawa and a self addressed return envelope in a Canadapost XPress Post package. Your return envelope should also be a Canadapost XPress Post envelope.
6. You will receive your stamped passport from CPP-Ottawa within 2-weeks. When you receive your stamped passport, visit the nearest Canada Border Post and complete your landing. You can complete your landing at a local CIC office also, but there is a 4-week waiting period for it. You should complete your landing as soon as possible because your health card eligibility will start 3 months after you complete landing as a permanent resident.
7. Take your Work Permit, your Passport and your COPR forms with you when you're going to the Border Post. At the Border Post, the immigration officer will cancel your work permit and your immigrant visa after confirming your permanent residency. The officer will then ask you to provide your address of residence. Provide the address where you want to receive your PR card. If you change your address before receiving the PR card, you can always initiate an address change request to CIC.
8. Once you've completed your landing, visit the Service Canada office in your region and request for a new SIN. Your new SIN will be mapped with your previous SIN so that your credit history does not have to start afresh.
Hope this information helps!
- Hooverback
This message is intended for people who came to Canada on an open work permit (OWP) issued under the Federal Skilled Worker Backlog program. It is not intended for people who arrived in Canada in a different program. I'm providing this information so that you all can benefit from my experience of getting my passport stamped as an inland applicant.
1. When you came to Canada on an OWP, your PR application wasn't reviewed. If your ECAS status shows "Application Received", it means that the visa officer has not started reviewing your application for permanent residency. Until your ECAS status shows "In Process", it means that the application is still under consideration. Therefore, check your ECAS status regularly to know any status change.
2. An ECAS status of "In Process" means that the visa officer has established that they have all the information required to process your application. When you find this status in ECAS, send an email to your visa office. In your email, mention that you anticipate a big problem if you receive a request to send your passport to your home country (India or Pakistan) since the government regulations prohibit its citizens to send passports outside the country of residence. In the same email, request the visa office to transfer your application to CPP-Ottawa for stamping your passport with the immigrant visa.
3. You will receive a passport request a few days after your ECAS status changes to "Decision Made". If your visa office does not consider your request for stamping your passport as an inland applicant (my visa office did not), it will ask you to submit your passport to your visa office. At this time, send another email requesting the visa office to transfer the finalization of your application to CPP-Ottawa. In this email, include evidence of how you came to Canada (under OWP issued to speed up your absorption in the Canadian labor market while your PR application was being processed) and also include any pay stubs of your current employment.
4. After #3, Wait 7 business days to receive a reply from your visa office. If you don't receive a reply, meet your local MP with the evidence of the communication that you initiated prior to receiving the passport request and subsequent to receiving the passport request. Request the local MP to contact your visa office on your behalf. The visa office will reply to a communication from an MP's office in 2-3 business days. Wait 3 business days to receive a reply. If you don't receive a reply after 3 business days, meet with the local MP again and communicate the urgency of your request.
5. Hopefully your visa office will request CPP-Ottawa to stamp your passport with the immigrant visa. In this case, you will receive a passport request from CPP-Ottawa. When you receive this request, send your passports and 2 latest photographs of each person, printout of the communication from CPP-Ottawa and a self addressed return envelope in a Canadapost XPress Post package. Your return envelope should also be a Canadapost XPress Post envelope.
6. You will receive your stamped passport from CPP-Ottawa within 2-weeks. When you receive your stamped passport, visit the nearest Canada Border Post and complete your landing. You can complete your landing at a local CIC office also, but there is a 4-week waiting period for it. You should complete your landing as soon as possible because your health card eligibility will start 3 months after you complete landing as a permanent resident.
7. Take your Work Permit, your Passport and your COPR forms with you when you're going to the Border Post. At the Border Post, the immigration officer will cancel your work permit and your immigrant visa after confirming your permanent residency. The officer will then ask you to provide your address of residence. Provide the address where you want to receive your PR card. If you change your address before receiving the PR card, you can always initiate an address change request to CIC.
8. Once you've completed your landing, visit the Service Canada office in your region and request for a new SIN. Your new SIN will be mapped with your previous SIN so that your credit history does not have to start afresh.
Hope this information helps!
- Hooverback
