Passport request - applied in Canada, now in UK. Medical expired.

[Mgallimore88]

Hello, I am looking for advice on where to send my passport copy for my PR application
I submitted my application for permanent residence in June 2018 and have just received a Passport request email. This was headed

CPCO-FinalRequest / CTDO-DemandeFinale (CIC)

The email requests photocopies of my passport plus two photos to be sent to the Ottawa visa office. I believe this is one step before they issue my PR card, but I have two complications:

I applied for my PR card from within Canada but left just before my Working Holiday Visa expired and have been in the UK since. The request letter suggests that I post my copies to the Ottawa office and provide a canadian return address. I could supply the address of a friend living over there, and I expect this may be the easiest case in terms of processing times, but I am unsure about how I would get my PR card if I chose to do this. Would I travel to Canada on an eTA, collect the card then do a border run? And is this an acceptable course of action in the eyes of IRCC?

Another option is to change the visa office processing my application so I can send the docs to the London visa office. I have actually already requested this action via the IRCC Web Form, but I am worried that the act of changing the visa office may be a lengthy one - my application has already taken 13 months. My medical exam expired last week. I have heard of cases where the medical is extended by up to 3 months. My worry is that finishing off the application in the UK visa office might take a long time and cause me to have to pay for a new medical exam, or in the worst case could cause my PR to be denied.

I submitted my application in June 2018.
Canadian Experience class, Express Entry
My medical exam was on 17th July 2018.
Jul 2019 increased activity from IRCC in the form of additional family information request form.
PPR received 25th July 2019.

Does anybody have experience of a similar situation? Is it the normal thing to travel to a friend in Canada or have the card sent to the UK? Any advice on how to proceed is greatly appreciated.

Thanks.

 

[21Goose]

What's the issue? You only have to send photocopies, not the actual passport.

You are misunderstanding the process. This is not the last step before you get your PR card. Before you get a PR card, they will issue you a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) and issue an ETA linked to your passport. You will then have to travel to Canada with the CoPR and complete the landing.

It's the act of completing the landing that makes you a PR, and only after that will your PR card be issued. If you do not land before the CoPR expiry, you will not become a PR. A PR card takes some days to arrive after landing, currently around 2-3 weeks I think, though it can take longer.

You need to send the photocopies ASAP. Since your medicals have expired, they may either extend the medicals and ask you to land quickly, or they may ask you to take another medical exam. That's up to them. Often, they call you and ask if you can travel on short notice.

When you land, you can give a friend's address to get the PR card delivered there. You can then leave Canada after a few days (and after getting your SIN) and your friend can mail you the card when it arrives. Or you can stay in Canada after landing.

 

[Mgallimore88]

What's the issue? You only have to send photocopies, not the actual passport.

You are misunderstanding the process. This is not the last step before you get your PR card. Before you get a PR card, they will issue you a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) and issue an ETA linked to your passport. You will then have to travel to Canada with the CoPR and complete the landing.

It's the act of completing the landing that makes you a PR, and only after that will your PR card be issued. If you do not land before the CoPR expiry, you will not become a PR. A PR card takes some days to arrive after landing, currently around 2-3 weeks I think, though it can take longer.

You need to send the photocopies ASAP. Since your medicals have expired, they may either extend the medicals and ask you to land quickly, or they may ask you to take another medical exam. That's up to them. Often, they call you and ask if you can travel on short notice.

When you land, you can give a friend's address to get the PR card delivered there. You can then leave Canada after a few days (and after getting your SIN) and your friend can mail you the card when it arrives. Or you can stay in Canada after landing.

Thanks for the reply.

I was misunderstanding the process - thanks for clearing that up for me.
I thought the PR card would be posted out but it is the Confirmation of permanent residence which will be posted.

I believe I should still have a SIN as I was working there in 2018 on a working holiday visa.

I am not worried about the copied passport making its way back to me, but I am wondering what the best course of action is - to post my documents to Ottawa where the visa is being processed, or to request they change my visa office to the UK.

My current plan is to post my documents and return envelope to Ottawa where my application is being processed, because I believe this will take the least amount of time. I would provide the address of a trusted friend to have the documents returned to.
Once I receive CoPR I'll apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document and travel out to Canada activate my permanent residence then apply for a PR card from Canada. Does that sound watertight?

Part of the email says:
"""
· If you do not have a mailing address in Canada or the U.S.A, or if you are unable to submit the required documentation for you or your accompanying family members to the addresses below, please advise IRCC via the IRCC Web form for instructions to submit your documents to the visa office that serves the country where you are.

Please note that our office will not return passports to an address outside North America.
"""



If I have a trusted friend living in Canada can I use their mailing address for this part of the application? Or does my mailing address in Canada have to be a property under my name?

 

[21Goose]

You can give any mailing address in Canada. It doesn't need to be your house. They will mail the CoPR to whatever address you give them, and it's your responsibility to give them an address that works for you.

Also, you really haven't understood the process at all if you're talking about applying for a Permanent Resident Travel Document. You can't do that, and you don't need to.

The CoPR and your valid passport is all you need to enter Canada. You are obviously from a visa-exempt country (that's why they just ask for a photocopy and not the actual passport). IRCC is asking for the photocopy so that they can give you an ETA to travel to Canada.

You do NOT need a PRTD (and you cannot get one).

You also do not need to apply for the first PR card. When you land, CBSA will apply for you. They will ask you for the address where you want it delivered.

Read this - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/application-approved.html

And then search this forum for "Landing in Toronto" or whatever city you plan to land in to get an idea of how the process works.

 

[21Goose]

Also, you did realize you don't need to send them your passport, right? You mention "copied passport" so I wanted to be sure. They don't want your passport - they just want a photocopies and two photographs.

 

[Mgallimore88]

You can give any mailing address in Canada. It doesn't need to be your house. They will mail the CoPR to whatever address you give them, and it's your responsibility to give them an address that works for you.

Also, you really haven't understood the process at all if you're talking about applying for a Permanent Resident Travel Document. You can't do that, and you don't need to.

The CoPR and your valid passport is all you need to enter Canada. You are obviously from a visa-exempt country (that's why they just ask for a photocopy and not the actual passport). IRCC is asking for the photocopy so that they can give you an ETA to travel to Canada.

You do NOT need a PRTD (and you cannot get one).

You also do not need to apply for the first PR card. When you land, CBSA will apply for you. They will ask you for the address where you want it delivered.

Read this - https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/express-entry/application-approved.html

And then search this forum for "Landing in Toronto" or whatever city you plan to land in to get an idea of how the process works.

Also, you did realize you don't need to send them your passport, right? You mention "copied passport" so I wanted to be sure. They don't want your passport - they just want a photocopies and two photographs.

Thank you again for your response 21 Goose.
I have read the appropriate section on the GC Website and looked at the forums for Landing in Vancouver.
I submitted a copy of my passport, not the original document.

I still have a couple of questions regarding the process after receipt of CoPR.

1. Can a friend in Canada mail the CoPR document to me in the UK, or email a copy to me?
2. If no to Q1, could I come to Canada on a tourist visa to collect the document then do a flagpole border run?
3. Once I complete my landing and my initial PR card is applied for, what happens if I need to leave the country again before receiving the PR card, and how would I get back into Canada without it?
4. On the CIC Website it says the current time to issue a PR card is 12 days, and you say its 2-3 weeks - which of these is likely to be the case?

Thank you.

 

[21Goose]

Thank you again for your response 21 Goose.
I have read the appropriate section on the GC Website and looked at the forums for Landing in Vancouver.
I submitted a copy of my passport, not the original document.

I still have a couple of questions regarding the process after receipt of CoPR.

1. Can a friend in Canada mail the CoPR document to me in the UK, or email a copy to me?
2. If no to Q1, could I come to Canada on a tourist visa to collect the document then do a flagpole border run?
3. Once I complete my landing and my initial PR card is applied for, what happens if I need to leave the country again before receiving the PR card, and how would I get back into Canada without it?
4. On the CIC Website it says the current time to issue a PR card is 12 days, and you say its 2-3 weeks - which of these is likely to be the case?

Thank you.

1. Yes, your friend can mail you the CoPR
2. You can do this as well.
3. If you leave before getting a PR card, you can only return by
a. Getting a PRTD (this is what a PRTD is for - PRs who are outside Canada and who don't have their PR card/or card expired)
b. Arriving at a Canadian border with your CoPR and passport. This is only possible if you can enter the USA and drive/walk over to Canada.

You cannot fly without a PR Card or PRTD.

4. The estimate is an estimate. It could take 2 days, it could take 10, it could take 25. You can read the forums to see how long it's taking people right now. It appears to be in the 2-3 week range, though that can change at any time (either up or down).