In-Canada applicants are now supposed to be landed as permanent residents using the Permanent Residence Portal. The portal requires that applicants confirm that they are in Canada, a requirement for being landed.
Some applicants have then been forced to wait weeks or months between the time they confirm their location in Canada and the time when their signed Confirmation of Permanent Residence document (eCOPR) is issued. IRCC has advised that if an applicant leaves Canada prior to issuance of the eCOPR this will place their landing on hold. This effectively leaves applicants hostage in Canada until their landing is completed. If their status is about the expire, it also necessitates that they apply to extend their status. This is not the best use of everyone’s time, including IRCC’s already overextended resources.
Many applicants complain that the electronically issued and signed eCOPRs are being issued with errors. IRCC has advised that applicants should not use eCOPRs with errors to apply for a permanent SIN or provincial health insurance. They advise that applicants should submit an
Application to Amend their eCOPR. Current processing times for an Application to Amend are listed as 6 months. This is unrealistic for applicants who require provincial health insurance or who need to advise Service Canada of their new status for a new permanent SIN. Applicants become permanent residents once their eCOPRs are signed. Errors on the part of IRCC in issuing eCOPRs should not affect their new status. IRCC’s stance on requiring an amended eCOPR to apply for a SIN or provincial health insurance is unreasonable. IRCC has stated that they are looking into this issue but no solution has been provided to date.