Sep 24, 2023
Once Your Express Entry application is approved
See table of contents
If your application is approved, you will receive a mail containting:
- Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
- a permanent resident visa (if you're from a country that requires a visa)
Your COPR should have your photo and the information about who you are.
Check and make sure that all information si correct. It should be the same as the information on your passport.
IF you found any mistake on the details, you should contact IRCC using your account.
Your COPR has an expiry date and can't be extended. Hence, you should make sure to use it before it expires.
Information Letter
Instead of receiving the COPR isntantly, IRCC may need to ask for some update on your contact information, specially mailing address. You will receive this request as an update on your GCKey account so make sure to frequently check your account.
Once you receive the request, you will need to complete the following steps with 30days or 60days (depending on what is written in the letter) in order for the IRCC to issue your COPR and, if applicable, your pr visa.
Below is the summary of the steps that you will need to complete. This may or may not be different from what you will receive. Hence, please make sure to read the actual letter that you receive.
Steps to complete if you receive the Information Letter
STEP 1: Change in Circumstances
Should any of the following circumstances apply to you or any accompanying family member, you must inform this office immediately:
- Change in marital status, for example due to marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment or death of spouse;
- Change in family composition, for example due to adoption or birth of a child, including a child born to your accompanying dependent child,
- Death of principal applicant, spouse, accompanying children, or death of sponsoring relative;
- Change in health;
- You or any of your accompanying family members being charged or convicted of a criminal offence
- Change in contact information: mailing address, e-mail address, or telephone number.
STEP 2: Prepare your Documents
You will need to submit together:
1. Copy of the Information Letter
2. Your passport and your dependents' passport
3. The completed "Appendix B", which is attached in the Information Letter.
4. If not yet paid, Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF) for you and your accompanying spouse (if applicable). We strongly encourage you to pay your fees online and provide a copy of the receipt.
5. Two (2) photos of yourself and of each accompanying family member. Photos MUST meet the precise specifications found in the link below. If you submit photos that do not meet the exact specifications, your package will be returned to you.
Step 3: Submit your documents
All required documents must be submitted in one single package.
Please submit your package to the nearest Visa Application Centre (VAC) along with the VAC Passport Transmission fee.
If you are currently in Canada
If you are currently in Canada, you are not required to submit your passport and will be landed virtually. Please advise the IRCC office via webform within 5 days of receipt of the information letter if you and/or any of your dependents are in Canada. You will need to include each person’s name/UCI and where they are currently staying/residing (in Canada or overseas).
Please take note the you are only given 5days to make this update. Hence, I strongly suggest to check your GCKey account frequently for an update. I won't hurt you to check your account at least once a day.
NOTE: Permanent Resident document(s) Validity
The issuance of your Permanent Resident document(s) is time sensitive so it is important for you to submit your passport(s) as requested.
Once you receive your Permanent Resident document(s), please verify the information on it is correct. If there are any errors, such as incorrect spelling of name or incorrect date of birth, please inform the processing office via the IRCC Web Form immediately. Your name will appear in the same format as it appears in your passport.
Your Permanent Resident document(s) will expire one year after the date of your medical examinations or earlier if your passport or the passports of your spouse or dependent children (if applicable) expire on an earlier date.
You must travel to Canada and present your immigration documents at a Canadian Port of Entry before they expire. The validity of the Permanent Resident documents cannot be extended. If you fail to enter Canada before this date and still wish to immigrate to Canada, you must reapply by submitting a new application and paying new processing fees. All such applications will be assessed according to the immigration laws in force at the time of receipt of the application. There is no guarantee a future application would be successful.
Planning Ahead
If your application for permanent residence is approved, you will be encouraged to use free pre-arrival services funded by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Several online and in-person services will be available to you, your spouse and your dependents once your application is approved. These services can help you find out more about living and working in Canada. They can also help you take steps to get your education, work experience, and professional licences/certificates recognized in Canada, and access other free settlement services once you have arrived in Canada.
To learn more about these free pre-arrival services that you will be able to access before you leave, please visit the IRCC website. Please note that in order to access these services, you must demonstrate to the service provider that you have been successful in your permanent resident application.
As you may know, Canada is a bilingual country where both French and English are spoken. If you are interested in living in French, you can get information about Francophone life across Canada by visiting Canada.ca/francoimmigration.
Frequently Asked Question
How long must I stay in Canada to keep my permanent resident status?
To keep your permanent resident status, you must have been in Canada for at least 730 days during the last five years. These 730 days don’t need to be continuous. Some of your time abroad may count towards the 730 days. See can my time abroad count towards my permanent resident status?
To help you track your time in Canada, use a travel journal.
I hope you found valuable information in our website. I've been investing a lot of my time to create this website and help as much as I can.
I want to do this for as long as I can! Your support in buying me a coffee can help me achieve this and help more people.
to top