Top Ten Tips After Approval as a Permanent Resident of Canada

Congratulations on being approved for Permanent Residence! Now that you’ve achieved this important milestone, we are pleased to share with you our best ten tips to make sure everything goes well from here.

Ensure you have actually “Landed” as a Permanent Resident

It’s not enough to receive notification that your permanent residence application was approved. There are a few extra steps to finalize the process after you receive a permanent resident visa before you actually become a Canadian Permanent Resident. The process differs depending on whether you are physically outside Canada or inside Canada at the time you are approved. 

Landing from outside Canada

If you are outside Canada when your application for Permanent Residence is approved, you will receive a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) paper. Read your COPR carefully before making travel plans to Canada. If there are any errors on it, or any information is outdated (especially marital status or dependent children), it is very important to get professional advice on how to handle it to avoid border problems upon arrival to Canada.

You will become landed upon arrival at a Canadian airport or land border. The border officer will conduct a landing interview with you to check your COPR and other documents.

If you are flying to Canada, this will occur at the first airport where you arrive. The process can take some time, e.g. waiting in line, so ensure you have at least 3 hours layover before any connecting flights. Your PR status begins on the date that you arrive to Canada and undergo the landing interview at the airport.

Landing from inside Canada 

If you are inside Canada with valid temporary status when approved for PR, the landing process will be done virtually through an online portal. You will receive emails from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) asking to confirm your email address as well as your physical presence and address in Canada. (You cannot be landed virtually when outside Canada). If all is in order, you will be sent the instructions to access your e-COPR in the Permanent Residence Portal. This portal is different from your secure account. 

Your e-COPR provides electronic confirmation of your new status as a Canadian Permanent Resident. The document can be used to apply for government benefits such as a social insurance number.

You will also be asked to upload a photo, which will be used to make your first PR card. The card will be sent to you in the mail in a few weeks and is valid for 5 years. 

Spend time inside Canada

Residency requirements must be met to retain your PR status. You must live in Canada for at least 2 years out of each 5-year period. The 2 years do not need to be consecutive, meaning you could live one day in Canada and the next day somewhere else on a regular basis and you would still meet the residency requirement. 

The 5-year period is a rolling calculation, which means that every day starts a new 5-year look back period. You will need to prove you've met the requirement whenever you re-enter Canada or apply to renew your new PR card.

Keep a record of your travels outside of Canada

It is up to you to prove your time spent inside Canada. It is a good idea to keep your boarding cards when flying, and ask to have your passport stamped whenever possible. If you are travelling by car into the United States, stop and get gas on both sides whenever you cross the border. The receipts will prove when you entered the US and when you returned to Canada.

Later you will likely want to renew your PR card or apply for Canadian Citizenship. In both cases, you will need to confirm all the dates you were inside and outside of Canada. It’s much easier if you keep good records upfront.

Know the requirements of the program that you were approved under

If your application for Permanent Residence required that you to have settlement funds, you will need to prove the minimum level of funds during your landing appointment. Ensure you provide recent bank statements, and monitor the currency conversion rates to ensure your savings meet the minimum required Canadian dollar equivalency. Also be aware of the most recent settlement funds levels if you applied in one calendar year but are landing in the following year, since they are updated annually.

For some categories, such as a spouse or common-law sponsorship, you are required to move to Canada immediately upon landing. In other categories, you can enter Canada to “land” but then return overseas and move to Canada at a later date, in time to meet your residency requirement.

If you are a Provincial Nominee, you must live in the province that nominated you and establish a permanent address there. Expect to get questions at the port of entry if your onward ticket is not taking you to that province.

Keep your original Confirmation of Permanent Residence document

if you received a paper COPR, keep the original in a safe place and also make an electronic copy. If you received the e-COPR, it is a good idea to print and keep a paper copy as well as the digital copy. Even once you have your Permanent Residence card, the COPR is an important document that you may need at some point in the future.

Don’t leave Canada until you have your PR card

It can take about 2-3 months to receive your first PR card once you are landed as a Permanent Resident. Permanent residents always need their PR card to board commercial transportation to return to Canada because they are not eligible for a temporary resident visa, or an eTA from a visa-exempt country. 

If you must leave Canada before your PR card arrives, keep in mind that you will need to wait overseas until you can have someone retrieve your mail and send the card to you; or you will need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document from the nearest Canadian visa office to return to Canada.

Always maintain a valid PR card

Your first PR card will be valid for five years. Renewals can take up to 6 months, so plan to renew well ahead of the expiry date. Even if you have no plans to travel abroad, it is recommended to always have a valid PR card, as this ensures you can return easily if you need to leave Canada unexpectedly. 

With the introduction of the Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA), even visa exempt individuals must have a valid PR card (except for US citizens). You can no longer travel on a valid passport alone, and you can’t obtain an eTA as a Permanent Resident.

Apply for Canadian Citizenship

If you plan to make Canada your permanent home, we recommend you apply for Canadian Citizenship as soon as you are eligible, particularly if you plan to raise a family in Canada. Permanent Residents can lose their status in certain situations whereas citizens cannot.

You can apply for Canadian Citizenship once you have lived in Canada as a Permanent Resident for a total of 3 years within a 5-year period. Time spent in Canada as a temporary resident before obtaining PR status is counted as ½ days, up to a maximum of 365 days. For example, if you lived continuously in Canada as a temporary resident for 2 years before landing as a PR, you can count up to one year of that time towards your 3 years and apply for Canadian Citizenship after you have been a PR for 2 years. 

File your Canadian taxes each year

Your tax filing documents are an important component of your future applications for Citizenship or PR card renewal. It’s important that you file your annual Canadian income tax returns on time.

Stay out of legal trouble

Permanent residents may be deported if they are convicted of a crime in Canada. If you are a Permanent Resident and find yourself in criminal trouble, it is key that your defense lawyer is familiar with the immigration implications of any proposed sentence in your case, BEFORE your criminal case is finalized.

At The Way Immigration, we are home to the best immigration consultants in Alberta. We are always available to answer your questions related to your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) documents or help you with issues arising at landing, or with your Permanent Resident status. We can also advise you on sponsoring family members from overseas, and assist with your application for Canadian Citizenship. Check out our website to book a consultation with one of our immigration consultants in Calgary today.