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I have a CoPR expiring in Feb 2020 and I can travel to Canada for a couple of days only to apply for a PR card before CoPR expires.

  1. Do the immigration officers bother about my return date (as to knowing that PR processing can take up to 6 weeks, why am I leaving so soon without a PR card)?
  2. The address I would give for PR card delivery will obviously a friend's, do officers bother?
  3. I have heard its not allowed for me to have my PR card couriered from that friend to me in India, is it because PR travel document is the official way to go? I read in some blogs that they can seize the PR card at borders even?
  4. If PR travel document is the way to go, can I use that to go back to Canada and then collect my PR card from my friend, I mean will the PR card still be valid even if I used a PR travel document the second time?

I saw a similar question: https://travel.stackexchange.com/questions/102190/returning-to-canada-as-a-pr-without-a-card but that is asking for multiple re-entries whereas my question is to plan travel so as to get hold of the PR card. That way I can use that next year to actually move while I find job there.

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    Can we check - COPR means Confirmation of Permanent Residence, so you are not applying for PR you are applying for a PR card? If so then this is about immigration not travel and belongs on Expatriates
    – DJClayworth
    Sep 1, 2019 at 20:28
  • Did you apply for PR from outside Canada?
    – DJClayworth
    Sep 1, 2019 at 20:31
  • And have you had a PR card before?
    – DJClayworth
    Sep 1, 2019 at 20:57
  • hey @DJClayworth, yeah i applied from outside and didnt know there was an expatriate stack exchange. Will move the question there, thanks. Edit: hmm seems like i dont have enough votes superpower to move this question, can a moderator please migrate this? I think i have to flag this question as a hark for the ask
    – gawkface
    Sep 2, 2019 at 17:59

2 Answers 2

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There is a link that I found: https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/sending-pr-card-by-courier.472623/ It isnt a canonical reference (until it is stated by Canadian government, it cant be said as an official answer) but still the answer (similar to what "S P Arif Sahari Wibowo" mentioned in the comment above) is in "logic" As long as you are not doing anything which is banned, you are free to make your plans that suit your condition. The purpose of PR card is to prove you are who you are, you have the registration number/documents that prove your status, and that card's logistics is not under the purview of immigration authorities, they would care for the authenticity of the card only (Which makes sense of course)

The 'practice' (and not the "law") of making sure your card reaches your hand safely is the responsibility of the owner of the card afterall, much like the passport or any other official document

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I think you may be misunderstanding the way Canadian PR works.

The expection if you applied from abroad is that you come to Canada when you are ready to stay there permanently. When you arrive at the border immigration looks at your confirmation letter and validates it. This is called 'landing'. Once you have done that you are a permanent resident of Canada. You do not need your PR card to be admitted to Canada when you land (You will if you leave Canada after that.) You do not need to visit Canada to apply for a PR card before you land.

Once you have landed and become a resident of Canada the expectation is that you should actually have a residential address. You apply for your PR card once you have landed and established yourself at an address. The PR card will be mailed to that address. There is no hurry to apply for it - a few weeks is not going to hurt, although you will not be able to travel outside Canada without it. Your validated COPR identifies you as a permanent resident.

If for some reason you need to make a short visit to Canada before you are ready to land as a PR (and remembering that you do not need to come to Canada to apply for a PR card before landing) it is probably best to apply for a visitor visa.

To answer your specific questions:

  1. Any kind of return date will be a red flag if you are landing as a PR. The expectation when you land is that you remain in Canada. That is the purpose of landing.
  2. A PR card will not be mailed to a friend's address. The expectation is that you have your own address if you are a PR, and the card should be mailed to that. To get it mailed somewhere else you will have to lie and say it is your address - not a great way to start your new life in Canada. And yes, officers care about this.
  3. You should never need to have your PR card couriered elsewhere. You should arrive in Canada only when you are ready to live there permanently, and you should have it sent to your permanent address.
  4. PR travel documents are single use. They are intended for if you are accidentally stranded outside Canada without a valid PR card. You should not need one if you follow normal procedures.
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  • thanks for the reply @DJClayworth. Yes I do intend to settle there permanently and that was the whole purpose of my PR request that was approved. The issue with my situation is I need more time than the 6 months currently allocated till the visa I have gets expired. Once I get PR card, I will have more time for me to get a job there and plan for my settlement, hence I was figuring out if I can use the allocated time to first get the PR card first, and then upon second entry plan for permament move.
    – gawkface
    Sep 3, 2019 at 20:11
  • But I understand how u mean about the whole process, its just that I did not know as soon as I would get the approval, I would have 6 months to move once and for all. I will work out my situation with job and all sooner. And about the address, I cant imagine getting my own address until I settle there for a few months so that address would be jut for delivery of the document, and not my official residence address (Which I will plan once I am there for a few weeks).
    – gawkface
    Sep 3, 2019 at 20:12
  • COPRs last a year from the medical. So if yours expires in Feb 2020 then you applied well before Feb 2019. Can you really not arrange to move to Canada in a year? Also be aware that if you stop living in Canada it can invalidate your PR.And you will probably be expected to start paying Canadian taxes.
    – DJClayworth
    Sep 3, 2019 at 20:35
  • Medical was just another step and until I got the Visa, it all was a wish :) I do wish to start paying taxes and be a good social contributor ^^. Like I said, there are some family situations, various reasons everyone has I guess. I will have to plan a way so that I could achieve my dream without letting it fall to practical limitations. Thanks for being a practical insightful person :)
    – gawkface
    Sep 3, 2019 at 22:40
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    This answer items are generally incorrect. 1. While landed PR expected to stay, it is perfectly fine to land just to get PR and go back to original country to warp up her/his business there. 2. PR card will be mailed to whatever address we put in the CoPR, there will be no checking whether that is our address or not. 3. Couriering travel documents is generally not recommended - due to various risks - but can be valid solution in certain cases. 4. Not sure what you mean by "normal procedures", but PR travel documents can be applied for by any valid PR outside Canada.
    – S P Arif Sahari Wibowo
    Sep 6, 2019 at 19:39

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