miraty

Hi,
I'm confused over the following.
My skilled worker PR application was approved about 10 months back.

I took a look at the visa, it has an expiry of 1 year.
One year visa single entry, Category: Immigrant.
I went to look at SIN application it says need a valid visa.

This single entry visa is useless after we first arrive in Canada. Do we still need a valid visa after we 'land'?
I thought once we 'land' before the visa expiry, then we can move in and out of canada or apply for SIN.
Does the landing give us any PR documents? If I land 10 days before visa expiry, and my PR card hasn't arrive, I can't leave and enter the country till my pr card arrives right?

thanks

YYZlover

Have you landed yet? You know you only have 365 days to land after your medicals. If that date has passed your landing visa is void and you have to start all over again.

MarkG

You can't land twice, but you can use the visa paperwork to get a SIN card. Depending on where you come from and how you travel you don't necessarily need the PR card to return to Canada if you leave, but it's a good idea.

Rob_999

On landing you'll get a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) - this is sufficient to get your SIN number etc. PR Card will replace this, which should come within a month of landing.

miraty

Yes, trying to land soon.
Once we landed successfully(having the COPR stamped), we are considered PRs already right? I'm buying a 3 months return air ticket, which means the 1-year PR visa will have expired. The imm. website states if we leave the country, we need the PR card (didn't say anything about COPR documents) to reenter.

MarkG

Yes.

Technically you don't need the card to enter the country, but you do need it to board a plane to fly there if you otherwise require a visa to travel to Canada, or, at the airline's discretion, if you have a one-way ticket. The other option is to pay $50 or so for a temporary visa from the local Canadian high commission.

If you can actually get to Canadian immigration, then can check that you are a PR when you arrive.

miraty

Thanks..

YYZlover

When was your medicals? I'm worried you might have missed your time slot to land.

miraty

1 year, that red patch visa pasted in my passport expiry is same as the 1 year from date of medicals. I thought they fixed the expiry to the date of medicals. Trying to get there asap. Confirming air tix and hotel now
I'm relooking at the COPA document now, it seems they have preassign a SIN number on it.

lof

i don't think so... none of the numbers on the copr is related to the sin.

your single entry visa ensures that you can enter canada on your landing trip. and "they" didn't "fix" it to your medicals - it is a standard procedure that the visa is valid a year from the date of the initial medicals and not from the date the issue date of the visa and copr. the visa cannot be extended. so, if as an example you've done your medicals on february 1st, 2007 you have to become pr before february 1st, 2008. otherwise you have to start completely from scratch.

after arriving at the port of entry you have to see an immigration officer to "land" - which means to do the formalities and paperwork involved with finally becoming permanent resident. have your passport, copr, goods to follow list / list of goods you have with you (known of forms b4a and b4e) and proof of settlement funds ready.
some parts of the copr will be filled in by the immigration officer at point of landing. s/he then asks you to put your initials at certain spots and to sign it. the front page will be sent directly to cpc sidney who issues the pr card (you need to provide them with a canadian address to get that done straightaway otherwise they will give you a form which you have to submit to cpc sidney as soon as you have a canadian address).


pr card and social insurance number (the sin you are referring to) are a different kettle of fish.
as mentioned by the other posters the pr card is a travel document which is proof that you are pr and allowed to enter canada. it will be accepted as primary piece of identity by your provincial government services, banks and the like.
the sin is needed if you deal with service canada and everything that has even remotely to do with taxes: working, opening a bank account and retirement savings plan and so on.

the easiest way to get a sin? once you are pr you go to the nearest service canada office and show them your passport and copr. you will get a paper with your sin number right then and there, the card will be mailed to you about ten days later.


btw - canadian address: afaik if you don't stay after landing, you can give a c/o-address of somebody you trust (relative, friend) and ask them to forward your pr card to you. otherwise deal with that once you come here for good.


hope that helps - happy landing and welcome to canada!