Hello all! We have been waiting around 5 months for our first PR cards and are having trouble getting clear information from CIC. We have already 'landed' in Canada but will be making the trip to settle in BC permanently on 8th August - the flights are booked!

We are already resigned to having to obtain PR travel documents for our journey over, because we can't run the risk of the PR cards not arriving in time.

My question is, has anybody (once in Canada) found themselves in difficulties if they've had to use their Confirmation of Permanent Residence document rather than a PR card, i.e. with people in authority refusing to accept the Confirmation of Permanent Residence? If so, is there anything I could do to protect against this problem? I don't want it to cause problems with important things that we will urgently need to get sorted out on arrival. I'm thinking of things like motor insurance, mortgage application, driver's licence…

I know that the Confirmation of Permanent Residence should technically be OK, but what about in practice? Thanks in advance!

Once in Canada, your COPR will be accepted for things like SIN and bank accounts, mortgages etc, but (according to other posts on here) NOT by BC for a BC Driving Licence. Because ICBC are stupid. You will have to use your UKDL for 90 days.

I suspect you will be getting the email letter any day now telling you that your photos are no longer the correct size - that appears to be one of the issues that is causing the delay to PR Cards.

If you got COPR before approx. November, you will have submitted the smaller photos, which are no longer accepted.

70mm x 50mm is the current size required.

My daughter landed on 18th December on a COPR that was issued at the end of August, so the old small photos had been submitted, which were not valid for the new-style PR card which was introduced in November.


We're still waiting for her PR Card, because CIC employees are too stupid for words. I'm surprised they actually manage to wake up in a morning.

Thanks withabix, useful information. We had to resubmit our photographs already!

No, a COPR is not valid for travel. If you are a permanent resident without a PR card then you need your passport and a PRTD. PRTD are quite easy to get - ours took around 5 working days.

If you have a COPR and are traveling to land (to become a PR) and are visa exempt you don't need eTA.

S

thanks!!