MelVan

Well, I'll be interested to see what happens in my case. As explained, there's no lawful excuse for IRCC to refrain from issuing the initial PR card on the basis that (i) I am currently (temporarily) outside Canada or (ii) that my photos were taken outside Canada.

The policy document I cited clearly states the initial PR card should be issued. My file may be "flagged" but that doesn't trouble me as I will either meet the residency requirements or be a citizen by the time my initial PR card is up for renewal.

Hurlabrick

How long since you sent your replacement photos?

Boris-canadabound

I've been trying to get through on the 1-888-242-2100 for two days now and after going through all the options it always ends up saying it can't put me through as they are experiencing a high volume of calls (I did get through once early yesterday, but after 40 minutes of waiting my phone credit ran out, unfortunately). Even the 613 number just transfers back to this number. And from the website it looks as though they forgot to put in one line of my mailing address, hence I have not received the PR card the site says was sent nearly a month ago. I have raised a query on the email form now, but it says it can take 10 days to get a response. I can understand they are very busy, but it is frustrating. :-/

MelVan

DHL tracking says they were delivered on 19 February, so almost a month ago. I'm checking MyCIC daily to see whether any change in status. I think it said "additional documents received" in the week of 19 Feb (but I stupidly forgot to take a screen shot). That subsequently changed to "we do not need additional documents" and "we are reviewing your eligibility".

So it looks as though it is about the time (anecdotal evidence suggests new photos take about 3 to 4 weeks to process) that I should either get another photo request (I was wearing a white shirt in my COPR photo (and in the photos I sent again) so I am now beginning to wonder whether the photo problem might be a contrast issue), or notification that my PR Card has been approved.

There's plenty of anecdotal evidence on another forum to suggest that supplying photos taken outside Canada should not be a problem. But in light of what I dug up in the form of Operational Bulletin 491, who knows? This is definitely a situation of all I can do is wait and see.

Boris-canadabound

How frustrating. I thought our app might get rejected due to photos – not because there was anything wrong with them but because the photographer at Walmart said they would do them again free if they were rejected, and we had also read that a lot of people were having their photos rejected.

I eventually managed to get through to speak to someone yesterday, but they could not tell whether they had sent the cards to the correct address or not. Although they have our correct address, the 'mailing address' section on the website page (where it tells you the date they sent the cards) was missing one important line.

So we now have to wait until the end of the month (total 6 weeks since they said they were sent). If they do not turn up by then we have to sign a 'solemn declaration'. I am hoping that once that is done they will send new cards quickly and it won't take another 80-odd days before it is 'received' at their offices.

MelVan

I received an email today from IRCC, telling me my application had updated. On checking MyCIC, I was very pleased to see the update was to "Your application has been approved". So now I just have to await receipt of my PR Card.

MelVan

PR Card received in Vancouver on 30 March, so 9 days after approval.

I've done some more research and it seems the most likely explanation for the photo request was the age of my COPR photo - it went over the six months validity just as they were processing my PR Card.

I didn't have any issues with the photo retake being done outside Canada. All's well that end's well. Now just need to finish up work here, get packed / sorted, and move!

Snowy560

I'm pleased to read this news ...

IRCC were probably concerned when they read on BE that you were making court noises!!

MelVan

Thanks so much! I was very relieved too. I'd started cobbling together the necessary stuff to apply for a PRTD, but fortunately that won't be necessary now.

I've often found that the word "court" can have a useful effect...

JasonTFord

Hi, I am waiting for my initial PR card. I landed inland on February 22, 2018 and gave my photos at that stage, which were brand new and met the IRCC photo requirements.
I then received an email request on April 5 for new photos. The email simply said the photos did not meet their requirements. I had further photos taken at Walmart and submitted these on April 6 along with a letter requesting that if the photos were not satisfactory that they let me know why.

I recently sent a web form with a request for an update and received what read like an automated response in reply. This simply states:

"Thank you for contacting Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).If you applied for a Permanent Resident card (PR card), or if you are waiting to receive your initial PR card, and the Case Processing Centre requires that you provide new photos, we invite you to:

• Send two photos according to the photo specifications, and
• Include:
  • if available, the letter/email received to that effect, or
  • an explanation letter (including your complete name, date of birth and UCI)."

• Is there a way I can track my initial PR card in process?
• What is the current process time for initial PR cards?
• Is anyone experiencing delays beyond the stated time scale for turnaround, or receiving repeated requests for further photographs?

MelVan

Hi JasonTFord. I just went through this process. You can track your initial PR card application via MyCIC. You need to link the PR card application using the application no. that should have been on the request for photos. What you're likely to see is that your PR card application is in process. All you can do is check it every few days to see if there is a change in status. Once it switches to approved, keep a lookout for your PR card to arrive in the ordinary post.

The processing time for intial PR cards is somewhat variable, but the posted time is 57 days.

My timeline was:

23 Dec 17 - landing at YVR (COPR included compliant photos)
15 Feb 18 - request for new photos
21 Mar 18 - PR card application approved
30 Mar 18 - PR card received in YVR

Around four weeks from submitting new photos is a common (but not universal) timeframe people are encountering. You're just about at that time.

A request for new photos from the PR Card Proceeding Centre (no matter that the photos that were with the COPR were compliant) is pretty common. In my case I suspect that the reason (but one doesn't know because the PR Card Processing Centre doesn't tell you) new photos were requested was that my COPR photos were due to reach their six month "expiry" date within the 57 day processing period from landing. My new photos were taken outside of Canada and were accepted with no further ado.

There is various conjecture upthread about all of this, but from all the research I've done, the only conclusion I've been able to reach is that new photo requests are very common (but not universal - Hurlabrick did not get a request for new photos) and all you can do is be completely punctilious about compliance with the specifications (including the less obvious things like contrast, size of head relative to the rest of the photo etc) when sending the new photos, and then cross your fingers and toes.

If you go over 57 days from submission of your new photos (apparently the clock resets each time a request for new photos is made by IRCC), then definitely submit a case specific inquiry. Also keep an eye on the timing since landing - if you go over 180 days you'll need to submit a fresh application.

JasonTFord

Thanks for the reply. I will link the application and hope I hear something soon.
Cheers.
Jason.

majoro

Hi all, thought I would tag this on here rather than start a new thread:

We have received COPR with expiry Dec this year and will be going to Toronto in October for a few days to activate PR. We will provide our friends address for the mailing of the cards. However our photos were done back in March at Snappy Snaps so will be expired for PR purposes on landing. To avoid the expiry issue, has anyone successfully taken along an additional recent set of photos which are more up to date than those that were attached to the COPR? Can you just hand over a more recent photo to use in the PR process?

As an additional backup, we'll take time to get some additional photos taken while in Toronto.

Hurlabrick

Do not worry about the photos. The PR Card processing centre in Sydney NS will often use the existing photos (they did with ours despite them being about a year old), it is entirely their decision. If they want more photos they will ask as and when they want them.