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What travel document needed for my son (USC) to return to Canada while pending PR application?

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
Trying to get another opinion here, pls suggest.
My son’s (infant)pr application filed when he was in Canada , he is a US citizen,
now he is in India and he got his medical request recently, and he is returning on Nov 1st,
my question is if his application is approved while he is outside can he come back on Visitor status or can we ask any other document so he can land as PR status like COPR or is it good to delay the processing till he comes back using US passport?

pls suggest, appreciate all your inputs.
 

YVR123

VIP Member
Jul 27, 2017
7,412
2,885
Trying to get another opinion here, pls suggest.
My son’s (infant)pr application filed when he was in Canada , he is a US citizen,
now he is in India and he got his medical request recently, and he is returning on Nov 1st,
my question is if his application is approved while he is outside can he come back on Visitor status or can we ask any other document so he can land as PR status like COPR or is it good to delay the processing till he comes back using US passport?

pls suggest, appreciate all your inputs.
Doesn't matter where he is since he has US passport and can travel to Canada as needed.
Update his address and IRCC can provide landing process either outland (passport request/in his case a photo copy of his passport and COPR will be email for him to get signed/stamped at landing) or inland (portal with eCOPR).

It doesn't matter where he go for his medical exam as long as it's by a panel physician .
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
Trying to get another opinion here, pls suggest.
My son’s (infant)pr application filed when he was in Canada , he is a US citizen,
now he is in India and he got his medical request recently, and he is returning on Nov 1st,
my question is if his application is approved while he is outside can he come back on Visitor status or can we ask any other document so he can land as PR status like COPR or is it good to delay the processing till he comes back using US passport?
It's fine for him to travel on US passport and arrive using that - it will allow him to board the plane and be admitted as a visitor.

You don't need to do anything or delay the processing before that.

For the most part it will not matter too much whether he arrives as a visitor and then - once in Canada - gets approved as a PR, you will request virtual landing (done by computer as it sounds). [Note: to do this you should update his address to inside Canada once he arrives.] I do not know how long the virtual landing process takes, it's not as fast as it sounds.

Or if the PPR comes before departure (which could happen but liekly a bit tight), submit passport and arrive with a COPR to do physical/administrative landing procedures.

For a minor, the main difference will be eligiblity for healthcare - which varies somewhat by province, but basically as a citizen would be eligible to apply for it right away, as a non-resident (visitor) he mostly would not (although a few provinces might provide healthcare for children of PRs and/or those with PRs in progress).
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
Thanks a lot both of you,
my main worry is, will COPR gonna take time after approval? Like if it’s approved when it’s close to his departure date , can he still land as a visitor or should carry the COPR?
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
Thanks a lot both of you,
my main worry is, will COPR gonna take time after approval? Like if it’s approved when it’s close to his departure date , can he still land as a visitor or should carry the COPR?
He can land without the COPR if it hasn't been affixed to the passport. I don't know what you mean if it takes time after approval.
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
As he is Visa exempt due to USC, will the COPR email comes along with PR approval status, I was wondering if he is allowed with visitor status after PR approval without COPR, Sorry if it doesn’t make sense, I was just not sure sequence of events.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
As he is Visa exempt due to USC, will the COPR email comes along with PR approval status, I was wondering if he is allowed with visitor status after PR approval without COPR, Sorry if it doesn’t make sense, I was just not sure sequence of events.
I still don't understand what you mean. If he receives the copr before travelling, he would land as an arriving pr and become a PR then. No visitor status at that point because that's the normal way to become a PR.
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
I still don't understand what you mean. If he receives the copr before travelling, he would land as an arriving pr and become a PR then. No visitor status at that point because that's the normal way to become a PR.
Will there be situation where one gets PR approval and will not receive COPR same time?
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
Will there be situation where one gets PR approval and will not receive COPR same time?
There are several intermediate steps in here that I think you are missing or confusing:
-COPR number appearing on the website: meaningless, it's an internal administrative step akin to allocating a file number. Only receiving the physical or electronic COPR matters.
-PR approval or decision made: you may see decision made on the site, it's great, but until you get the confirmation by email, you can't do anything with it.

[Note some may not notice either of these steps or they happen all at once and passport request comes, OR it might take a bit longer. at any rate, these steps are NOT the ones that matter]

-passport request: the email from IRCC advising approved, requesting passport be sent to them to finalize. (Precise wording may note that for some nationalities physical passport not needed, but if abroad, you'll need to go to the VAC/VFS and send info to get the COPR; if in Canada, virtual landing and you'll not need to send the passport because ... already in Canada.) Again, this is a key important step.
-Physcially getting the passport and printed COPR back from VAC/VFS. (Roughly parallel or analagous are some computer steps done for virtual landing).
-Landing: physical if travelling, virtual if already in Canada.
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
There are several intermediate steps in here that I think you are missing or confusing:
-COPR number appearing on the website: meaningless, it's an internal administrative step akin to allocating a file number. Only receiving the physical or electronic COPR matters.
-PR approval or decision made: you may see decision made on the site, it's great, but until you get the confirmation by email, you can't do anything with it.

[Note some may not notice either of these steps or they happen all at once and passport request comes, OR it might take a bit longer. at any rate, these steps are NOT the ones that matter]

-passport request: the email from IRCC advising approved, requesting passport be sent to them to finalize. (Precise wording may note that for some nationalities physical passport not needed, but if abroad, you'll need to go to the VAC/VFS and send info to get the COPR; if in Canada, virtual landing and you'll not need to send the passport because ... already in Canada.) Again, this is a key important step.
-Physcially getting the passport and printed COPR back from VAC/VFS. (Roughly parallel or analagous are some computer steps done for virtual landing).
-Landing: physical if travelling, virtual if already in Canada.
Thank you so much for a detailed response.
This below scenario is what I wanted to avoid and do any mitigation steps to address it.
His return travel is scheduled on November 1 st, say if he gets PR approved on Oct last week, sending his passport to VFS last minute is very risky, Can I still use his US passport to enter him as visitor when his application shows approved without COPR?
If I can’t do that, what my mitigation plan to address or avoid issues?
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
His return travel is scheduled on November 1 st, say if he gets PR approved on Oct last week, sending his passport to VFS last minute is very risky, Can I still use his US passport to enter him as visitor when his application shows approved without COPR?
Yes.
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
Hello,
My son's application got email looks like final step before issueing COPR, but he is in India now, with all that going on between two countries, I wanted to minimize any impact, I have already informed them he is in India, and going to confirm them again in email, he is US citizen does he still need processing or stmp in his passport in India to arrive as a PR now?, please help to clarify.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,254
8,872
Hello,
My son's application got email looks like final step before issueing COPR, but he is in India now, with all that going on between two countries, I wanted to minimize any impact, I have already informed them he is in India, and going to confirm them again in email, he is US citizen does he still need processing or stmp in his passport in India to arrive as a PR now?, please help to clarify.
Let's separate two things: as a US citizen, he can board a plane and enter Canada as a visitor or PR (when he is a PR) or eventually Canadian citizen.

But it seems you're asking what he needs to 'land' in Canada - that is, to administratively become a permanent resident. He can do that in Canada virtually, or he can do it when crossing a border IF he has whatever is needed, usually a COPR and visa (or no visa for those who don't need them). I don't know the current process for US citizens, whether they'll just send a COPR without submitting the passport or what. (I think they do request stuff be sent to them but not certain)

However: I suggest you are getting ahead of yourself and since approval not received yet. Get the passport request, deal with it then. Since with a US passport he can board the plane the next day, fine. Since he's a minor and doesn't need work permit, not a big deal if the virtual landing takes longer. One downside, he may not be eligible for health insurance until he becomes a PR (depends on province, I think) - if that's critical, it'll probably be faster to wait and get the COPR abroad rather than virtual landing.

In most places getting the passport request submitting and getting it back with everything takes 2-4 weeks, with 4 weeks being quite exceptional.

But at some point you'll have to make a decision, and it may not be clear at the time it happens which is best. What're you going to do, life.
 

anil1201

Star Member
Jul 29, 2014
58
13
Let's separate two things: as a US citizen, he can board a plane and enter Canada as a visitor or PR (when he is a PR) or eventually Canadian citizen.

But it seems you're asking what he needs to 'land' in Canada - that is, to administratively become a permanent resident. He can do that in Canada virtually, or he can do it when crossing a border IF he has whatever is needed, usually a COPR and visa (or no visa for those who don't need them). I don't know the current process for US citizens, whether they'll just send a COPR without submitting the passport or what. (I think they do request stuff be sent to them but not certain)

However: I suggest you are getting ahead of yourself and since approval not received yet. Get the passport request, deal with it then. Since with a US passport he can board the plane the next day, fine. Since he's a minor and doesn't need work permit, not a big deal if the virtual landing takes longer. One downside, he may not be eligible for health insurance until he becomes a PR (depends on province, I think) - if that's critical, it'll probably be faster to wait and get the COPR abroad rather than virtual landing.

In most places getting the passport request submitting and getting it back with everything takes 2-4 weeks, with 4 weeks being quite exceptional.

But at some point you'll have to make a decision, and it may not be clear at the time it happens which is best. What're you going to do, life.
Thanks a lot for clarifications, it helped a lot.
Regarding the email, it says they will send COPR in the PR portal after I confirm his current location, which why I feel its kinda last step or one before. They clearly indicated if he is outside Canda they can not send COPR in pr portal and the instruction would be different, I was trying to understand what that other process would look like.