Today, on my wife's application, she received from the IRCC an "Information Letter" via GCKey. It reads thus (sorry so long):
The processing of your application for permanent residence in Canada is almost complete. You must complete the following steps within 30 days in order for our office to issue your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if applicable, your permanent residence visa.
If the principal applicant is in Canada, the accompanying family members should submit their passports within 30 days after the principal applicant has attended the landing appointment. If we receive your passports before the permanent resident status of the principal applicant in Canada is confirmed, we will return them to you and you will be asked to pay the transmission fee again when you re-submit your passports.
If for any reason you are not able to meet this deadline, please inform our Manila office immediately via email at MANILIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca with details concerning your situation.
Important notice:
To protect Canadians from COVID-19, travel restrictions and pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements are now in place for individuals travelling to Canada. Please consult How COVID- 19 is affecting immigration, refugees, citizenship and passport services for the latest information before making any travel plans and again before departing for Canada.
It is your responsibility to keep yourself informed of any changes to the travel restrictions to Canada by going to Find out if you can travel to Canada.
STEP 1: Change in Circumstances:
Should any of the following circumstances apply to you or any accompanying family member, you must inform this office immediately:
. Change in marital status, for example due to marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment or death of spouse;
. Change in family composition, for example due to adoption or birth of a child, including a child born to your accompanying dependent child,
. Death of principal applicant, spouse, accompanying children, or death of sponsoring relative;
.Change in health, including pregnancy;
. You or any of your accompanying family members being charged or convicted of a criminal offence
. Change in contact information: mailing address, e-mail address, or telephone number.
Your failure to inform us of any of these changes may result in the cancellation of your permanent resident visa and may render you and your accompanying family members inadmissible to Canada.
Your failure to declare all of your family members, accompanying or not, will permanently exclude them from sponsorship under the Family Class regulations.
STEP 2: Passport Requirements – Determine if you need to submit your passport(s)
Determine whether you need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada at: www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/visit/visas.asp
a. If your passport is from a country whose citizens need a visa to travel to Canada, you will need to submit original passport(s) for you and each accompanying family member. Your passport(s) should be valid for at least 6 months and have at least two blank pages. If a child is included on your passport, you must have one blank page per accompanying child.
Please note that you STILL need to submit your passport(s) even if:
o You or your accompanying family members have a valid Canadian temporary residence visa or permit.
o You or your accompanying family members are permanent residents of the U.S.A and holder of passport(s) from countries whose citizens need a visa to travel to Canada.
Note: All passports must be intact and not worn, torn or otherwise damaged; the laminate on the bio-data page must be securely attached. Each page must be securely affixed to the passport; there cannot be any loose pages.
b. If your passport is from a country whose citizens need an eTA to travel to Canada or your passport is from the United States, you will need to submit one photocopy of the photo page and any pages containing amendments of the passport for you and each
accompanying family member (Note: any accompanying family member whose passport does require a visa however, will need to submit their original passport as per Step 2a). Your passport(s) should be valid for at least 6 months. Please do not send your original passport(s).
*** Please note that Confirmation of Permanent Residence and permanent resident visas cannot be issued on Diplomatic, Official or Military passports or travel documents. You must provide an ordinary passport. ***
STEP 3: PREPARE YOUR DOCUMENTS
You must submit together:
1. One copy of this letter.
2. Passport(s) OR photocopy(ies) of passport(s), as explained in Step 2.
3. Two (2) photos of yourself and of each accompanying family member respecting precise specifications that can be found at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/5445EB-e.pdf. If you submit photos that do not meet the exact specifications, your package will be returned to you.
4. Completed and signed Appendix B form (enclosed).
STEP 4: SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENTS
All required documents must be submitted in one single package.
A) To submit your package while overseas:
Please submit your package to the nearest Visa Application Centre along with the VAC Passport Transmission fee.
For Passport Transmission instructions and fee details, please visit:
https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/
B) If you are currently in Canada, you are not required to submit your passport and will be landed virtually. Please advise our office via email at MANILIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca within 5 days of receipt of this letter if you and/or any of your dependents are in Canada. Please include each person’s name/UCI and where they are currently staying/residing (in Canada or overseas).
We are looking forward to receiving your package within 30 days to conclude your application for permanent residence in Canada. Failure to provide the requested documentation within the time indicated may lead to the refusal of your application.
Sincerely,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
I am also representative for my wife's sister and, about 3 weeks ago, she received a letter that looks identical, or nearly so. It was received on GCKey and described as a "Request Letter", whereas my wife's is an "Information Letter". We think that both are PPRs and that my wife has had her application approved. But, it's been a long journey and we do not want to read into this what is not there. So, holding off on celebrating.
What do members here think? Are we, indeed, in possession of the fabled "golden letter"?
The processing of your application for permanent residence in Canada is almost complete. You must complete the following steps within 30 days in order for our office to issue your Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if applicable, your permanent residence visa.
If the principal applicant is in Canada, the accompanying family members should submit their passports within 30 days after the principal applicant has attended the landing appointment. If we receive your passports before the permanent resident status of the principal applicant in Canada is confirmed, we will return them to you and you will be asked to pay the transmission fee again when you re-submit your passports.
If for any reason you are not able to meet this deadline, please inform our Manila office immediately via email at MANILIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca with details concerning your situation.
Important notice:
To protect Canadians from COVID-19, travel restrictions and pre-departure COVID-19 testing requirements are now in place for individuals travelling to Canada. Please consult How COVID- 19 is affecting immigration, refugees, citizenship and passport services for the latest information before making any travel plans and again before departing for Canada.
It is your responsibility to keep yourself informed of any changes to the travel restrictions to Canada by going to Find out if you can travel to Canada.
STEP 1: Change in Circumstances:
Should any of the following circumstances apply to you or any accompanying family member, you must inform this office immediately:
. Change in marital status, for example due to marriage, divorce, legal separation, annulment or death of spouse;
. Change in family composition, for example due to adoption or birth of a child, including a child born to your accompanying dependent child,
. Death of principal applicant, spouse, accompanying children, or death of sponsoring relative;
.Change in health, including pregnancy;
. You or any of your accompanying family members being charged or convicted of a criminal offence
. Change in contact information: mailing address, e-mail address, or telephone number.
Your failure to inform us of any of these changes may result in the cancellation of your permanent resident visa and may render you and your accompanying family members inadmissible to Canada.
Your failure to declare all of your family members, accompanying or not, will permanently exclude them from sponsorship under the Family Class regulations.
STEP 2: Passport Requirements – Determine if you need to submit your passport(s)
Determine whether you need a visa or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA) to travel to Canada at: www.cic.gc.ca/ENGLISH/visit/visas.asp
a. If your passport is from a country whose citizens need a visa to travel to Canada, you will need to submit original passport(s) for you and each accompanying family member. Your passport(s) should be valid for at least 6 months and have at least two blank pages. If a child is included on your passport, you must have one blank page per accompanying child.
Please note that you STILL need to submit your passport(s) even if:
o You or your accompanying family members have a valid Canadian temporary residence visa or permit.
o You or your accompanying family members are permanent residents of the U.S.A and holder of passport(s) from countries whose citizens need a visa to travel to Canada.
Note: All passports must be intact and not worn, torn or otherwise damaged; the laminate on the bio-data page must be securely attached. Each page must be securely affixed to the passport; there cannot be any loose pages.
b. If your passport is from a country whose citizens need an eTA to travel to Canada or your passport is from the United States, you will need to submit one photocopy of the photo page and any pages containing amendments of the passport for you and each
accompanying family member (Note: any accompanying family member whose passport does require a visa however, will need to submit their original passport as per Step 2a). Your passport(s) should be valid for at least 6 months. Please do not send your original passport(s).
*** Please note that Confirmation of Permanent Residence and permanent resident visas cannot be issued on Diplomatic, Official or Military passports or travel documents. You must provide an ordinary passport. ***
STEP 3: PREPARE YOUR DOCUMENTS
You must submit together:
1. One copy of this letter.
2. Passport(s) OR photocopy(ies) of passport(s), as explained in Step 2.
3. Two (2) photos of yourself and of each accompanying family member respecting precise specifications that can be found at: www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/applications/guides/pdf/5445EB-e.pdf. If you submit photos that do not meet the exact specifications, your package will be returned to you.
4. Completed and signed Appendix B form (enclosed).
STEP 4: SUBMIT YOUR DOCUMENTS
All required documents must be submitted in one single package.
A) To submit your package while overseas:
Please submit your package to the nearest Visa Application Centre along with the VAC Passport Transmission fee.
For Passport Transmission instructions and fee details, please visit:
https://www.vfsglobal.ca/canada/
B) If you are currently in Canada, you are not required to submit your passport and will be landed virtually. Please advise our office via email at MANILIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca within 5 days of receipt of this letter if you and/or any of your dependents are in Canada. Please include each person’s name/UCI and where they are currently staying/residing (in Canada or overseas).
| NOTE: Permanent Resident document(s) Validity The issuance of your Permanent Resident document(s) is time sensitive so it is important for you to submit your passport(s) as requested. Once you receive your Permanent Resident document(s), please verify if the information on it is correct. If there are any errors, such as incorrect spelling of name or incorrect date of birth, please inform our Manila office via email at MANILIMMIGRATION@international.gc.ca immediately. Your name will appear in the same format as it appears in your passport. Your Permanent Resident document(s) will expire one year after the date of your medical examinations or earlier if your passport or the passports of your spouse or dependent children (if applicable) expire on an earlier date. You must travel to Canada and present your immigration documents at a Canadian Port of Entry before they expire. The validity of the Permanent Resident documents cannot be extended. If you fail to enter Canada before this date and still wish to immigrate to Canada, you must reapply by submitting a new application and paying new processing fees. All such applications will be assessed according to the immigration laws in force at the time of receipt of the application. There is no guarantee a future application would be successful. |
Sincerely,
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
I am also representative for my wife's sister and, about 3 weeks ago, she received a letter that looks identical, or nearly so. It was received on GCKey and described as a "Request Letter", whereas my wife's is an "Information Letter". We think that both are PPRs and that my wife has had her application approved. But, it's been a long journey and we do not want to read into this what is not there. So, holding off on celebrating.
What do members here think? Are we, indeed, in possession of the fabled "golden letter"?
