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Urgent - PR card send to wrong address

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
I feel your pain!

Anyone tried to call Canada Post customer service - to find out what their process would be in this scenario (like yours or mine)? I.e. do they send back to sender right away or keep it somewhere for some time etc?
Thinking about calling and asking - not to find our card but just to understand when realistically we can hope the card would get back to the sender IRCC (if ever)
I never tried that simply because they will not be probably able to tell anything regarding the cards and all they will give is an approximation which will probably won't do any good. I am willing to wait 6 weeks and then some more in case the card returns. Otherwise, when I absolutely have to, I will go to those extra steps.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
I never tried that simply because they will not be probably able to tell anything regarding the cards and all they will give is an approximation which will probably won't do any good. I am willing to wait 6 weeks and then some more in case the card returns. Otherwise, when I absolutely have to, I will go to those extra steps.
I did call Canada post (pure curiosity re their process :))
The agent said that there is no major delay/hold time to send such incorrectly addressed regular mail back to sender. He said probably 5-6 biz days each way. So, technically 3 weeks should be sufficient time for a incorrectly addressed letter to get back to IRCC.
The question is how long it takes for IRCC to process such returned mail and what the process on their end is...
It is now over 3 weeks for us (since Jan 2), I will try to call tomorrow or on Friday to see if any progress...
 

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
I did call Canada post (pure curiosity re their process :))
The agent said that there is no major delay/hold time to send such incorrectly addressed regular mail back to sender. He said probably 5-6 biz days each way. So, technically 3 weeks should be sufficient time for a incorrectly addressed letter to get back to IRCC.
The question is how long it takes for IRCC to process such returned mail and what the process on their end is...
It is now over 3 weeks for us (since Jan 2), I will try to call tomorrow or on Friday to see if any progress...
Cool. I hope that our card are indeed returned to IRCC and they process it real fast. Good luck to you and me as well.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
Cool. I hope that our card are indeed returned to IRCC and they process it real fast. Good luck to you and me as well.
That would be the best case scenario for sure!

Did you complete a web enquiry? or just phone? (sorrry,I forgot)
 

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
That would be the best case scenario for sure!

Did you complete a web enquiry? or just phone? (sorrry,I forgot)
I did both. I completed the webform to update my address and then I called. They confirmed that the address is now updated and that I will have to wait 6 weeks before calling them again. But since you gave that 3 weeks timeline, I might try after 3-4 weeks just to check if they have received the returned mail. I hope they do. Saves a lot of anxiety and extra steps.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
I did both. I completed the webform to update my address and then I called. They confirmed that the address is now updated and that I will have to wait 6 weeks before calling them again. But since you gave that 3 weeks timeline, I might try after 3-4 weeks just to check if they have received the returned mail. I hope they do. Saves a lot of anxiety and extra steps.
Have not called again yet but posted web inquiry as well today - just to have extra visibility on file in case they do get hte card mail back and wonder why it got returned. the address on the envelope vs correct address are so similar, only unit # was missing, so if one does not pay attention it is easy to miss - even I did not even notice until I looked specifically for that.

Will wait till next week to call back (since it takes a few days to process inquiries anyway). Really hoping we could avoid extra paperwork hassle (and further delays) - if it comes back to sender

Keep us posted on your case progress too.

Btw, the 3 week timeliine is an estimate suggested by Canada post - not definitive, just what the agent thought likely to happen...But I wish it is true! Would be nice to have some examples from others in the same boat - i.e.do they actually remail the same cards to the corrected addresses if they come back.
 

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
Have not called again yet but posted web inquiry as well today - just to have extra visibility on file in case they do get hte card mail back and wonder why it got returned. the address on the envelope vs correct address are so similar, only unit # was missing, so if one does not pay attention it is easy to miss - even I did not even notice until I looked specifically for that.

Will wait till next week to call back (since it takes a few days to process inquiries anyway). Really hoping we could avoid extra paperwork hassle (and further delays) - if it comes back to sender

Keep us posted on your case progress too.

Btw, the 3 week timeliine is an estimate suggested by Canada post - not definitive, just what the agent thought likely to happen...But I wish it is true! Would be nice to have some examples from others in the same boat - i.e.do they actually remail the same cards to the corrected addresses if they come back.
Yeah, I wish there were other examples. I could not find but I did not search that thoroughly either.
I will keep you posted here though my three weeks is still three weeks away. Haha. Let us know how it goes for you.
Best of luck.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
Finally was able to talk to them after waiting for around 35 minutes and 7-8 tries continuously. The agent said, my address is now updated. I will have to wait for 6 weeks and then call them again. If the PR card is returned to IRCC within this 6 weeks, they will resend it to the correct address. However, if not, I will have to apply for a new card which cannot be done from outside Canada. I will have to apply for a PRTD and then come back and apply. So, now I must wait for 6 weeks. Lets hope that the cards do get send back to IRCC and they forward it to the right address. Otherwise, it will be a number of extra steps.
@mmahmud Any updates for you?
Nothing changed for me so far. I have not called the second time yet - just filled a web inquiry last week (no reply, but it has not been 5 biz days yet)
 

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
@mmahmud Any updates for you?
Nothing changed for me so far. I have not called the second time yet - just filled a web inquiry last week (no reply, but it has not been 5 biz days yet)
Hi, nah, nothing. I have to wait till mid February to call them. Also, they do not reply back to inquiries if they think enough time has not passed. That might be the reason for you not to get a message back. I will keep posted once I have something.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
Small update: received an email response to my web inquiry however it was kind of useless...First it stated that "they are pleased to inform me" that the card was mailed on Jan 2 to the [wrong address] :) Which is what I said to them in my web inquiry basically - I am glad they are "pleased" to reiterate what I told them :)

And after that it was basically all the info that I have to wait 6 weeks since mailing date (i.e till mid Feb in our case) and if the card does not turn up by that time, then complete a solemn declaration and so on...

So, nothing new yet :-(, still more than two weeks till that 6 wk date. Though I'd share - if anything but to keep the topic up in case somebody else in this situation (currently or in the past) has some feedback too.
 

mmahmud

Star Member
Mar 30, 2018
186
71
Small update: received an email response to my web inquiry however it was kind of useless...First it stated that "they are pleased to inform me" that the card was mailed on Jan 2 to the [wrong address] :) Which is what I said to them in my web inquiry basically - I am glad they are "pleased" to reiterate what I told them :)

And after that it was basically all the info that I have to wait 6 weeks since mailing date (i.e till mid Feb in our case) and if the card does not turn up by that time, then complete a solemn declaration and so on...

So, nothing new yet :-(, still more than two weeks till that 6 wk date. Though I'd share - if anything but to keep the topic up in case somebody else in this situation (currently or in the past) has some feedback too.
Haha. Its funny and sad at the same time. I am still waiting to hit a three weeks mark. I will probably call them on Monday to see if anything turned up.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
Haha. Its funny and sad at the same time. I am still waiting to hit a three weeks mark. I will probably call them on Monday to see if anything turned up.
Yes, I am thinking about calling them next week sometime too (will be a bit over 4 weeks for us) - just to feel I am doing something.
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
By the way, my dad's application is no longer accessible on ecas today -I guess they do close access to the 'completed' applications after about a month since 'mailing date' (even though we never received the card that was mailed to an incomplete address)
 

kiqr

Star Member
Feb 12, 2019
106
55
By the way, my dad's application is no longer accessible on ecas today -I guess they do close access to the 'completed' applications after about a month since 'mailing date' (even though we never received the card that was mailed to an incomplete address)
I am in the exact same situation. The card was sent by CIC on 29 Jan. It was sent out to my old address, despite me trying to change my address online numerous times. Long story short, people at my old address told me they have returned all my mails back through Canada post. My new address was updated within CIC system on 29 Jan ironically.

I called CIC today and the agent told me to wait until 6 weeks is passed. Another funny thing is he told me that the card was sent out to my new address on 29Jan and not old. I do not believe this at all else I would have received it by now. Can we fill out solemn declaration from outside canada?
 

Anik

Hero Member
Dec 13, 2011
390
5
I am in the exact same situation. The card was sent by CIC on 29 Jan. It was sent out to my old address, despite me trying to change my address online numerous times. Long story short, people at my old address told me they have returned all my mails back through Canada post. My new address was updated within CIC system on 29 Jan ironically.

I called CIC today and the agent told me to wait until 6 weeks is passed. Another funny thing is he told me that the card was sent out to my new address on 29Jan and not old. I do not believe this at all else I would have received it by now. Can we fill out solemn declaration from outside canada?
Yes, their rule is to wait 6 weeks from the date they mailed the card before they would do anything else. I guess their hope is that the card may be returned back to them during that time (and they have time to process it and re-mail if applicable). For us, the 6 weeks will be up this week. I decided to call them on Friday and the agent told me that the card came back and was remailed on Feb 4. Sounds good, however it has been over a week and it still has not arrived :-( I'd think it should be about a week from NS to BC...I am hoping it is the weather and not another issue or wrong address again or something ...Trying not to think about this possibility at least for now...