COPR with travel visa

[Fang_89]

Hey everyone, this is a little premature as we are not quite there yet, but I want to be prepared ahead of time so, here's a question for you all:

My spouse already has a Canadian visa in her passport (two as a matter of fact, a travel one and a study one) that are both still valid.

If we get a passport request (which I assume is when we both get the PR visa to enter Canada and the COPR which is used to obtain the permanent residence card upon arrival), is there a way for us to SKIP the visa section and have her enter China on either of her visas (she’s currently studying so it would make sense to use her study visa) and simply apply for the COPR (I believe this requires a photocopy of passport page + pictures) and hopefully speed up the process? Has anyone done this in the past?

 

[armoured]

Hey everyone, this is a little premature as we are not quite there yet, but I want to be prepared ahead of time so, here's a question for you all:

My spouse already has a Canadian visa in her passport (two as a matter of fact, a travel one and a study one) that are both still valid.

If we get a passport request (which I assume is when we both get the PR visa to enter Canada and the COPR which is used to obtain the permanent residence card upon arrival), is there a way for us to SKIP the visa section and have her enter China on either of her visas (she’s currently studying so it would make sense to use her study visa) and simply apply for the COPR (I believe this requires a photocopy of passport page + pictures) and hopefully speed up the process? Has anyone done this in the past?

No, New visa would be needed.

 

[Fang_89]

No, New visa would be needed.

Thank you for your response

 

[armoured]

Thank you for your response

Note, if she happens to be in Canada (under whatever existing visa she has) when the passport request comes, they would go straight to the COPR in Canada without the passport submission and new visa;may need to submit new photos or other docs, like photcopy of passport, but they would not need to issue a new visa.

(Also if she does travel to Canada before the PPR she should change her address with IRCC - at least if there for any length of time, not necessary if just there for a week or two).

 

[Fang_89]

Note, if she happens to be in Canada (under whatever existing visa she has) when the passport request comes, they would go straight to the COPR in Canada without the passport submission and new visa;may need to submit new photos or other docs, like photcopy of passport, but they would not need to issue a new visa.

(Also if she does travel to Canada before the PPR she should change her address with IRCC - at least if there for any length of time, not necessary if just there for a week or two).

I see, so if she were to come to Canada before she gets the passport request, we could change her address and she would only get the COPR document request.

Do you know what would happen if we got the passport request message, and then came straight to Canada and then updated her address? Have there been cases like this, where they'll basically take back the passport request and move straight to COPR?

 

[armoured]

I see, so if she were to come to Canada before she gets the passport request, we could change her address and she would only get the COPR document request.

Do you know what would happen if we got the passport request message, and then came straight to Canada and then updated her address? Have there been cases like this, where they'll basically take back the passport request and move straight to COPR?

Honest answer is I do not know, but it seems to me the risk of having issues that might seriously complicate things makes that far from ideal. Maybe it would go fine; maybe she wouldn't be able to board a plane; maybe there'd be issues at the border; maybe it would cause a significant delay in getting the 'landing' done in Canada; etc. (You might find a handful of cases here where it went okay, I vaguely recall one or two, but they were in somewhat special cases and not something that could be relied upon).

But this begs the question - what are you trying to do and why? If you're planning to go to Canada before you get PPR, just do it. If you're waiting to get the PPR, just submit the passport when you get it per the instructions, in most cases it should take 2-4 weeks or possibly less, depending on location. (I'm assuming you're not in a country where there are current travel restrictions like India).

If you're just spitballing about 'what if we book a flight for June 10 and get the PPR on June 9', well, no clear answer. Personally my guess is that it would be preferable to get the COPR/visa - i.e. change flight - because of the risks above and the landing procedure with COPR is relatively simple and clear and you'd know what you're getting into (your spouse would be a PR upon landing with right to work and everything associated), whereas trying to switch the type of landing would mean significant uncertainty about how long it would take to get the copr/landing done within Canada.

 

[Fang_89]

Honest answer is I do not know, but it seems to me the risk of having issues that might seriously complicate things makes that far from ideal. Maybe it would go fine; maybe she wouldn't be able to board a plane; maybe there'd be issues at the border; maybe it would cause a significant delay in getting the 'landing' done in Canada; etc. (You might find a handful of cases here where it went okay, I vaguely recall one or two, but they were in somewhat special cases and not something that could be relied upon).

But this begs the question - what are you trying to do and why? If you're planning to go to Canada before you get PPR, just do it. If you're waiting to get the PPR, just submit the passport when you get it per the instructions, in most cases it should take 2-4 weeks or possibly less, depending on location. (I'm assuming you're not in a country where there are current travel restrictions like India).

If you're just spitballing about 'what if we book a flight for June 10 and get the PPR on June 9', well, no clear answer. Personally my guess is that it would be preferable to get the COPR/visa - i.e. change flight - because of the risks above and the landing procedure with COPR is relatively simple and clear and you'd know what you're getting into (your spouse would be a PR upon landing with right to work and everything associated), whereas trying to switch the type of landing would mean significant uncertainty about how long it would take to get the copr/landing done within Canada.

You ask a great question. She's been studying remotely since last year, she has her student visa but Canada's been such a mess with covid that we (I'm with her abroad) only recently started to consider going back since case # are going down and vaccination going up. Now we're kind of stuck between two choices.

1. Head over soon to settle during the summer and resume classes soon after in fall(and change the address + get COPR in Canada) but that wouldn't happen until mid-July
2. Wait for the COPR and then head over, but that requires waiting longer and means getting much more expensive tickets (August is way more expensive than July) and potentially means moving/quarantine/everything else during the beginning of her studies.

As you can see it's a very awkward timing. That's what we get for trying to do everything at once I guess...I never thought I'd say this, but now I'm hoping the COPR comes soon...or much later!

 

[armoured]

As you can see it's a very awkward timing. That's what we get for trying to do everything at once I guess...I never thought I'd say this, but now I'm hoping the COPR comes soon...or much later!

Okay, now I think I understand.

I see you got the decision made just very recently - from HK, which country are you in? (May depend on which visa office has to/is expected to issue the PPR)

I'd suggest giving it a week or two at least and then consider options. If you have been in contact with HKVO via email, it's possible that emailing to ask - politely, with brief explanation - would dislodge the PPR.

 

[Fang_89]

Okay, now I think I understand.

I see you got the decision made just very recently - from HK, which country are you in? (May depend on which visa office has to/is expected to issue the PPR)

I'd suggest giving it a week or two at least and then consider options. If you have been in contact with HKVO via email, it's possible that emailing to ask - politely, with brief explanation - would dislodge the PPR.

We are in China, our VO is HK. I will see if I can send them an e-mail. Thanks again for your help!

 

[armoured]

We are in China, our VO is HK. I will see if I can send them an e-mail. Thanks again for your help!

I'd give them at least a bit of time to see if they issue without you intervening, your timeline isn't that tight, and they may need to coordinate with whichever visa office would likely actually issue the visa, or just plain old internal bureaucratic steps.