H1B Stamping in Canada for a PR with Expired COPR

[Imma90]

Hi there - I need urgent help! I am a Canadian PR and I did my soft landing in March 2020 and have a signed COPR. The pandemic hit and I haven't been able to move to Canada. I currently have an active job in the US and I need to get the H1B stamping done. I booked an appointment with the US consulate in Toronto. It says they need proof of status in Canada. My COPR document is signed but I am told that the COPR document has a validity of 1 year so it would have expired in March 2021. I was told that it's still a valid proof to enter Canada, and I did. I am in Toronto, however, I am worried if that is still valid proof of my status in Canada for the US H1B stamping. Can someone help? Anyone who has gone through a similar experience?

 

[Alisha69]

As of November 1, 2021, individuals with expired CoPRs will need to reapply for Canadian permanent residence if they still wish to come to Canada. Your documents will be reissued by the IRCC and they will send you the valid documents you need to travel to Canada: A re-printed CoPR.

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[abff08f4813c]

@Alisha69 That only applies if the expired CoPR is unsigned. After a soft landing, it will have the signature and be valid - there's no need to reapply for a CoPR and in fact this is not possible.

Instead, if you ever lost the signed CoPR, you would instead apply for a Verification of Status document (IMM 5009), see https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5545-application-verification-status-vos-replacement-immigration-document.html

@Imma90 My guess is that the Verification of Status document would probably be accepted in place of a CoPR even by the US consulate in Toronto, alas according to https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/check-processing-times.html current processing times for that are 21 weeks.

I'd assume that they'd take an expired but signed CoPR as proof of status as well, as the fact that it was signed suggests you did get PR. (Might be different if it is twenty years old and you might have lost PR in the meantime by not meeting the residency obligation or something, but a fairly recent expired CoPR I think should be okay).

That said, it would probably be a good idea to ask them directly. I believe that you can call or email them through https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/us-visas/Supplements/Supplements_by_Post/MTL-Montreal.html

I was once in a similar situation, and I just dropped by the consulate (without an appointment) and asked the staff outside. They went in and were able to get an answer for me really quick. Of course, this was pre-COVID so YMMV.