How long after receiving Visa to Land?

[chach]

how much time does the visa office give you to "land" in canada after you received your approved visa/passport? do i have a limited time to "land" after receiving the visa?

 

[marsiangal]

The visa stamped in your passport has an expiration date. It's usually a year from the date of the medical. Based from what I've read.
If you don't land before the expiration date, You can't renew it and have to redo the whole process.

 

[zardoz]

It has been known for it to already have expired by the time the applicant received it. Sometimes the window to land is very small.

 

[chach]

wow. only a year after medicals???

 

[sakamath]

Yes, it is one year from the date the first x-ray was taken. However, CIC has put a process that would allow an Officer to ask for "extension" of the medical validity in certain cases. Such cases include when the applicant does not have any medical issues that could change the Officer's decision AND all other process (criminality,security etc) are complete AND the expiry of medical is imminent or the applicant would have too few days to move to Canada.

 

[sjp52]

So you get the medical and send in the application and it can take upto 14 months to get approval and the medical is only good for 12 months. That does not seem fair.

 

[zardoz]

Yes, this is exactly what happens...

 

[IslandAnnie]

I believe the expiry is actually one year from the medical or expiry date of the PA's passport, which every is earlier.