Hello,
Someone on a different thread posted the email they got from London office regarding their request for passport. I found it really helpful. However, this may differ from the letter we may receive from Ottawa, who knows?
Hope you find it as helpful as I did to clarify certain things.
If you guys live in London like me, once you get this letter, you may have your visa within 2 weeks, how amazing is that?
High Commission of Canada
Immigration and Medical Services Division
Macdonald House
38 Grosvenor Street
London W1K 4AA
United Kingdom
File: Date:
Dear Applicant,
This letter requests that you submit your passport, and the passports of your accompanying dependents, as well
as photographs and updated information within 60 days so that we can issue your Permanent Resident visa(s).
Please read the letter carefully, and follow the instructions provided. You should not take any irrevocable action
such as selling property, resigning employment, or making travel arrangements until you have received your
passport(s) and permanent resident visa(s).
Preparing Your Passport(s), Photographs and Updated Information
1. Please ensure that your passport and the passports of each of your accompanying family members meet the
requirements on the back of this page. If any of the passports submitted do not meet these requirements, the visas
will not be issued, and all passports will be returned to you. You will be required to re-submit all of the passports
once they meet our requirements. This type of delay will shorten the amount of time that you will have to travel
to Canada to become a permanent resident. Please see point 5 for important information about the validity of
your Permanent Resident visa.
2. You will need 2 recent photographs of yourself, and 2 recent photographs of each of your dependents. The
photos must conform to the specifications listed on the other side of this page.
3. Complete each section of the updated information chart on page 3 of this letter. The information provided
on the updated information chart should be the same as the information in your passport. Your Permanent
Resident visa will be issued to match the information that appears in your passport. This will be the name that
appears on all of your documents after you become a Permanent Resident of Canada. If your family composition
has changed, you must tell us now. You must also tell us immediately if your family composition changes at any
time between now and your arrival in Canada.
4. Submit your passport, photos and information within 60 days of the date of this letter. Please see the last page
of this letter for information about submitting your passports, photos and information.
5. Unless your passport expires on an earlier date, your visas will expire one year from the date of your medical
examinations. You must enter Canada on or before this date. If your passport, or any of your family members'
passports, are due to expire before this date, all visas will expire on the date that the first passport expires.
The validity of a Permanent Resident visa cannot be extended, nor can a replacement visa be issued with a
new validity date. If you do not provide us with your passport(s) before the expiry of your visa or you do not
use your visa(s) before their expiry date, and you still wish to immigrate to Canada, you will have to submit a
new application and processing fee. A new application would be assessed according to the Immigration Act
and Regulations in force at that time.
Yours sincerely,
High Commission of Canada
Page 2
PASSPORT SPECIFICATIONS
Every passport that you submit must meet these specifications. If any of the passports submitted do not meet these
specifications, your visas will not be issued and all passports will be returned to you.
1. All names and dates of birth must be printed in each passport in English or French.
2. The surname (last name) of the passport-holder must be clearly printed on the Surname line of the bio-page of each
passport, and should match the information provided by you on your Updated Information Chart.
3. The given name (first name) of the passport-holder must be clearly printed on the Given Name line of the bio- page
of each passport, and should match the information provided by you on your Updated Information Chart.
4. If any of your children are included in your passport or in your spouse's passport, that passport must contain the
following information for each child: the child's first name, last name, date of birth and a photo that is less than one
year old.
5. Your spouse must have their own passport.
6. Each passport must have at least 2 empty pages; additional empty pages are required if your children are included
in your passport (2 empty pages per child).
7. All passports should be valid for at least 12 months from the date of your medical examinations. Unless your
passport expires on an earlier date, your visas will expire one year from the date of your medical examinations. You
must enter Canada on or before this date. If your passport, or any of your family members' passports, are due to
expire before this date, all visas will expire on the same date that the earliest passport expires.
8. All passports must be intact and not worn, torn or otherwise damaged; the laminate on the bio-page must be
securely attached.
9. Each page must be securely affixed to the passport; there cannot be any loose pages.
Photo Specifications
Please take these instructions with you to the photographer
Notes to the applicant
• 2 recent pictures are required for each person;
• write your file number and the name of each person on the back of their photo;
• the photographs must not be damaged or blemished.
Immigration photographs are NOT the same as passport photographs. They must meet the specifications in the diagram below.
Notes to the photographer
The photographs must:
• show a full front view of the person's head and shoulders, showing full face centred in the middle of the photograph;
• have a plain white background;
• be identical (black and white or colour)
produced from the same untouched negative, or exposed simultaneously by a split-image or multi-lens camera;
• be produced on single weight matte paper;
• measure between 25mm and 30mm (1" and 1 1/5") from chin to crown (see diagram);
• have a finished size of 35mm x 45mm (1 3/8" and 1 3/4
Please continue on a separate sheet if you have more than six children.
FAMILY NAME FIRST NAME PASSPORT# PASSPORT EXPIRY HEIGHT COLOUR CODE
(as in passport) (as in passport) PASSPORT EXPIRY (DD/MM/YYYY) (Centimetres) (see code chart below)
Principal Applicant
Spouse
Child 1
Child 2
Child 3
Child 4
Child 5
Child 6
Your Name:
Current Mailing Address:
E-mail Address:
Telephone Contact Details:
Home: Work: Mobile:
EYE COLOUR CODE
Black 1
Blue 2
Brown 3
Green 4
Hazel 5
Grey 6
Other 7
Instructions: Submitting Your Passport(s), Photographs and Updated Information
A. Packages submitted by courier or mail
Please use the address label included with this letter when you send your documents. You must provide each of the items
listed below:
1. A self-addressed envelope at least 21cm x 30cm (8.5” x 12”).
2. Your passport and the passports of each of your accompanying dependents. All passports must be submitted
at the same time.
3. The Updated Information Chart on the other side of this page, completed.
4. 2 photographs of you and 2 photographs of each of your dependents accompanying you to Canada. The
photographs must not be stapled, glued or pinned; they can be paper-clipped or enclosed in a small envelope.
Please write your file number and the name of the person on the back of their photo.
When the Immigration Division in London returns passports to applicants in the Gulf countries they are first sent to the
Canadian Embassy in the appropriate region. The Embassy in Abu Dhabi is responsible for sending documents within the
United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Qatar, Yemen and Oman. The Embassy in Riyadh is responsible for sending documents within
Saudi Arabia. Packages are sent to each embassy from the London office twice a week as required. When the packages
are received at the respective visa offices, embassy staff contact the applicant to confirm how they would like their passports
delivered. This process ensures that passports are returned securely to our applicants. Applicants should expect to be
without their passports for 30 working days (6 weeks). Do not contact either the London office or the offices in Riyadh and
Abu Dhabi before 30 working days have passed as this only slows the process.
In the unlikely event that you have not heard from us and it has been at least 30 working days (6 weeks) since you
submitted your passport(s) and other items, you may contact us by e-mail. Our e-mail address is available on our website
at www.UnitedKingdom.gc.ca.
B. Packages submitted in person
You must provide the same items as for mail-in applications (above), except that you do not need to provide a selfaddressed
envelope.
In-person Permanent Resident visa service is only available on Thursdays between 2:00pm and 3:00 pm. You may collect
your passport 10 working days (the second Thursday, 2:00pm to 3:00pm) following the date you submitted your package.
When you submit the items listed above, you will be given a receipt acknowledging that we have received a package from
you. You must bring this receipt when you collect your passport(s) and visa(s). If you nominate someone else to collect your
passport(s) and visa(s), that person must present the receipt that was issued to you, a letter from you authorizing them to
collect your passport(s) and one piece of identification that includes their name and photograph.
