NEW PR CARD RULES UPDATED ::::
Operational Bulletin 491 - January 14, 2013
Mailing Permanent Resident Cards to Representatives
Summary
This Operational Bulletin (OB) summarizes and clarifies the procedures for Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) distribution by the Case Processing Centre in Sydney (CPC-S), Nova Scotia, when an applicant has indicated the address of a third party representative as their residential and/or mailing address.
Background
Since May 2012, as part of a pilot project, the majority of Phase II (Initial, replacement or renewal) PR Cards are mailed directly to permanent residents (PRs). Previously, all Phase II PRs were required to appear in person at Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offices in Canada to collect their PR Cards. By mailing PR Cards to representatives, it opened the possibility that these cards may then be forwarded to the PR overseas, circumventing the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its Regulations.
For PR Cards issued to new immigrants upon entry to Canada (that is, Phase I cards), it may be appropriate for clients to provide the address of a third party (friend, relative, service provider or a paid representative) in Canada in order to facilitate processing and issuance of the card following their arrival in Canada, as new immigrants may not have a permanent address.
Instructions
Phase I cards
CPC-S will continue to mail the PR Cards to the Canadian address provided by the new PR upon arrival, according to the process currently in place. However, where there are clear indications that the initial entry into Canada was only of short duration and the client provided a third party address for the purpose of forwarding their initial PR Card outside of Canada, these cases should be flagged with a Non-Computer Based Entry (NCB) 22 indicating that the client is outside Canada, and if relevant, the fact that the photo retake was done outside Canada and submitted to produce the first PR Card along with the date this information is recorded.
Phase II cards
When applications indicate the mailing address of a third party, with a Use of Representative (IMM 5476) form on file, CPC-S will update the Field Operations Support System and the CPC system with only the residential address of the applicant. The mailing address of the third party will be recorded in an NCB 23 as the third party address “Authorized to disclose”. The PR Card will be mailed to the client at the residential address provided.
If the application received indicates both the residential and mailing address of a third party with an IMM 5476 form on file, a letter (Appendix A) will be addressed to the applicant and sent to the mailing address of the third party provided on the application. The letter will inform the applicant that CIC does not mail PR Cards to third party addresses, and that the PR Card will be mailed to the residential address once it has been provided by the client. As PR Cards are not mailed to P.O. boxes, clients who indicate a P.O. box instead of a mailing address will have to provide justification as to the reason they do not have an acceptable mailing address.
When applications indicate the address of a known or suspected third party and there is no IMM 5476 form on file, the file will be referred to a local CIC for further investigation concerning the undeclared representative.
The website, application form and guide have been updated to inform clients that PR Cards will only be mailed in Canada and will not be mailed to a third party’s address.
Operational Bulletin 491 - January 14, 2013
Mailing Permanent Resident Cards to Representatives
Summary
This Operational Bulletin (OB) summarizes and clarifies the procedures for Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) distribution by the Case Processing Centre in Sydney (CPC-S), Nova Scotia, when an applicant has indicated the address of a third party representative as their residential and/or mailing address.
Background
Since May 2012, as part of a pilot project, the majority of Phase II (Initial, replacement or renewal) PR Cards are mailed directly to permanent residents (PRs). Previously, all Phase II PRs were required to appear in person at Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offices in Canada to collect their PR Cards. By mailing PR Cards to representatives, it opened the possibility that these cards may then be forwarded to the PR overseas, circumventing the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and its Regulations.
For PR Cards issued to new immigrants upon entry to Canada (that is, Phase I cards), it may be appropriate for clients to provide the address of a third party (friend, relative, service provider or a paid representative) in Canada in order to facilitate processing and issuance of the card following their arrival in Canada, as new immigrants may not have a permanent address.
Instructions
Phase I cards
CPC-S will continue to mail the PR Cards to the Canadian address provided by the new PR upon arrival, according to the process currently in place. However, where there are clear indications that the initial entry into Canada was only of short duration and the client provided a third party address for the purpose of forwarding their initial PR Card outside of Canada, these cases should be flagged with a Non-Computer Based Entry (NCB) 22 indicating that the client is outside Canada, and if relevant, the fact that the photo retake was done outside Canada and submitted to produce the first PR Card along with the date this information is recorded.
Phase II cards
When applications indicate the mailing address of a third party, with a Use of Representative (IMM 5476) form on file, CPC-S will update the Field Operations Support System and the CPC system with only the residential address of the applicant. The mailing address of the third party will be recorded in an NCB 23 as the third party address “Authorized to disclose”. The PR Card will be mailed to the client at the residential address provided.
If the application received indicates both the residential and mailing address of a third party with an IMM 5476 form on file, a letter (Appendix A) will be addressed to the applicant and sent to the mailing address of the third party provided on the application. The letter will inform the applicant that CIC does not mail PR Cards to third party addresses, and that the PR Card will be mailed to the residential address once it has been provided by the client. As PR Cards are not mailed to P.O. boxes, clients who indicate a P.O. box instead of a mailing address will have to provide justification as to the reason they do not have an acceptable mailing address.
When applications indicate the address of a known or suspected third party and there is no IMM 5476 form on file, the file will be referred to a local CIC for further investigation concerning the undeclared representative.
The website, application form and guide have been updated to inform clients that PR Cards will only be mailed in Canada and will not be mailed to a third party’s address.