Hello Everyone! I just got the below email from my representative.
Sharing a recent clarification from IRCC for persons travelling outside Canada at the end of their finalization of PR process.
Lately we have been receiving COPRs via online portal that is separately build for the issuance of COPR. With this, an applicant needs to confirm that he or she is physically present in Canada, as being present in Canada is mandatory for this process.
The applicant cannot choose how the COPR will be issued to him or her -- this will be decided by IRCC. If, for some reason, an applicant is invited to use the portal for the issuance of COPR then he or she must be present in Canada. This is the reason, IRCC is advising not to travel outside Canada at the end of the finalization process, as there is no guarantee that the process will be managed by the outside Canada office (the country the applicant is visiting). If the applicant is outside Canada and requests that the process be done from the country he or she is visiting, then it might add a few more months in the process.
Lately, the IRCC offices (inside and outside Canada) have been facing operational challenges to sort this as well as such other related issues where applicants have also applied for a TRV while PR is in the finalization process just to enter Canada to use the portal. This is causing enormous delays in process and refusals are taking place.
My take -- please avoid unwanted travelling.
Hope this helps.