Hi - my CoPR says, “not valid for travel.” When I cross the border into Canada (say, at the Peace Bridge in ON), can I “validate” my PR with Immigration in Canada at the border?
Hi there,
Thank you for sharing your question and situation with us.
When you come to Canada, as a permanent resident for the first time, you must show your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) to an immigration officer at the port of entry. The COPR serves as your official landing document and confirms your permanent resident status upon first arrival. However, it is not a travel document and cannot be used to leave and re-enter Canada like a PR card or passport.
Your PR card will be mailed to your Canadian address once it has been processed. You can check processing times through IRCC to get an estimate of when you may receive your first card after submitting a complete application.
If you need to travel before receiving your PR card, you will likely need to apply for a Permanent Resident Travel Document (PRTD) in order to return to Canada. You can find more information about this process in the Settlement.Org article, I need to leave Canada but do not have my PR card yet. What should I do?
We hope this information is helpful, please let us know if you have any further questions!
Sincerely,
Your Settlement.Org Team