PR Card Status

[Janice1579]

Hi!

I just landed here in Canada on May 11th 2015 via Family Class (Spousal Visa).

However, we are clueless about certain things.

1st, my husband opted to get me a visitors insurance since we had some difficulty getting health coverage for me while waiting for my health benefits to take effect.

2nd, everything is still in my maiden name. When we applied for spousal visa we just went ahead and used my current passport before we got married – so now, I am having problems getting my IDs in my married name here in Canada.

I recently opened a bank account and they didnt honor the marriage certificate we presented (we got married in the Philippines).

Can someone please help and point us to the right direction?

3rd, while waiting for my PR card in the mail, how can I apply for SIN so I can start working as soon as I can?

I would really love to have everything in my married name now that I am here with my husband.

Please enlighten us on what we need to do so we can get this started asap.

Just wanted to ask if anyone can also send information of where the nearest immigration help agency here in Sherwood Park, Alberta is?

Thank you very much

[SettlementOrgMod]

Hello,

Thank you for sharing your situation and question with us.

We can appreciate that you would be interested in getting this resolved.

You mentioned that everything is currently in your maiden name.

In this case, you would have to likely re-apply for a new PR card with supporting legal documentation, in your case, a marriage certificate.

You can find some details in the CIC Applying for a Permanent Resident Card (PR Card) - Initial application, replacement or renewal (IMM 5445) guide here,

Legal change of name

If your present name is different from the name printed on your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688), you must send in supporting legal documentation as proof of your name change in addition to supporting identity documents as requested in section 3 of Step 1. Supporting legal documentation may include:

-a copy of a legal change of name document, court order, adoption order issued by a civil authority in a province or territory of Canada, or a marriage certificate, divorce decree, registration, declaration of union, revocation of declaration or annulment of union issued by a civil authority in a province or territory of Canada, showing your new name, unless you have been married in and are currently a resident of Quebec;

-if you are a permanent resident who changed their name outside of Canada, provide a foreign passport or other national authoritative document that has been amended to reflect the new name, and an official document linking the old and new names.

If the change of name was already approved in a previous permanent resident card application, include a photocopy of your last permanent resident card.

Important information: If you have had a legal name change, you must include a copy of your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) with this application.

Regarding your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), the CIC Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website states,

Your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 or IMM 5688) is not an identity document. Therefore, it will not be amended to correct personal information that changed after the date permanent residence was granted. This includes:

-legal name change
-name change after marriage or divorce

Requests for these types of changes should go to the Registrar General of the province or territory in which you live.

However, before proceeding with any applications, you may want to contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) Call Centre directly to find out what you should do first.

Regarding your question about applying for a Social Insurance Number, you can find some detailed information in our Settlement.Org How do I get a Social Insurance Number (SIN)? and What documents do I need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)? articles.

The What documents do I need to apply for a Social Insurance Number (SIN)? article has listings of which documents can be used in order to apply for your SIN.

Before applying for your SIN, you may want to contact Service Canada directly to find out what your options are at this stage and how to proceed regarding your name.

You can contact them here:

Toll-Free: 1-800-206-7218 (select option “3”)
TTY: 1 800-926-9105

According to the Service Canada it states,

Supporting Documents

A supporting document is a legal document indicating the name you currently use. It is required if the name on your primary document is different. Your supporting document must be an original, written in English or French.

In addition to your primary document, you will need to provide one of the following supporting documents when you apply, if required:

-Certificate of marriage, record of solemnization of marriage or marriage statement (or a similarly titled document, depending on the issuing authority) to support your family name after marriage. (Note: This does not apply to Quebec residents, regardless of where they were married after April 1, 1981).

You can find some information on where the nearest immigrant and settlement service is on the InformAlberta.ca website.

I hope this information is helpful. Please let us know if you have further questions and if there is any follow up to your question/situation.

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Anna
Settlement.Org Content and Information/Referral Specialist, CIRS
Settlement.Org