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A Confirmation of Permanent Residence (IMM 5292 OR IMM 5688), which is often abbreviated COPR, is a document that new Permanent Residents receive from Immigration Refuges and Citizenship Canada either before they travel to Canada or when they land in Canada. It is proof of both your permanent resident status in Canada at the time of landing and the date you landed in Canada. COPR documents have been issued to new Permanent Residents since July 2002, when the IMM 1000 Record of Landing was discontinued.
What information is contained in my Confirmation of Permanent Residence?
The COPR you were issued when you came to Canada contains information that identifies it as a unique document, information related to your application, information about you and so forth.
The information below information is included on the IMM 5292 (the IMM 5688 documents may be slightly different):
The top your COPR contains your Client ID (UCI) – unique to you – and the document number unique to your COPR.
Tip: Having difficulty with the jargon? Click here for the definitions’ lookup.
Below the title of Confirmation of Permanent Residence, COPR documents list the following personal information:
- First Row:
- your surname
- your given name
- your “name flag” (the term IRCC uses for an alias you use that isn’t a legal name)
- Second Row:
- your date of birth (dd/mm/yyyy)
- your place of birth
- your country of birth
- Third Row:
- your gender at the time of landing
- your marital status at the time of landing
- your citizenship at the time of landing (if you have more than one, the citizenship of the passport you were using to land in Canada)
- Fourth Row:
- your passport number at the time of landing
- the validity of that passport
- the country of issue of any travel documents (often left blank)
- Fifth Row:
- your family status at the time of landing (a numeric immigration code)
- your height
- your eye colour.
- Line 14 is the large blank space right below all that information which contains your accompanying family members, if applicable. Below the list of family members, there is a line indicating whether or not you have any other dependants not with you.
- Line 15 contains the address where you first lived or stayed in Canada and, if applicable, the name of the person whose house it was.
- Lines 16, 17 and 18 are for government reference.
Below this area is a date and signature attesting the truthfulness of the above information. The date is the date you landed.
The lines below this are for official use, and include numerical codes and dates related to your Permanent Residence application.
Below that is information about your arrival:
- Line 39 is for any remarks the CBSA officer made
- Line 41 is your flight number (if applicable)
- Line 42 indicates the amount of money in your possession
- Line 43 indicates whether or not your PR status has any conditions imposed on it
- Line 45 is the date you became a PR
- Line 46 is the place you landed
- 47 is the signature of the immigration officer
COPR documents should be stamped NOT VALID FOR TRAVEL as they are not usable as a travel document.
Why Does IRCC Issue Confirmation of Permanent Residence Documents?
COPR documents are issued so that you have proof of your PR status and your date of landing. They record your entry into Canada.
If you are outside of Canada, people are often by issued COPR documents before they travel to Canada, and these will be checked and completed by the officer at the port of entry.
If you are already in Canada, the COPR may be sent to you, so you can “land.”
If neither option applies to you, you will receive it at the port of entry.
Why Do I Need My Confirmation of Permanent Residence Once I land in Canada?
It’s important to keep your Confirmation of Permanent Residence document in a safe place. You’ll need it to apply for Canadian Citizenship, if you’re interested in becoming a citizen. However, if you do not have a PR Card, or do not renew it, you will also need your COPR to prove your permanent residence status in Canada. You’ll also need it to collect your Old Age Security, in order to prove your date of landing in Canada. Learn more.
What is the Difference Between COPR and Permanent Resident?
A COPR records your arrival in Canada as a permanent resident. COPR documents are proof of your landing in Canada with information about you as shown above and the date you landed. A permanent resident, on the other hand, is someone with legal status who can live, work, and study in Canada but who does not have all the rights of a citizen (for example: the ability to vote or hold a Canadian passport). So a COPR gives important information about who you are and when you landed in Canada.
How do I Get a Copy of My COPR?
You can no longer get a copy of a COPR or a copy of a Record of Landing documents. What you instead have to do is apply for what is called a Verification of Status (VOS) that gives the same information contained in your COPR.
Can I Replace My Confirmation of Permanent Residence?
You can no longer replace your COPR, but you can get a Verification of Status which will serve the same function. Learn more.
How Long does it take Immigration Officials to Send Me My PR Card After Receiving My Confirmation of Permanent Residence?
If you have just landed in Canada, then the first thing you should is send your mailing address (or home address if it’s the same as your mailing address) to immigration authorities. You will then be sent a PR Card when they receive your mailing address, usually within a few weeks. See our next FAQ just below on validating COPR documents. However, if you don’t send them your mailing address within 180 days of landing in Canada, you will have to apply for one which will take just over 3 months.
If you have informed immigration authorities of your mailing address when you arrive in Canada but for some reason you don’t get your PR Card within 180 days, then you’ll have to apply for one.
How do I Validate my Confirmation of Permanent Residence?
As of April, 2022, all in-person landing appointments are suspended until further notice. However, you can now confirm your permanent residency online at the Permanent Residence Portal. You’ll receive an email ending in @cic.gc.ca and with the following subject matter: “IRCC – Permanent Residence Portal (PR Confirmation) / Portail de résidence permanente (Confirmation de la RP“. You then respond by declaring you are in Canada; confirming your mailing address; and submitting a recent photo you upload and which will be used for your PR Card.
This is a separate portal from your IRCC Secure Account. An account at the Permanent Residence Portal will be created for you and you’ll be sent another email with your temporary account details. Your uploaded photo will be reviewed and once it is approved, you’ll be sent a PR Card within a couple of weeks.
