After submitting a CEC application and receiving your payment confirmation and Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR), it's completely normal to be issued only a temporary application number starting with 'CAN' rather than a permanent 10-digit UCI (Unique Client Identifier) right away.
What to expect:
- This is not a sign of a problem with your application. It's a standard part of the process timeline.
- The temporary CAN-prefixed number is replaced by your permanent 10-digit UCI once your biometrics and medical exam are processed — typically within about 2–4 weeks after AOR, though this can vary.
- You generally can't create an online tracker account with only the temporary number — you'll need to wait until the permanent UCI is issued to fully set up online tracking.
During this window, there's no action required on your part beyond making sure your biometrics and medical exam appointments happen promptly, since those are what trigger the UCI assignment.