VisabuddiesVB
ExploreGuidesQuestionsHow it works
Sign inStart selling
GuidesCanadaPermanent Resident

Soft landing in Toronto: what you actually need at the border and how the PR card follows

Canada • Permanent Resident • immigration 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Timeline

Applied
Feb 2020 (AOR)
Decision
September 10, 2022 (COPR)

Documents Needed

  • COPR

    One of only two documents needed at immigration for first landing.

  • Passport (with PR visa counterfoil)

    The other required document; stamping from a third country took about a month in this case.

Step-by-Step

A new PR completed a short 'soft landing' in Toronto and shared the practical details, filled in by members' questions.

What the landing involved:
  1. Only two documents were needed at immigration: COPR and passport. The process at Toronto Pearson was smooth.

  2. Give your Canadian mailing address at landing. The officer records it and the PR card is mailed there — the member was told delivery takes up to three months. You don't get the card at the airport.

  3. Get your SIN immediately. The member walked into a Service Canada centre the next day and got the SIN on the spot — worth doing even on a soft landing, since it enables future work and banking.

  4. A soft landing can be days long. The member landed, got the SIN, and flew back out within the week — the PR is activated by the landing itself.

  5. Passport stamping from a third country works. Having moved from India to Poland mid-application, the member submitted the passport for stamping from Poland; it took about a month to come back — a useful data point if you relocate while the application is in process.


Note: this file spanned the pandemic backlog (AOR Feb 2020 → COPR Sept 2022); that overall duration is historical, not typical.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: Bring COPR and passport — that's all immigration needed for a first landing.
  • Do: Provide a reliable Canadian mailing address at landing; the PR card arrives there within ~3 months.
  • Do: Get your SIN from Service Canada right after landing, even on a soft landing.
  • Tip: If you relocate mid-application, passport stamping from your new country of residence is possible (~1 month here).

Have a question about this? Join the discussion.

View Thread

Related Guides

work

Changing employers during a PR application on a closed work permit — can you work for the new employer while LMIA is pending?

immigration

Traveling Back to Canada on COPR Without a PR Card During a Family Emergency

immigration

Police Clearance Certificate older than 6 months: is it still valid?

immigration

How to submit Proof of Funds (POF) bank statements if your bank only provides separate monthly statements

immigration

Submitted an expired medical via webform for PR, but IRCC still requested a new one? Do the new medical