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How you actually receive your port of entry (POE) letter — and what to do if it hasn't arrived

Canada • Study Permit • study 0 views
By VisaBuddies Communityvia community — compiled from public visa forums

Documents Needed

  • Port of entry (POE) introduction letter

    Issued by IRCC on approval; presented at the border so the officer can print your permit.

Step-by-Step

An applicant asked how to obtain their correspondence letter, also known as the port of entry (POE) letter. What the thread clarified:

  1. You can't request it — IRCC sends it when your visa is approved. The direct answer: the POE letter is generated and sent to you (via your online account / the email on file) as part of the approval. There is no form or process to fetch it yourself before approval.

  2. Stamped passport but no POE letter? Contact the issuing office. Several members were in exactly this gap — passport returned with the visa counterfoil but no POE letter yet. The advice given: contact the IRCC office/VFS channel that stamped (put the counterfoil in) your passport and ask for the letter, since it's issued alongside the visa.

  3. Check your account and email first. The letter typically appears in the GCKey/IRCC account correspondence section or arrives by email; look there (including spam) before raising queries.

  4. Why it matters: the POE letter is what the border officer scans to print your actual study/work permit on landing — travel without it causes avoidable delays, so chase it before flying, via webform if the issuing office doesn't respond.

Dos, Don'ts & Tips

  • Tip: The POE letter is sent automatically on approval — check your IRCC account correspondence and email (incl. spam) rather than looking for a way to request it.
  • Do: If your passport is stamped but no POE letter arrived, contact the office that stamped it (or raise a webform) before you travel.

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