Operational Bulletin 545 (Modified) – December 30, 2013 

Objective

This Operational Bulletin instructs officers of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) and the Canada Border Services Agency on how to process a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) document properly. 

Background

According to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, Permanent Resident (PR) applicants receive a CoPR document (IMM 5688E or IMM 5292B). The CoPR document certifies that at the time of issuance, the foreign national named in the document was:

• Admissible and,
• Met the selection criteria and complied with the requirements of the Act and Regulations

Some applicants might have a PR visa and a CoPR from a Canadian visa office outside Canada. They would need to present their document to a Border Services Officer (BSO) upon arrival in Canada.

Similarly, applicants already having legal status in Canada (i.e. a PR visa counterfoil) would need to present this document for processing at:

• A port of entry (POE) or,
• An inland CIC office

POE / Inland Processing

This process commences when a foreign national with a CoPR seeks to obtain permanent resident status. The applicant presents the CoPR at an inland CIC office or at a port of entry. The BSO at Immigration Secondary or the inland CIC officer compares details mentioned on the CoPR with the applicant’s travel document or passport. The details checked include:

• The Bio data
• The Travel Document number
• The applicant’s height and,
• The applicant’s eye colour

The last two details are necessary for the production of the PR card. 

The Procedure for Making Corrections

Officers must correct the IMM 5688E or the IMM 5292B in case of clerical errors. They need to bring these documents into agreement with the bio data given in the passport or any other travel document. They will make the correction on all copies of the CoPR by:

• Placing an asterisk beside the error and,
• Annotating the correction in the remarks section

Any corrections made must also reflect in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS) and/or the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Officers hold the final responsibility for:

• Ensuring data integrity and legibility of the CoPR
• Reprinting the replacement document from FOSS or GCMS in case of significant changes

The Procedure for Making Corrections to the Document Number in FOSS

In certain cases, the document number (also known as the T number) on the printed CoPR could differ from the T number listed on FOSS. Therefore, officers would need to confirm the T number by checking GCMS. If they find the valid T number on FOSS, they will make the correction by:

• Placing an asterisk beside the incorrect document number and,
• Annotating the correct T number in the remarks section

This action would prevent errors from occurring while:

• Processing the PR card and,
• Using the CoPR as a proof of status document

In case FOSS displays an invalid T number or the CoPR document does not show up in FOSS, the officers should:

• Defer the examination (according to A23) and
• Refer the client to an inland CIC office for completing the landing

By end-2014, the GCMS would decommission and replace FOSS. This would nullify future occurrences of these kinds of cases.

The Guidelines Prescribed for Photographs

Officers must verify that the CoPR has an affixed photograph. In the IMM 5688E, this would be on the CIC Copy. In the IMM 5292B, this would be on Copy 1. This photograph must bear a clear resemblance to the photograph on the passport or travel document. The photograph must also meet the prescribed specifications. Otherwise, the applicant would need to submit another photograph.

For retakes of photographs, the applicant must attach the new photograph to a separate Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455B). This is because removing the photograph from the CoPR could damage the form.

Applicants must attach the photo using a standardised photo patch. This is useful if they are using the fillable and downloadable version of the IMM 5455B. To order photo patches, applicants could use the IMM 1389 (Requisition for Non-controlled Immigration Forms. They need to select the item CIC 0108B – Photo Patch. Thereafter, they would need to enter the number of packages needed. 

The Guidelines Prescribed for Updating an Address

Officers must confirm with the client that addresses listed on the CoPR are correct. If not, the officers should cross out the incorrect address. Then, they must update the new address in FOSS and/or GCMS. The Permanent Resident Card Centre (PRCC) uses the information found in FOSS to generate a PR card. Hence, officers must update the address on all systems used. 

Some clients might not have a permanent address. Therefore, officers must inform these clients to send their permanent address whenever it becomes available. Clients doing so within 180 days would receive their PR card. Officers using FOSS must:

• List “Address to follow” in the street space and,
• Leave the postcode field vacant or blank 

Clients could update their address in Canada by:

• Contacting the call centre
• Using the online Address Notification tool on the CIC website
• Completing the form titled Address Notification – Permanent Resident Card (IMM 5456B) and transmitting it to the fax number shown

Some clients might provide a third party address (e.g. the address of a friend, relative, paid representative etc.). This is because they do not have a permanent address in Canada. Using this address would thus, enable these clients to receive their PR card. However, some cases could provide clear indications that the client’s stay in Canada is for a short span only. Therefore, officers must check to see whether the client provided a third party address to forward the PR card outside Canada. 

In these situations, officers must flag these cases with a Non-Computer Based Entry (NCB) 22. This flag indicates that the client resides outside Canada. Officers must brief clients planning to leave Canada before receiving their PR card. They need to inform clients about the requirements under A31(3) for travel documents issued at a visa office abroad.

The Guidelines Prescribed for Completing Fields on the IMM 5688E and the IMM 5292B

Officers would need to complete the following fields on the IMM 5688E and the IMM 5292B using a black pen.

• Last Entry at: The location where permanent resident status was granted (for CoPRs originating from overseas visa offices)
• Last Entry Date / Original Entry Date: The date when permanent resident status was granted (for CoPRs originating from overseas visa offices)
• Became PR at: The location where permanent resident status was granted (either a POE or an inland CIC office)
• Became PR on: The date when permanent resident status was granted
• Conditions: The client’s initials along with any imposed conditions
• Have you ever been charged/convicted of a crime or offence; refused admission to Canada or required to leave Canada?: The client’s initials alongside a ‘Yes/No’ answer (This would be NA for minors)
• Dependent(s) Information: The client’s initials alongside a ‘Yes/No’ answer. Only add the dependent’s information if the client has included their names in the application and if the officers have examined the dependents.
• Signatures: The client and the officer granting permanent resident status will sign and date all copies of the CoPR (parents will sign for children under 14 years of age)

The Guidelines Prescribed for Counselling New Permanent Residents

Officers must counsel all new permanent residents about:

• The residency obligation
• The PR status conditions imposed and:
• How to comply with them and,
• Apply for their removal
• The procedures for obtaining:
• A PR card
• Provincial health coverage and,
• A social insurance number
• Settlement Assistance (if applicable)

The Guidelines Prescribed for Distributing the CoPR

Officers must distribute the CoPR appropriately after granting permanent resident status to clients.

• For CoPRs printed on the IMM 5688E, officers will give:
• The client copy to clients
• The CIC copy to the PR Card Centre at the Case Processing Centre in Sydney (PRCC-Sydney), NS
• For CoPRs printed on the IMM 5292B, officers will send:
• Copy 1 with affixed photograph to the PRCCC-Sydney for scanning and production of the PR Card
• Copy 2 to the National Headquarters (NHQ), Document Management for microfilming
• Copy 3 to the client

The Guidelines Prescribed for Processing CoPRs in GCMS

Inland CIC officers processing CoPRs in GCMS must change the status of the CoPR to ‘Confirmed’. This would ensure that the information downloads to FOSS and updates it. Officers must avoid implementing this step before the client appears for the landing appointment as it would:

• Transfer the information to FOSS before the client receives PR status
• Not download the information to the National Case Management System as the system does not record the disposition for landing dates in the future (or in advance)

Source: CIC