A first-time traveller to Canada holding a COPR worried that a 3.5-hour Dubai layover might be a problem because the COPR listed Toronto as the destination. The thread's answers:
- Indirect flights are fine. Multiple members had landed for the first time on COPR via layovers (Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Paris) with no issues. The destination on the COPR does not obligate you to fly direct.
- Check transit visa rules for your layover country. For Dubai, members noted no transit visa is needed for layovers under 18 hours (for their situation); only certain countries require transit visas at all. Verify the rule for your passport and route before booking.
- Book the whole route on one airline/ticket. A member advised keeping the entire journey on the same airline — it protects your baggage transfer and rebooking if a leg is delayed.
- Have a real Canadian address ready. At landing, the officer asks for an address to mail your PR card. Give a friend's or relative's stable address — not a short-term Airbnb you'll have left before the card arrives.
- Grab your SIN at the airport if offered. One member suggested completing the SIN registration right after immigration at the airport — it saves a separate Service Canada trip.
Airline/baggage perks (e.g. two suitcases on certain carriers) vary by airline and time — check current policies.