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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).

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