For applicants tracking how long their Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) stays valid relative to their medical exam:
- Know that COPR validity is directly tied to your medical exam date, not to a fixed period after issuance. Your COPR is generally valid for up to one year from the date your medical exam was passed — not one year from when the COPR itself was issued.
- Check the actual expiry date printed on your COPR document, or on your single-entry visa if you were issued one. This is the authoritative source, not a general rule of thumb.
- Understand that a COPR cannot be extended once issued. If it expires before you land in Canada, there is no renewal or extension process for that COPR.
- If your COPR expires and you have not yet landed, you must submit a new PR application from scratch. Getting a fresh medical exam alone does not revive an expired COPR.
Because the consequences of missing this deadline are severe (a full new application), track your COPR and medical expiry dates closely and plan your landing well before either expires.