Prepare for arrival – Refugees resettling to Canada

When you arrive in Canada, you will be met by an officer from the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The CBSA secures the borders and points of entry to Canada.

You must have a valid travel document (for example, a passport or a travel document issued by the Government of Canada) and a Canadian permanent resident visa with you.

The officer will ask to see your passport from your home country, if you have one, and other travel documents. Make sure they are not packed in your luggage and you have them with you. This will help speed up your entry into Canada.

The officer will check that your permanent resident visa has not expired. The expiry date is shown on the visa. You cannot use it after it expires. Permanent resident visas cannot be extended, so make sure you use it within the time limit.

The officer will provide you with your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR), unless you fall under the Urgent Protection Program (UPP). You must sign your COPR.

The officer will ask you a few questions. The questions will be similar to the ones you answered on your Application for Permanent Residence in Canada. The officer will confirm that you are eligible to enter Canada.

You may not be allowed to enter Canada if you give false or incomplete information at the point of entry, or if you do not satisfy the officer that you are eligible to enter Canada.

If there are no problems at the point of entry, the officer will authorize you to enter Canada as a permanent resident. Your permanent resident card will be sent to your new address in Canada by regular mail. You should verify that the Canadian address on your COPR card is correct because your permanent resident card will be sent to that address. If you plan to change your address in the future, or if you do not have a permanent address yet, be sure to provide the correct address to Citizenship and Immigration Canada as soon as you can.

If you arrive in Canada with more than C$10,000, you must tell the CBSA officer. If you do not tell the officer, you could be fined or put in prison. These funds could be in the form of:

• cash;
• securities that belong to you (for example, stocks, bonds, debentures or treasury bills); or
• transferable papers that belong to you (for example, bankers’ drafts, cheques, traveller’s cheques, or money orders).

You can find customs and border information on the CBSA website.

After you have been admitted to Canada, you will be met at the airport by someone from a settlement agency or sponsorship group. They will bring you to the place where you will stay for the first few days, and they will also help you to find a permanent place to live.

Find out how you can get help from within Canada.