Replacing your Immigration Document

Do you urgently need to verify a document you used to immigrate to Canada, perhaps in order to apply for your Canada Pension and Old Age Supplement payments? Does your Record of Landing, for example, or your Study Permit, need to have an error corrected? And what do you do if you came to Canada decades ago and are not even sure where that Record of Landing is? In other words, what to do when your Record of Landing has been lost? Or your husband threw it away one spring cleaning many years ago? Or your visitor visa, or work permit, or study permit is lost or stolen?

So, why is your Record of Landing (IMM 1000) and/or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence so important?

The most common reason people need their Record of Landing document is to give it to Service Canada to apply for pensions and Old Age Security (OAS). You must demonstrate that you worked in Canada for a minimum of 10 years in order to qualify for the Old Age Pension. This is why people born outside Canada need to provide a VOS (or their IMM 1000 or COPR) with their pension application.

The Record of Landing is also a supporting document needed for a PR card renewal or Grant of Canadian Citizenship application. If you do not have a PR card, you must have a copy of your COPR (or Record of Landing or a VOS) to apply for Canadian citizenship. Also, if you are applying for a PR card, the COPR (Record of Landing) is the only secondary ID document you can use for an applicant who is under 16 years old because they’re too young have a driver’s license, university ID, or Notice of Assessment tax documents.

As well, if you are returning to Canada from abroad through a land border crossing with the United States in a private vehicle, you can also present your COPR or Record of Landing to prove your permanent resident status in Canada if you do not have your PR card. This means you don’t have to go to the Canadian embassy to get a travel document just to return to Canada.

As you can see, a Record of Landing is an essential document. It’s the key document that proves you came to Canada as a permanent resident. Unfortunately, Records of Landing and/or COPRs are often lost or unintentionally destroyed.

And that’s why you need to verify the information in your Record of Landing with a Verification of Status or VOS. As well, sometimes you need to urgently amend or replace other immigration documents. Let’s see how in our following two tutorials.

Need help? Something more simple? Click here and we can get this document for you

What application forms should I use to replace or amend immigration documents?

There are two main applications we’ll deal with in two tutorials:

I: When you want to correct an error, use the following application:

Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in Confirmation of Permanent Residence – IMM 1436
It is free (aside from mailing/courier costs).

II: When you want to replace a lost, stolen, or destroyed Immigration document, use the following application:

Verification of Status (VOS) or Replacement of an Immigration Document – IMM 5009
There is a non-refundable CAD$ 30 Fee per document.

Doesn’t a Verification of Status (VOS) replace my lost documents?

Not exactly. You need to understand the difference between requesting a Verification of Status (VOS) and either:

requesting a replacement for a lost, destroyed, or stolen immigration document, OR
Correcting/amending an immigration document with errors.

A Verification of Status (or VOS) document is used to provide proof of information from your historical immigration records with IRCC and therefore proof of your legal status in Canada. In other words, for things like pensions or provincial health cards, a VOS document is used when you need to prove to the government that you are a permanent resident or a Canadian citizen.

However, a VOS document only provides information about other documents that are held by IRCC in your immigration file. A VOS document is a plain paper document, and it does not replace the original documents, but it does serve the purpose of proving your eligibility for a program or benefit.

TIP: You often have to specify what information you need when you apply to amend your Record of Landing to ensure it is included in your VOS document.

TIP: Most healthcare officials in Canada (remember the provincial/territorial governments run their healthcare plans) will accept a photocopy of a Record of Landing if you ask politely.

TIP: Always make digital copies (photos) of your documents like a Record of Landing and save it to your PC’s hard drive. It will save you lots of time and trouble when you need the document at some point in the future.

Unfortunately, some of you will forget to follow these tips and that’s why you’ll need to apply for a VOS. Of course, correcting errors is another matter.

Summing up, a Verification of Status Document:

Does NOT directly replace your lost or stolen or erroneous document but it does provide information or correct information that comes from that document,
Is NOT an identity document,
Is NOT a Travel document

So, for example, if you’re a permanent resident abroad who has lost their PR card and urgently needs a travel document to return to Canada, do NOT apply for a VOS document. Instead, go here and apply for the IMM 5529 package – Applying for a Travel Document (permanent residents abroad).

On the other hand, there are several immigration documents listed in point 3 just below that can be amended under certain conditions. As well there is a similar list of immigration documents in Part II further below that can be replaced under certain conditions if they are lost, destroyed, or stolen. Both sets of documents are mostly temporary resident documents like work, study, or visitor visas.

If you need help and/or don’t have time to follow all the steps below in our tutorial, here’s a way to save time:

Before we get into the step-by-step details, at the end of our tutorial, we’ve laid out a simplified process using IMMIgroup. Scroll down to just past Part II to see how to use IMMIgroup to replace your Record of Landing/COPR.

I want to correct mistakes on an immigration document. What do I do?

I Amending/Correcting Immigration Documents (IMM 1436)

A request to amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information in a Confirmation of Permanent Residence is for correcting personal information that was recorded incorrectly by immigration officials at the time the document was created.

Who can apply for this?

You have to be either a permanent resident or citizen of Canada.

What can you correct with this application?

You can correct form IMM 1000 – Record of Landing or your COPR but you cannot amend the actual document. Bear with us because this is important as we explain this in detail:

IMM 1000 / COPR is a historical record of your personal information at the time you arrived or landed in Canada as a permanent resident.
As a result, the only errors or changes that can be amended are those that occurred when immigration recorded your information when you first arrived in Canada as a permanent resident. If the error was due to faulty documentation from your country of birth, IRCC policy is that they will not amend your information on IRCC’s system of record (it’s computer-based data records).
IMM 1000 / COPR is NOT an identity document and therefore cannot itself be amended.
What happens instead is IRCC’s system of record (its computer-based data records) will be changed to correct the mistake that was made when your information was first recorded. In other words, your personal information on IRCC’s servers will be corrected but your Record of Landing/COPR will not be modified.
This is why even if you have amended your system of record, you should also request a VOS document to use as proof of eligibility for things like pensions or health cards.
For any changes to your personal information that have occurred after you first applied to come to Canada you must instead apply to the Registrar General of the province or territory in which you live in order to request a correction/amendment.

You can correct Temporary Resident documents with a clerical error made by IRCC when recording the information at the time the document was prepared.
- The key document here is the Passport you used when you entered Canada and obtained your Temporary Resident document (study permit, work permit, visitor visa etc.).
- The information in your so-called Entry Passport has to match the information in your study, work, or visitor visa. If it doesn’t you can request an amendment. If it does, you CANNOT request an amendment.
- If your personal information in your passport changes at a later date, you have to apply for a NEW study, work, or visitor visa. You cannot request an amendment.
- To repeat an important point: If the amendment you are requesting does NOT match the information on your Entry Passport, IRCC will NOT make that correction.

You can only correct clerical errors made by immigration officials during the initial application process when you first received your immigration document. As well, only the following types of valid (have not yet expired) immigration documents can be amended/corrected:

Visitor Record – IMM 1442
Work Permit – IMM 1442
Study Permit – IMM 1442
Permit to Come into or Remain in Canada – IMM 1263
Temporary Resident Permit – IMM 1442

Isn’t a Visitor Record the same as a Record of Landing?

NO, a Visitor Record is NOT the same as a Record of Landing.

A Visitor Record is used to limit or extend a visitor visa and sometimes to place conditions on someone’s visit to Canada. A Record of Landing documents your arrival in Canada as a new Permanent Resident. As well, you can only request a VOS for a Record of Landing while you can amend a Visitor Record.

So please remember that it’s the Record of Landing you are more likely interested in as it is a crucial document to obtain government benefits if you arrived in Canada as a permanent resident. Let’s talk a little bit more about a Record of Landing. As the table below shows, its appearance has changed dramatically over the years.

Record of Landing through the years
*When*	*Appearance*	*What happens*
Up through the late 1970s	Small slip of paper stapled in passport.	Easily lost
Starting in 1980s	Legal-size Brown Paper Document	Bulky but easy to find
Last decade	Electronic document emailed to you	Save & print a copy

Do you need your Record of Landing to apply for your pension/OAS?

Yes, absolutely. As we mentioned above, most people looking for a VOS for their Record of Landing are doing so to apply for a pension and Old Age Supplement (OAS) payments. So, in these cases that small slip of paper stapled to your Entry Passport is what you need, seeing you likely immigrated to Canada in the 70s or earlier. And those types of Record of Landing are often lost.

Additionally, there are also lots of cases from those earlier years where mistakes were made when the Record of Landing was created. Perhaps immigration procedures weren’t quite as rigorous as today and officials didn’t quite have the wealth of experience of dealing with large numbers of migrants from all over the world, as is the case today. This raises the question of what kind of errors can be amended/corrected in your Record of Landing.

Amending your Record of Landing through a VOS even when it wasn’t IRCC officials who made the error

As we mentioned above, IRCC official policy clearly states that only clerical errors made by immigration officials in recording the information will be amended on IRCC’s system of record. But is this necessarily true?

However, whether or not the amendment is issued depends heavily on the discretion of the officer reviewing the application. Many people who did have erroneous information on their passport, for example, have had their application for an amendment approved, contrary to what IRCC officially says.

As we point out in our blog Amend your Record of Landing even if there was a mistake on your passport, you can and should apply to amend a mistake that was a result of the document you provided when your Record of Landing was created.

How can you amend your Record of Landing even if your documents contained the mistake? Here are some tips:

Submit as much supporting documentation as possible. IRCC requires that you submit documents to support your application such as a copy of the passport you used at the time of your landing (your Entry Passport) and ID documents issued before you came to Canada. The chances that your application will be approved are much higher the more documentation you submit. If you don’t have these documents, IRCC won’t have much information to work with to allow them to see why your document should be corrected. So, if the original passport is missing, submit copies of all the other passports you have had since.
Submit certified translations. IRCC requires that all documents that are not in French or English be accompanied by a certified translation. This includes birth certificates, hospital records, and ID documents. Do not submit translations that you or a family member has done as this will reflect poorly on your application, or they could not be accepted at all.
Submit a complete application. All applicants have to include a copy of a current photo ID and a copy of their Record of Landing containing the mistake. Make sure to include these documents. If your original Record of Landing is missing, apply for a replacement before you apply for the amendment. If you don’t have a photo ID, go get one. Incomplete applications are much less likely to be approved, and CIC may return the application to you without processing it until you can provide the information. We’ll go through the steps and what to obtain in How to Apply just below.

In our blog – Amend your Record of Landing even if there was a mistake in your Passport – we suggest filing a complete and carefully put-together application with as much supporting documentation from your original home country as possible to prove that the information in your Record of Landing is incorrect.

Remember, the supporting documentation has to come from the government or from some sort of official authority and must include a translated copy by a certified translator or accompanied by an affidavit otherwise. It also must include a notarized copy of the original document.
The supporting documentation must directly show that information in your Record of Landing is incorrect. In other words, it must be directly relevant to what you are requesting an amendment for.

So, what kinds of errors tend to be made on older Record of Landings? And how can that error affect your application for a benefit like a pension, for example?

Errors on Date of Birth. One digit can make all the difference. If, for example, your true date of birth is February 12, 1950, and your birth date was incorrectly recorded as February 12, 1960, that means that 10 years of eligibility for an Old Age Supplement could be negated, meaning you have to wait until you’re 75 rather than 65 to start receiving your OAS payments. That’s nearly $100,000 in lost benefits because of a 6 being written instead of a 5.
Some countries – for example Iran and elsewhere in the Middle East – have had situations where birth dates are rounded off to the nearest year in the case of rural births where record keeping was not very accurate, or so slow that by the time a birth certificate was made the exact date had been lost. Even one year can make a difference, for example in being able to get a driver’s license or certain types of work. And nowadays that can also mean thousands of dollars in lost OAS and pension benefits.
Names misspelt – This especially involves names that are translated into the Western alphabet but that are from non-Western cultures with distinct alphabets and writing systems. China, and Arabic-speaking countries are examples of this while South Asian countries like India, Pakistan and Bangladesh tend to have a tradition of using English for many (but not all) official documents given their history within the Commonwealth.

So, presenting supporting documents to show the document used to create your Record of Landing had incorrect information (for example, a birth certificate with an incorrect birth date or a misspelt name when translated to English as we just mentioned) often means having to get those documents from abroad from your original home country. As we mention in our FAQs below, you can contact us at IMMIgroup for help in obtaining documents from overseas.

Step by Step Application to amend an immigration document – IMM 1436

Step 1 – IMM Forms & Supporting documents you’ll need:

IMM 1436 – Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence. See below for help in filling out this form and make sure to sign and date the form.
Photocopy of a federal or provincial/territorial photo ID. If you don’t have one, then use a government-issued photo ID from abroad or an internationally recognized photo ID. This could include the following:
- Provincial/Territorial Driver’s License
- Photo health card
- Entry Passport or Travel Document used to enter Canada – make sure it includes your passport number; date of issue and expiry date; your photo; your name, date, and place of birth
- If you no longer have your Entry Passport, use your current passport, but this will result in delays.
Photocopy of a government-issued ID from abroad that contains the information that was incorrectly entered in the Canadian immigration document you are applying to amend. Please note it must have been issued before your arrival in Canada. This could include:
- Marriage Certificate
- School records
- ID Cards
- Other government-issued documents
- Birth Certificate
- Alternate official documents (when birth certificates not issued in that country) like a baptismal certificate or family composition form
If you obtained a legal name change or a legal change of birth date before entering Canada as a permanent resident, then you need to submit a photocopy of a legal document that shows these changes.
The immigration document to be amended must be included – this means either:
- Your original work permit, study permit, visitor record, or permit to enter and remain in Canada OR
- A copy of your Record of Landing or COPR
- Depending on which of these you wish to amend.
If the application is on behalf of a deceased person, you will also need a copy of the death certificate or provincial/territorial vital statistics document.
- Tip: Only the executor or administrator of the deceased person’s estate can request a death certificate if the person died less than 20 years ago.

Download application IMM 1436 here (this will help you follow along).

In question 1, if you don’t know or don’t have a Unique Client Identifier/Client Identification Number (UCI) then leave it blank. If you haven’t had contact with IRCC since before 1973, you won’t have a UCI.

In question 2, write your surname exactly as it appears on your document.

For questions 10, 11, and 12 write your passport number, date of issue, and expiry date. Indicate if this is for the Passport you used to enter Canada (On entry) or for your current passport (Current).

For question 13, indicate your marriage status when you first entered Canada by ticking the appropriate box.

In the remainder of part A, remember to write the date for questions 20 (date of original entry) and question 21 (date permanent residence or temporary residence was granted) in the following format: Year/Month/Date as follows: YYYY/MM/DD for example: 1980/06/20 (June 20, 1980).

Part B is where you indicate what information needs to be corrected.

In question 1, indicate which document needs to be amended. If you have more than one Temporary Resident document, then indicate the ID number or the Issue and Expiry dates of the document you wish to amend/correct. Please make sure to do this as it will avoid confusion and delays.

For questions 2 through 11 write the information in each field (box) as it should appear on your document. In other words, write the corrected information.

Part C – Criminal Conviction/Offense in Canada or Elsewhere

Why wait months to get this document? Get it quickly with Immigroup

If you are a temporary resident, leave question 1 from Part C blank. Give details on what you want information you want amended in the box for question 2.

Sign and date form IMM 1436 after carefully reviewing it to make sure all the information is accurate and no fields have been unintentionally left blank.

Step 3 – Use of Representatives & Release of Personal Information forms

IMM 5476 – Use of a Representative. If you are appointing a paid representative go here to see our tutorial on how to fill in IMM 5476.

IMM 5475 – go here to see how to fill in this form authorizing IRCC to release personal information.

Step 4 – Mailing your application

Scroll down to see the addresses we give at the end of Part II near the end of our tutorial. It’s the same address regardless of whether you’re mailing an IMM 1436 package or an IMM 5009 package, except for documents issued 76 or more years ago. See below for more details.

Please note that if you want to send it by courier or registered mail use the second address. As well, include your address in the upper right-hand corner and don’t forget to affix sufficient postage.

TIP: If you need a proof-of-delivery receipt send the package by Priority Post, Express Post, or registered mail.

Urgent applications – IMM 1436

Write URGENT in capital letters and preferably using a dark pen or marker that is easily visible. The following reasons are accepted for urgent processing of IMM 1436:

You will be fired or won’t be hired unless you have this immigration document.
You won’t be able to receive urgent government services from the federal, provincial or municipal government. This includes the following: health services; obtained a Social Insurance Number to avoid being fired or to get hired; serious delays by the government due to an administrative error made in an application.
If requesting urgent processing be sure to include the following:
- Photocopies of any letters you received from federal, provincial, or municipal government departments that prove your urgent need, OR
- An original letter (NOT a photocopy) from your employer that states your urgent situation and the reasons why, OR
- A letter of explanation from you detailing your urgent situation, especially when your reason for urgency is an administrative error by the government, OR
- Any other documents that might support your request for urgent processing.

Step by Step Application to replace an immigration document – IMM 5009

Now it’s time for Part II where you apply to replace documents rather than correct them.

Here if an immigration document is lost, destroyed, or stolen you once again have the option of requesting a VOS or replacing the actual document. However, only a few documents listed further below can actually be replaced. For the rest, you’ll have to settle for a Verification of Status document.

Step 1 – For which immigration documents can you apply for a VOS request?

A VOS document can be issued based on the information from the following types of immigration documents when you are replacing an immigration document because of loss or theft:

IMM 0056 – Certificate of Departure}
IMM 1000 – Immigrant Visa and Record of Landing
IMM 5292/5688 – Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR)
IMM 1097 or IMM 1442 – Visitor Record
IMM 1102 or IMM 1442 – Work Permit
IMM 1208 or IMM 1442 – Study Permit
IMM 1214 – Exclusion Order
IMM 1215 – Deportation Order
IMM 5238 – Departure Order
IMM 1263 – Permit to Come Into or Remain in Canada
IMM 1203 – Authorization to Return to Canada

So, a VOS does NOT replace these documents. It only provides information from these documents. And once again PLEASE NOTE: You should specify any information you need from the above listed documents when you apply for a Verification of Status to ensure that information appears in your VOS document.

Step 2 – Replacing lost, destroyed, or stolen documents

Only the following documents can be replaced if lost, destroyed, or stolen:

Visitor Record
Work Permit
Study Permit
Temporary Resident Permit

To do so, you need to have filed a police report when it was lost or stolen, and you need to provide the report number of that police report.

As mentioned in Part I, a Visitor Record is NOT a Record of Landing. They are different documents:

A Visitor Record is used to extend or limit your visitor visa.
A Record of Landing records the date and personal information about you when you first arrived in Canada as a permanent resident. This is the document you’ll often need to verify your legal status in order to apply for a pension or a health card, for example.

Replacing older documents

Please note that if your document was issued 76 or more years ago, you need to contact the Canadian Genealogy Centre Library and Archives Canada in order to request a VOS document. If it was issued 75 or less years ago, continue with this tutorial to see how to submit an IMM 5009.

Step 3 – IMM forms and Supporting Documents you’ll need

First, let’s what documents and forms you need to submit when applying to amend/correct your immigration document:

IMM 5009 – Verification of Status (VOS) or Replacement of an Immigration Document. We’ll go through how to fill out this form just below our list of supporting documents. Always remember to date and sign the form.
Photocopy of a federal or provincial/territorial photo ID. If you don’t have one, then use a government-issued photo ID from abroad or an internationally recognized photo ID. This could include the following:
- Provincial/Territorial Driver’s License
- Photo health card
- Entry Passport or Travel Document used to enter Canada – make sure it includes your passport number; date of issue and expiry date; your photo; your name, date, and place of birth
- If you no longer have your Entry Passport, use your current passport, but this will result in delays.
Photocopy of a federal or provincial/territorial government-issued ID with or without a photo. If you don’t have one, then send a photocopy of a government-issued or an internationally recognized ID from outside Canada, dated before your entry to Canada. This could include the following:
- Your birth certificate, or
- Your marriage certificate, if applicable.
- If your country does not issue birth certificates, then include a family composition form or baptismal certificate, including the names and date of birth of your parents.
If the application is on behalf of a deceased person, you will also need a copy of the death certificate or provincial/territorial vital statistics document.
- Tip: Only the executor or administrator of the deceased person’s estate can request a death certificate if the person died less than 20 years ago.

Step 4 – Filling out Form IMM 5009

Remember to be sure you’re using the correct form. IMM 5009 is for VOS requests or replacing certain immigration documents, while IMM 1436 is for correcting clerical errors on some immigration documents.

So, with that in mind, let’s see how to fill out form IMM 5009

Part A is essentially the same as form IMM 1436, so make sure you’re filling out the right form.

In question 1, if you don’t know your UCI (Unique Client Identifier or Client ID) or if your document was produced before 1973, then leave this field blank.

The rest of the questions are just about identical to form IMM 1436 so see our explanation above if you have any questions regarding Part A.

Now let’s look at Part B where you specify what document you want replaced or you need a VOS if it can’t be replaced:

Question 1 in Part B asks you whether you’re making a VOS request or a replacement of document request. Remember to be sure your document is on the list of those you can replace (see above) if you’re asking IRCC to replace your document. Otherwise, you have to choose VOS.

Question 2 asks you to list when (date) and question 3 asks you to list where (Port of Entry) you first arrived in Canada. Remember to write the dates as Year (YYYY) then Month (MM) then Day (DD) – for example 1992/10/15 which is October 15, 1992. Getting this simple format wrong will cause needless delays. Always review and check all your dates before submitting any form.

Question 4 is key since it is where you indicate for which document you want replaced or a VOS. If you have more than one valid (not yet expired) temporary resident document – for example a study permit and a visitor visa in the case where you’re taking a short course less than 6 months but have applied for a study permit due to COVID requirements – then you must list the ID number or issue and expiry dates of the document you want to replace or request a VOS for.

Question 6 asks you if your previously applied for a Verification of Status.

Question 7 asks if you have been convicted of a crime/offence in Canada or elsewhere since arriving as a permanent resident. If you are a Canadian citizen this question does not apply.

Remember to list any and all names you have used in question 9 and to indicate your status when you first entered Canada in question 10.

Now let’s look at Part C

Only fill out Part C if you entered Canada as a permanent resident prior to 1973.

Essentially, it asks information about who accompanied you (if anyone) when you entered, as well as some information about your parents. Question 5 additionally asks if at the time you entered Canada you or your parents had been part of any military.

Finally, date and sign the form.

Step 5 – Use of Representatives & Release of Personal Information

IMM 5476 – Use of a Representative. If you are appointing a paid representative go here to see our tutorial on how to fill in IMM 5476.

IMM 5475 – go here to see how to fill in this form authorizing IRCC to release personal information.

Step 6 – Paying your Fees

As mentioned at the beginning of this tutorial, while amending an error is free, when replacing a document, there is a $30 non-refundable processing fee per document. So, for example, if you are requesting a replacement for a study and a work permit, your fee is $60. However, there are some exemptions to this fee.

If you are receiving Social Welfare Benefits, you should provide a letter from the ministry in your province indicating this as proof and you will be exempt from having to pay the fee.
If you are a Protected Person, there is no fee for a VOS for a document that indicates you have protected person status. For a VOS or replacement of any other immigration document, Protected Persons must pay the processing fee.

How to pay your fees

As with any other payment of processing fees, go here to this government page and follow the instructions to pay online. You will need the following:

A valid email address
Access to a printer
A Credit Card or Canadian Debit Card

Scroll down to the bottom of the page until you see the following:

Out of the two options we suggest Option 1. Here’s how. Click on the blue Answer questions to get fees button and you’ll see this next:

Choose Apply for something else from the menu of choices. Click on the blue Continue button to take you here:

Choose the Verifying my immigration status or replacing an immigration document option and then click the blue Continue button to go here:

IMPORTANT: Please remember you need to have an account with IRCC before clicking the blue Login and Pay button. For help on this topic, see our tutorial for paying Sponsorship Fees which includes instructions on how to create an account with IRCC.

Step 7 – Mailing your application – IMM 5009

After making sure you have all your completed forms – dated and signed – as well as your supporting documents, mail the package to one of the two following addresses:

Make sure to include your name, address, and postal code in the upper right-hand corner.

However, if your document was issued 76 or more years ago, then mail your application to the following address:

Canadian Genealogy Centre Library and Archives Canada

Library and Archives Canada

395 Wellington St.

Ottawa ON, K1A 0N4

Urgent Applications – IMM 5009

Write URGENT in clear, easy-to-read bold letters on the envelope if you wish to request urgent processing. You can request urgent processing if one of the following situations applies to you:

Service Canada has sent you a letter stating that your application for a pension will be terminated if you do not provide your Record of Landing or COPR. You must include a copy of that letter in your application.
Urgent need for a Travel Document to visit ill family members or due a death in the family. Include proof of death or of illness in your application. Include a copy of your expired travel document as well as a checklist of what documents you need to apply for that travel document.
You will lose your job or won’t be hired without the document.

As we promised above, here’s how you can use IMMIgroup to simplify your application process.

Step by Step guide to replacing your Record of Landing/COPR with Immigroup’s help

Download our application kit
Fill out application
Make copies of the following documents
- Copy of passport used at the time of landing
  If you do not have this passport, send a copy of your current valid passport. If you don’t have this move on to the next thing on this list
- Copy of driver’s license – front and back
- Copy of Canadian Citizenship Card or Certificate (if applicable)
- Copy of marriage certificate – If you have been married since landing in Canada you must provide a copy of your marriage certificate

Tip: If you are missing documents (ex. passport), then make copies of any and all documents you may still have – this includes expired documents. Continue with this process and email or fax everything in for a review. Your Immigroup representative will contact you to solve this problem. For more information on lack of documents please click here.

Proof of Urgency (Regular processing can skip this step): You can request your application be classified as ‘urgent’ but the government has the right to accept or deny your request. Here are reasons for why an application would be classified as ‘urgent’:
1. Job or finances related (example: avoid losing your job) – click here for example
2. Education related (example: need it for student loan) – click here for example
3. Death, illness, or medical reasons – click here for example
4. Old age pension – click here for example

When sending in your application, please write your reason for urgency and your representative will help you make your request clear and coherent.
Note: If your request for urgency is refused, Immigroup will only charge you for regular processing.

(Optional) Scan and email or fax your documents in for a quick review. EMAIL [email protected] or FAX 416-640-2650
Mail your completed kit to:
1. Canada Post mailing: Immigroup P.O. BOX 27060 Masonville PO, London, Ontario, N5X 3WO*
2. Other courier services: Immigroup 57 Westchester Drive, London, Ontario, N5G 2K6*
  *Your representative may give you a different address to send your application to
After Immigroup gets your completed kit, we will review it and complete your application and file it with the government. If we need addition documentation, we will contact you.
You will get a confirmation email once your application has been sent.
You can request a status update on the progress of your application 3-weeks after filling for urgent application and 5-months after filling regular applications.
Receive your document.

FAQs & TROUBLE SHOOTING – GENERAL QUESTIONS

I lost or damaged my Record of Landing/COPR; can I get a replacement?

As we explain above in our tutorial, you cannot get a replacement Record of Landing, but you can apply for a Verification of Status, which shows the same information and can be used in almost the same way.

How can I get a replacement Record of Landing?

Almost any person who has entered Canada can apply for a Verification of Status document. If you landed in Canada as a permanent resident, you can get a VOS to replace your Record of Landing IMM1000 document. Any of the following people can apply to replace their status document in Canada:

Current or former permanent residents of Canada
Canadian citizens born outside Canada who eventually entered Canada to live
Current or former temporary workers in Canada (work permit holders – IMM 1102 or IMM 1442)
Current or former temporary students in Canada (study permit holders- IMM 1208 or IMM 1442)
Current or former visitors to Canada (visitor visa holders IMM 1097 or IMM 1442).

You can apply to replace your IMM1000 from within Canada, or from any other country in the world, even if you no longer live in Canada. IMPORTANT: Previously, applications made from outside Canada needed to be sent to the nearest Canadian consulate. However, now all applications should be made to the IRCC Operations Support Centre in Ottawa (check the Mailing your application sections in our tutorials on IMM 1436 and IMM 5009 above).

Why do you need your Record of Landing/COPR?

The most common reason people need their Record of Landing document is to send it to Service Canada to get your Old Age Pension. You must demonstrate that you worked in Canada for a minimum of 10 years in order to apply for the Old Age Pension. This is why people born abroad who came to Canada as permanent residents need to provide a VOS (or their IMM 1000 or COPR) with their Old Age Pension application.

The Record of Landing is also a supporting document needed for a PR card renewal or Grant of Canadian Citizenship application. If you do not have a PR card, you must have a copy of your COPR (or Record of Landing or a VOS) to apply for Canadian citizenship. Also, if you are applying for a PR card, the COPR (Record of Landing) is the only secondary ID document you can use for an applicant who is under 16 years old because they will not have a driver’s license, university ID, or any Notice of Assessment (NOA) tax documents.

If you are returning to Canada from abroad through the land border crossing in the United States in a private vehicle, you can also present your COPR or Record of Landing to prove your permanent resident status in Canada if you do not have your PR card. This means you don’t have to go to the Canadian embassy to get a travel document in order to return to Canada. However, if you’re flying back to Canada, you will need a travel document.

FAQs & TROUBLE SHOOTING – VOS APPLICATIONS

What documents do you need to get your Verification of Status document?

To apply for a VOS document containing the information from your IMM1000/COPR, you need copies of the following supporting documents:

Copy of one federal OR provincial/territorial photo ID. For example:
- Driver’s License, OR
- Health Card, OR
- ID Page of your Entry Passport (passport you used at the time of landing in Canada)
- ID Page of your Current Passport (if you no longer have your Entry Passport)
AND a Copy of one federal OR provincial/territorial ID without photo if no photo ID available. For example:
- Marriage Certificate, (if applicable) OR
- Birth Certificate, OR
- Baptismal Certificate, OR
- Family Composition Form
AND a Copy of Death Certificate but only if applying for a VOS on behalf of a deceased person.

The following documents can also help but are not currently listed at IRCC’s website as required supporting documents:

Copy of your Canadian citizenship certificate (if applicable) OR
Copy of your PR card (if applicable).

Please note that you only need one piece of ID from each category and only if applicable in the case of a death certificate.

If you are missing some of these documents, IRCC will usually still process your application. However, the reason the documents are missing needs to be explained to IRCC. Remember you only need one document from each category in the list above. You can also substitute other documents which are not on the list for your application to be processed.

What information can be amended on my Verification of Status document?

This is the information you can typically correct:

Family name
Given name(s)
Date of birth
Place of birth
Country of birth
Citizenship
Sex
Marital status
Date or original entry
Date of landing.

Please note: As we mentioned in our tutorials above, only errors made by immigration officials will be corrected. If the information was recorded incorrectly because the same error was listed on your ID documents when you landed in Canada, IRCC policy states that no amendment will be issued. However, immigration officials seem to have discretion to amend errors not made by IRCC officials. We deal with that right below.

The following information cannot be amended:

Legal name changes
Changes of name due to marriage / divorce.

Can my Record of Landing/COPR be amended even if there is an error on my passport?

You can apply to amend your Record of Landing to correct any inaccurate information such as your date of birth, name, or country of birth.

IRCC’s official stance, as we just mentioned, is that you may not amend a Record of Landing if the mistake was present on the documents you used to enter Canada. For example, if you want to fix your date of birth, but the incorrect date of birth was printed on the passport you used to enter Canada when you landed, IRCC says they will not issue the amendment. In other words, IRCC will only correct the document if a mistake was made by immigration when producing the document, but not if the mistake was contained within your passport.

However, whether the amendment is issued or not depends heavily on the discretion of the officer reviewing the application. Many people who did have erroneous information on their passport have had their application for an amendment approved, contrary to what IRCC officially says.

How can you amend your Record of Landing even if your documents contained the mistake? Here are some tips:

Submit as many supporting documents as possible. IRCC requires that you submit documents to support your application such as a copy of the passport you used at the time of your landing and ID documents issued before you came to Canada. The chances that your application will be approved are much higher the more documentation you submit. If you don’t have these documents, IRCC does not have much information to work with to allow them to see why your document should be corrected. So for example, if the original passport is missing, submit copies of all the other passports you have had since.
Submit certified translations. IRCC requires that all documents that are not in French or English be accompanied by a certified translation. This includes birth certificates, hospital records, and ID documents. Do not submit translations that you or a family member has done as this will reflect poorly on your application and it may not be accepted at all as a result.
Submit a complete application. All applicants must include a copy of a current photo ID and a copy of their Record of Landing containing the mistake. Make sure to include these documents. If your original Record of Landing is missing, apply for a replacement before you apply for the amendment. If you don’t have a photo ID, go get one. Incomplete applications are much less likely to be approved, and IRCC may return the application to you without processing it, until you can provide the information.

The information that is on your Record of Landing is your official information in Canada. This means that if your true date of birth is November 1, 1950, but your Record of Landing says that your date of birth is November 1, 1960, the Canadian government will recognize your date of birth as November 1, 1960. This could cause you to lose out on valuable benefits such as your pension.

You owe it to yourself to make sure that your information on file with the government is accurate.

How can I get urgent processing for my verification of status?

If one of the following reasons applies:

You are applying for your pension and Service Canada needs this document
You need to travel because of death or illness
Loss of employment or loss of income
You need this document for school
Other – a valid reason not listed above.

Whether your request for urgent processing is accepted or denied is completely up to the agent/department that reviews your file. To increase your odds, please have documents that support the reason behind your request of urgency. See our sections on Urgent Processing in the tutorials above for more information.

Here’s an example of supporting documents you need for a request for urgent processing:

If you are in danger of losing your job or government benefits because the information on your Record of Landing is not correct, you may request that the amendment of your Record of Landing application be processed urgently. However, in order to request urgency when filing, you must provide written proof from a government agency or your employer, which states that without a copy of your Record of Landing with correct information you will lose your benefits or employment.

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