Spousal Sponsorship Approved: What Happens Next? COPR, Landing and PR Card (2026)
Updated: Oct 26
The short answer: After approval, IRCC says it issues a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR). If your partner is outside Canada, they must show the COPR, and a permanent resident visa if one is issued, to a border officer before the documents expire. If your partner is already in Canada, IRCC says it sends instructions to confirm permanent residence online through the Permanent Residence Portal. The PR card is then mailed if IRCC has a Canadian address and photo.
What is a COPR?
According to IRCC, a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) shows that a permanent residence application was approved. It has your personal details and photo. You use it to finish the last steps to become a permanent resident.
IRCC says it stays valid as proof of status until you get your PR card. Keep it even after the card arrives. You may need it later to update your card or support other applications.
What should you check on the COPR?
Check it as soon as you receive it.
Make sure your name, date of birth and other details match your passport.
Look at the "Valid to" date. IRCC says you must enter Canada on or before it if you are outside Canada.
Check the permanent resident visa expiry date too, if you received a visa.
If there is an error, follow IRCC's instructions to request an amendment (see guide IMM 5218). Do not travel with errors you have not raised.
How does landing work if you are outside Canada?
IRCC's "After you apply" page says the family member must show the COPR and visa (if issued) to a Canadian border services officer at a port of entry before they expire. The officer decides whether they can enter as a permanent resident.
The officer checks your documents, then signs and dates your COPR with your entry date. IRCC says to bring the COPR and, where it applies, the visa. IRCC also says the details on your COPR should match your passport.
IRCC does not extend a COPR, so plan to arrive before the date on it.
How does it work if you applied from inside Canada?
IRCC says that for family members already in Canada, it sends instructions to confirm permanent residence status online through the Permanent Residence Portal. An interview may be required in some cases.
Our post on inland vs outland sponsorship compares the two routes. While you wait, see status while waiting.
What about flagpoling?
Flagpoling means leaving Canada briefly, usually to the U.S., and re-entering to ask for a service at the border. In December 2024, the CBSA announced that work permits and study permits could no longer be issued to flagpolers, with limited exceptions.
That CBSA notice does not mention permanent residence, so it does not say how it applies to a PR landing. For an inland application, follow the instructions IRCC sends you. Do not leave and re-enter Canada to land unless IRCC or a licensed professional confirms it for your case.
IRCC also warns, in its guide, that if an in-Canada spouse leaves during processing, there is no guarantee they will be allowed to re-enter. Plan any trip carefully.
When do you get your PR card?
IRCC says it mails your first PR card automatically if you give a Canadian mailing address and a photo within 180 days of becoming a permanent resident. You can give your Canadian address to the border officer when you land. If you don't, you can send it online within 180 days of becoming a permanent resident. If you miss the 180 days, you must apply for the card through the Permanent Residence Portal and pay the fee.
A new permanent resident generally needs a PR card or a permanent resident travel document to return to Canada by commercial carrier (airline). Check IRCC for the current rules.
What if the COPR expires before you land?
IRCC does not extend a COPR, so plan to arrive before the date on it. An expired COPR cannot be used to land. Contact IRCC through the Help Centre immediately. You may be asked for updated medicals, police certificates or family information, and a new COPR is not guaranteed.
What if we separate after landing?
Canada used to have a two-year "conditional" permanent residence rule for some sponsored spouses. IRCC repealed it effective April 18, 2017. Because conditional PR was repealed on April 18, 2017, a permanent resident no longer faces loss of status for failing to live with the sponsor for two years.
Other rules still apply:
For sponsors outside Quebec, the undertaking for a spouse or partner is 3 years from the day the person becomes a permanent resident. Sponsors in Quebec have a separate undertaking with Quebec.
IRCC's bulletin says marriage fraud investigations can still continue, and a misrepresentation report may still be issued.
All permanent residents must meet the residency obligation. Under section 28 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, this is at least 730 days in each five-year period, with certain exceptions.
Who does this affect?
Couples whose sponsorship was approved and who await landing instructions.
Partners abroad planning travel to Canada.
Partners in Canada waiting to confirm status online.
Couples worried about separation or about a COPR expiry date.
What should you do?
Check your COPR against your passport right away.
Write down the COPR and visa expiry dates and plan travel well before them.
Follow the exact IRCC instructions for your route (port of entry or online).
Give IRCC a Canadian address and a photo that meets its specifications.
Keep your COPR safe, even after the PR card arrives.
Get advice before you leave and re-enter Canada, or if a date is close.
Frequently asked questions
How long is a COPR valid?
The validity is printed on the COPR as a "Valid to" date. IRCC says you must enter Canada on or before that date if you are outside Canada.
Can I extend an expired COPR?
IRCC does not extend a COPR, so plan to arrive before the date on it. An expired COPR cannot be used to land. Contact IRCC through the Help Centre immediately, because a new COPR is not guaranteed.
Do I need a PR card to work?
IRCC says the COPR stays valid as proof of status until you receive the PR card. Check what proof an employer or service needs.
Can I lose my status if we separate?
The two-year conditional rule was repealed in 2017. But misrepresentation findings and the residency obligation can still affect status, so get advice if you have concerns.
Key takeaways
A COPR is your proof of approval. Check it against your passport.
IRCC does not extend a COPR, so plan to arrive before the date on it.
Inland applicants confirm status online through the Permanent Residence Portal, per IRCC.
The PR card comes by mail if IRCC has your address and photo.
Conditional PR was repealed in 2017, but the 3-year undertaking and the residency rules still apply.
The bottom line
Approval is a big step, but landing has rules and dates. Check your documents, follow IRCC's instructions for your route and plan early. When a date is close or something is unclear, get advice.
Need help with landing after a spousal sponsorship approval? E-Pathway Immigration, led by Domonic Cheung, RCIC in Vancouver, can review your situation. Book a case review.
More spousal sponsorship guides: Spousal and common-law sponsorship in Vancouver · Spousal sponsorship guide hub
Last reviewed: October 2026
Sources: IRCC, Confirmation of Permanent Residence document (modified 2026-04-09), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/permanent-residents/status/copr.html; IRCC, After you apply (modified 2026-07-28), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/immigrate-canada/family-sponsorship/spouse-partner-children/track-update-application.html; IRCC, Get, renew or replace a permanent resident card (modified 2026-08-04), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/permanent-residents/card/apply.html; IRCC, Complete Guide IMM 5289 (modified 2026-04-23), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/application/application-forms-guides/guide-5289-sponsor-your-spouse-common-law-partner-conjugal-partner-dependent-child-complete-guide.html; CBSA, Ending flagpoling for work and study permits at the border (December 23, 2024), https://www.canada.ca/en/border-services-agency/news/2024/12/ending-flagpoling-for-work-and-study-permits-at-the-border.html; IRCC, Operational Bulletin 640 (April 28, 2017), https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/bulletins-2017/640-april-28-2017.html; Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, section 28 (current to 2026-09-30), https://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/acts/i-2.5/section-28.html. Page dates are as shown on each page.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or immigration advice. Consult a licensed RCIC or immigration lawyer for your specific situation.
About the author
Domonic Cheung is a Regulated Canadian Immigration Consultant (RCIC), licence R711344, with E-Pathway Immigration in Vancouver, BC. You can verify his licence on the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants (CICC) public register.
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