Port of Entry Letter for Canada: Everything You Must Know

Nationwide Visas
[Published 15 May, 2024 | 05:14 PM]
About Author - 6 min read
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Planning to enter Canada as an international student? Skilled worker? Parents and grandparents of PR holders or citizens of Canada?

You require a Port of Entry (POE) letter.

POE is a document allowing foreign nationals to immigrate to Canada temporarily. Officially, it is called a Port of Entry letter of introduction. But sometimes, it is also referred to as a correspondence letter, introduction letter, or an introductory letter.

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Who requires a Port of Entry letter for Canada?

The Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) issues a POE letter to those who have one of the following approved permits:

• A Study Permit
• A Work Permit
• A Super Visa

Temporary residents (TRs) who have applied for any of the three above-listed permits or visa types and gave their email in the application - will receive a Port of Entry letter. Further, those who are only visiting Canada and other TR applicants will not get this letter to enter Canada.

A POE letter is given to applicants through the official account of IRCC – after they verify their identity as the permit holder and send CBSA the data they need to issue the applicable permit to the individual.

If you do not have a POE letter when you arrive at the port of entry, you will not be issued the respective permit.

Note that a POE letter is not a study or work permit. They are issued separately.

Validity of POE letter

The validity of your POE letter is the same as the length of a temporary resident’s work permit, study permit, or super visa. This applies to those except those in the IEC (International Experience Canada) program.

Work permit holders can extend their visas once they arrive in Canada.

The exact time for which your POE letter is valid is mentioned under ‘permit validity.’ Their validity date shows the deadline before the letter recipient comes to Canada. 

If a TR fails to enter the country before the validity date on their letter, they must submit a new application to study, work in Canada or come on a super visa. IRCC cannot extend the validity date on a POE letter.

When to present the Port of Entry letter in Canada?

When you arrive at a port of entry in Canada, you – the temporary resident – with a POE letter must inform an immigration officer about your approved application and present one of the following:

• A printed copy of your POE letter
• An electronic version of your POE letter
• The visitor visa in your passport (if you have one)

POE letter for Canada: Lost, Delete or Damage

Use the IRCC’s webform to ask them to resend you the letter.

Please note that applicants who have applied for an online Port of Entry (POE) letter will typically receive their reissued letter through their IRCC account. Moreover, temporary residents who are unable to access or link to their original application in their IRCC account should inform IRCC about this when they contact the department through the web form.

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Types of Temporary Visas for Indians

Canada Work Visa

A Work Visa allows you to live and work in Canada for as long as your permit is valid. There are many types of work permits in Canada, depending on the immigration pathway you choose. Open Work Permit and Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP) are some of them.

Canada Study Visa

Students in India who wish to pursue higher education can apply for a Canada study visa if their study program is six months long. First, get a Letter of Acceptance (LOA) from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI) and show proof of funds. Convince the visa officer at the port of entry that you plan to leave Canada once your visa expires.

After graduation, you also have the option to apply for a work permit and work for 12 months. This work experience will help you apply for Canada PR.

Canada Visitor Visa

Depending on your situation, you can apply for a visitor visa. It allows you to stay for a limited period and before your visa expires, you must leave Canada. You can either apply for a Single-Entry visa, Multiple-Entry visa, Super Visa, or an Electronic Travel Authorization (eTA).

Need Help?

Connect with Nationwide Visas, one of the best immigration consultants in Mumbai, who will assess your case, offering the best possible solution to apply for a type of Canada visa.

Get a free consultation session and determine the best option to apply for your situation.

Call us@ +91 92 92 92 92 81 or email us at info@nationwidevisas.com

Read More: Immigration Pathways to Convert TR to PR