What happens after my sponsored family member lands in Canada?

When your sponsored family member is approved as a permanent resident, they will be issued a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) document. They must use this document to enter Canada as a permanent resident — typically at a port of entry such as an international airport in Ontario.

At the port of entry, a Canadian Border Services Agency officer will confirm their identity, review their documents, and formally grant them permanent resident status. They may also receive a temporary paper confirming their status while their Permanent Resident (PR) card is being produced. The PR card is issued and mailed afterward and typically takes several weeks to arrive.

As a permanent resident, your family member can live, work, and study anywhere in Canada. They have access to most social programs, subject to provincial residency requirements (for example, Ontario requires three months of residency before OHIP coverage begins). They are bound by the terms of your sponsorship undertaking, which means they cannot typically access social assistance without affecting your undertaking obligations. As the sponsor, you remain bound by the undertaking for the applicable period. Remind your family member to meet their own residency obligations to maintain their PR status.