COPR, Biometrics Fee, and Landing as Permanent Resident in Canada from Indonesia

The Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) is the document that confirms IRCC has approved your permanent residency application. For Indonesian applicants, receiving the COPR by email after months of waiting is a milestone moment — but there is still a sequence of steps between the COPR and actually becoming a permanent resident. This guide walks through what happens from COPR receipt through your landing day.

What Is the COPR?

The COPR is a letter-sized document issued by IRCC that contains:

• Your full name and date of birth
• Your IRCC client ID (UCI) number
• The date by which you must land in Canada
• Your family member information (if applicable)
• A unique document control number

The COPR is not a travel document and it is not a permanent resident card. It is an authorization to become a permanent resident — but that status only activates when you physically enter Canada as a permanent resident for the first time.

The COPR has an expiry date. Typically, it is valid for approximately 12 months from the date of issue. You must enter Canada before that date. If you miss the deadline, you will need to contact IRCC to request an extension, which is granted at IRCC's discretion.

Biometrics for Canadian Permanent Residence

As an Indonesian applicant, you are required to provide biometrics (fingerprints and photograph) as part of your permanent residence application. This is done at a VFS Global application support center.

The biometrics fee for Canadian immigration is CAD $85 per person (approximately IDR 1,000,000). If you are applying as a family, the fee is CAD $170 for two people, and CAD $85 for each additional family member, up to a maximum of CAD $255 per family.

You pay the biometrics fee online through the IRCC portal when you submit your PR application — not separately at VFS. After paying, IRCC sends you a Biometrics Collection Letter (formerly called a Biometrics Instruction Letter). You take this letter to VFS Global to have your biometrics enrolled.

In Indonesia, biometrics for Canadian immigration are collected at VFS Global locations in:

• Jakarta (Kuningan area)
• Surabaya (check current VFS Indonesia website for exact address)

Wait times for VFS appointments in Jakarta can range from a few days to several weeks depending on the season. Book as soon as you receive your Biometrics Collection Letter — do not wait.

Note: if you previously provided biometrics for a Canadian visa or travel document, they may still be valid. Biometrics collected for immigration purposes are valid for 10 years for adults. If your previous biometrics are still within the validity window, you may not need to re-enroll.

The Medical Exam Before the COPR

By the time you receive your COPR, your medical exam should already be complete. IRCC typically requests the medical exam after you submit your application (the e-APR). The exam must be performed by an IRCC-designated panel physician.

In Indonesia, IRCC-designated panel physicians are located primarily in Jakarta. The medical exam takes approximately half a day and covers a general physical examination, blood tests, chest X-ray, and a tuberculosis screening. Results are submitted electronically by the physician directly to IRCC — you do not receive a copy to submit yourself.

The cost for the medical exam in Jakarta is approximately IDR 3,000,000 per adult.

After the COPR: Booking Your Landing

Once you have your COPR, your biometrics submitted, and your PR visa (if applicable) stamped in your passport, you need to book travel to Canada.

For offshore Indonesian applicants, the PR visa is a physical stamp or sticker added to your passport by the Canadian Embassy or Consulate. This is separate from the COPR. You need both the valid visa stamp and the COPR to be admitted as a permanent resident at the Canadian border.

Some Indonesian applicants who already have a visitor visa or work permit for Canada can land using their existing travel authorization plus the COPR — check IRCC's instructions in your approval letter.

What to Do When You Land in Canada

Your first entry to Canada with your COPR is your "soft landing" — the moment you officially become a permanent resident.

At the Canadian port of entry (airport or land border), proceed to the primary inspection line. Tell the CBSA officer you are landing as a permanent resident. You will be directed to a secondary processing area where an officer will:

1. Verify your COPR and identity documents
2. Confirm your accompanying family members (if any)
3. Ask about goods you are bringing to Canada (you can bring household goods duty-free as a new immigrant — declare them, including the replacement value)
4. Issue your Record of Landing

Documents to bring for landing day:

• Valid passport (or travel document)
• COPR (both pages if double-sided)
• PR visa (if your entry type required a visa stamp)
• Birth certificates (original) for yourself and all family members
• Marriage certificate (original), if applicable
• Proof of Funds — you may be asked to show you still have sufficient settlement funds
• Any documents related to goods accompanying you or following later

Keep the COPR safe after landing — you will need it as a backup identification document while waiting for your physical Permanent Resident Card (PR Card), which is mailed to your Canadian address approximately 6–8 weeks after landing.

The Permanent Resident Card

The PR Card is the wallet-sized proof of your permanent resident status. It is not mailed to Indonesia — it is sent to your Canadian address. Before landing, you must have a confirmed mailing address in Canada where you will live, or an address of a trusted contact who can receive and forward the card.

If you are doing a "soft landing" — entering Canada briefly to activate PR status and then returning to Indonesia for a period — make sure you have a Canadian address to use. Many Indonesian PR holders land, stay for a few weeks to open a bank account and SIN (Social Insurance Number), and then return to Indonesia to wrap up their affairs before the permanent move.

The 5-Year Obligation

Permanent residents of Canada must physically be present in Canada for at least 730 days (2 years) out of every 5-year period to maintain PR status. This clock starts from the day you land.

If you plan to return to Indonesia for an extended period after landing, plan carefully. Days spent outside Canada as a full-time employee of a Canadian company count toward the 730 days. Days spent in Indonesia as an employee of an Indonesian company do not.

For Indonesian applicants who receive the COPR before they are ready to relocate permanently, a strategic soft landing — combined with a concrete relocation plan within the first year — is the most common approach.

The complete Indonesia → Canada Express Entry Guide covers the full post-ITA document checklist, the SKCK and Apostille requirements, paying IRCC fees from an Indonesian bank account (BCA/Mandiri international transaction settings), and a landing day checklist. Get the full guide at /from-indonesia/ca-express-entry/.

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