What Is a Port of Entry Letter and Other Frequently Asked Questions – ASKMigration: Canadian Lifestyle Magazine

A port of entry letter or POE is a document that is issued to certain foreign nationals who enter Canada temporarily as residents. POE letters will be issued by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, (IRCC), to foreign nationals that enter Canada with one of the three temporary resident visas. These are the super visa, work visa and student visa. According to the IRCC only temporary residents who submit their applications online and include their email addresses in the application will receive a letter of port entry. Other temporary resident applicants and visitors to Canada don’t need to get a POE letter to enter the country.

POE letters are typically issued through your IRCC online account. The letters allow you to enter Canada legally by confirming your identification and authorizing entry. The POE letters provide all the information needed by the Canada Border Services Agency to issue the appropriate permits. If you do not have the port of entry letter you will not be able to receive a permit upon arrival in Canada. Nonetheless, a POE letter isn’t a study, work, or super visa. The letter can also be called a POE letter of initiation, introductory letter, correspondence letter or an introduction letter.

How long does a POE letter remain valid?

A POE letter will usually be valid for the period specified in your work permit or study permit. However, there’s an exception for temporary residents participating in the International Experience Canada (IEC) program. POE letters issued by the IEC program to participants are usually valid 12 months. If you must undergo a medical examination, the letter is valid for 12 months. The sooner of the two dates applies. Check the date on your POE letter to determine if it is valid. ‘Permit Validity’This is the section of the letter. This is located in ‘For Officer Use’Under the ‘Must Enter Canada by (YYYY/MM/DD)’ section.

The validity date is your deadline to arrive in Canada. If you don’t enter Canada before the indicated validity date, you will require a new application for your student, work, or super visa. The POE letter confirms that the IRCC initially approved your application to work or study in Canada. It’s impossible to extend the validity date indicated on the POE letter cannot, so you must arrive in Canada before the due date. Upon receiving the POE letter, you are allowed to enter Canada and extend your standard work permits.