Guide 5218: Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence 

Table of contents

• Overview
• Before you apply
• Step 1. Gather documents
• Step 2. Complete the application
• Step 3. Mail the application
• What happens next?
• Need help?

This is not a legal document. For legal information, refer to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act and regulations or the Citizenship Act and regulations, as applicable.

This publication is available in alternative formats upon request.

Before you apply

This application is for permanent residents or Canadian citizens who wish to correct errors made by Canadian immigration officials when recording certain personal information on the record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence.

It is also for temporary residents who wish to correct errors made by Canadian immigration officials when recording certain personal information on valid temporary resident documents.

Permanent resident documents

Your record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence is an historical document which contains information about you when you obtained the status of permanent resident in Canada.

IRCC will not amend the record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence even if it is a result of a clerical error.  If an administrative or clerical error is made by IRCC, the amendment will be made in IRCC’s system of record and the client will be issued a verification of status (VoS) document free of charge.

What information may be corrected?

Information contained on your record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence will be amended only to correct errors made by Canadian immigration officials in recording the information you provided when you applied to come to Canada.

What information will not be corrected?

Your record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence is not an identity document. Therefore, it will not be amended to correct personal information that changed after the date permanent residence was granted.

Requests for these types of changes should go to the Registrar General of the province or territory in which you live.

Any amendments to names must conform to the Department’s policy which stipulates that the name indicated on the bar code of your passport when you entered Canada will be used for your immigration file and documents. If the name on your record of landing or confirmation of permanent residence matches the passport you used to enter Canada, your immigration records will not be amended.

Temporary resident documents

We will correct valid temporary resident documents if Canadian immigration officials have made an error in recording the information. If the name on your valid temporary resident document matches the passport you used for entry to Canada, your immigration records will not be amended.

Your valid temporary resident documents are meant to demonstrate to employers, schools, or other authorities that you are authorized to work, study, visit, or remain in Canada. The information contained in these documents should be the same as the information contained in your entry passport.

Changes made to personal information after you entered Canada will not be amended on your temporary resident document. The information on this document should match your passport. If the information on your passport changes, you should apply for a new document.

If your amendment request is different from the information contained on the passport and to which your temporary resident document is attached, your information will not be corrected.

What documents may be corrected?

The following documents may be amended only if they are valid (have not expired):

• visitor record (IMM 1442)
• work permit (IMM 1442)
• study permit (IMM 1442)
• permit to come into or remain in Canada (IMM 1263)
• temporary resident permit (IMM 1442)

Corrections to work permits

It is important that your work permit reflects exactly the name of your employer, your occupation and your working location (city) in Canada. If this information is incorrect during an inspection, it could result in the loss of your ability to work in Canada, and your employer could be fined.

If a typographical or editorial error has been made by Canadian immigration officials in the “Employer”, “Occupation”, “Employer Location” or “Fee Status” fields of your work permit, it will be corrected as per the above. The information in the work permit must match the original Labour Market Impact Assessment or Labour Market Impact Assessment-Exempt application submitted by your employer when you first applied.

Major changes to your employment situation, including switching employers, moving cities or changing positions (including promotions or demotions) require that you apply for a new work permit. For more information see Guide 5553 - Applying to Change Conditions or Extend Your Stay in Canada - Worker.

On or off campus work authorization on a study permit

You can amend a valid study permit if one of the following conditions or remarks does not appear on the document:

• May accept employment on the campus of the institution at which registered in full-time studies
• May work 20 hrs off-campus or full-time during regular breaks if meeting criteria outlined in section 186(v) of IRPR
• May accept employment on or off campus if meeting eligibility criteria as per R186(f), (v) or (w). Must cease working if no longer meeting these criteria

To amend your valid study permit to reflect one of the conditions or remarks listed above, submit a photocopy of your original letter of acceptance or a photocopy of your original letter of enrolment from your current designated learning institution.

Note: If the following remark is printed on your study permit: This permit does not permit the holder to engage in off campus employment in Canada, and you have become eligible to work on or off campus without a work permit (e.g., you have transferred to an eligible program of study), you must apply to change the conditions of your study permit and pay the applicable fee.

Urgent applications

In certain circumstances, you may qualify for urgent processing. If you meet one of the criteria outlined below, you must clearly mark “URGENT” on your mailing envelope. You must include proof as to why urgent processing is required. If you do not meet the criteria below or do not provide sufficient proof, your application will be placed in the regular processing queue.

The criteria for urgent processing are as follows:

• You face immediate loss of employment, or an employment opportunity, because you are not in possession of proof of your immigration information. Include an original letter from the employer indicating this requirement.
• You are unable to receive urgent services from other government departments at the federal, provincial, or municipal level as a result of the error that was made on your document. Urgent services may include medically urgent health services, obtaining a Social Insurance Number (SIN) if failing to obtain one will cause immediate loss of employment or an employment opportunity, etc.

  You must provide proof of your situation, including:

  • photocopies of any letters or other documentation from other federal, provincial or municipal government departments, or
  • an original letter from your employer, or
  • a letter explaining your situation, or
  • any other documents you may have to support your request for urgent processing.
• Your application was seriously delayed due to an administrative error on the part of Canadian immigration officials. Include a letter explaining the situation, and any supporting document you may have.

Note: Requests relating to inclusion of references to on and off campus work authorization on a study permit do not qualify for urgent processing.

Communication from IRCC

The application form provides an opportunity to give us your email address. If you provide your email address, you are authorizing us to use your email address to communicate with you. This includes the transmission of personal information on your file or case and all correspondence regarding your Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence [IMM 1436] (PDF, 0.33 MB). If you have not indicated an email address, all correspondence will go to the mailing address you provided on your application form.

Step 1. Gather documents

Use the Document Checklist [IMM 1436] (PDF, 0.33 MB) to assist in gathering the documents you need to support your application and include it in your application. Failure to include the required documents will result in your application being returned to you without processing. Do not submit originals unless specifically requested, as these will not be returned to you.

You must include:

1. Original Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence [IMM 1436] (PDF, 0.33 MB) completed and signed.

2. A photocopy of one piece of federal or provincial /territorial government issued photo identification or if unavailable, a photocopy of government issued or internationally recognized photo identification before your entry to Canada. This could include:

   • your driver’s license
   • your photo health card (if applicable)
   • your entry passport or travel document used to enter Canada. Include only copies of the passport or travel document pages showing:
     • Passport number
     • Date of issue and expiry
     • Photo, name, date, and place of birth

   Note: If you no longer have your entry passport, include a copy of the pages listed above from your current passport. Since the information contained on your original passport simplifies the retrieval of your records, this may result in delays in the processing of your application. Please ensure that you have included your name at the time of entry to Canada on your application form, even if you do not have your original passport.

3. Photocopy of one piece of government issued or internationally recognized identification from outside Canada before your entry to Canada indicating that an error was made in recording your information. This could include:

   • your marriage certificate, if applicable,
   • your school records, identity cards, or other government-issued documents from outside Canada prior to your entry to Canada,
   • your birth certificate.

   Note: If the country in which you were born does or did not issue birth certificates, include an alternate official document providing the date, place of birth and names of your parents. This may include a baptismal certificate, family composition form, etc.

   Note: Baptismal certificates, birth certificates and marriage certificates issued by the government of Québec before January 1, 1994, are no longer accepted for issuing replacement documents and certified true copies. If you have one of these certificates you must obtain a new document. This can be done by contacting the office of the Registrar of Civil Status of Québec at one of the following numbers: Québec 418-643-3900, Montréal 514-864-3900, elsewhere in the province 1-800-567-3900. Information can also be obtained by visiting their website.

4. A photocopy of any legal documents showing name, gender or date of birth changes. This is only necessary if you have obtained a legal name, or date of birth change before becoming a permanent resident or entering Canada.

5. Immigration document to be amended; either:

   1. Your original valid Work Permit, Study Permit, Visitor Record, or Permit to Enter and Remain in Canada (IMM 1442 or IMM 1263) if you are applying for an amendment to these documents.
   2. A photocopy of your record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence if you are applying for an amendment to one of these documents.

6. If you qualify for urgent processing, include proof of urgency (see section on Urgent Applications)

7. Photocopy of the death certificate or provincial/territorial vital statistics document if the application is submitted on behalf of a deceased person.

Step 2. Complete the application

Filling out the application

Follow the step-by-step instructions below to complete the application forms.

The following are the forms that must be filled out and submitted:

• Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence [IMM 1436] (PDF, 0.33 MB)
• Use of a Representative [IMM 5476] (PDF, 1.49 MB), if applicable.

Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence 

Complete Parts A, B, and C of the Request to Amend Valid Temporary Resident Documents or Information Contained in the Confirmation of Permanent Residence [IMM 1436] (PDF, 0.33 MB).

Part A – personal details contained on your valid temporary resident documents or confirmation of permanent residence

Question 1

Indicate your client identification number (client ID) or unique client identifier (UCI), if known.

Otherwise, leave it blank. If you have not dealt with IRCC since 1973, you will not have a UCI or a client ID – leave this field blank.

Question 2

Indicate your surname(s) (family name) as it currently appears on your document.

Question 3

Indicate your given name(s) as it currently appears on your document.

Question 4

Indicate all other surname(s) (family names) you have ever used, including different spellings and explain what they are. For example: ‘Smith’ (birth name/maiden name), ‘Leroux’ (former married name).

Question 5

Print all other given name(s) you have ever used, including different spellings and explain what they are. For example: ‘Maggie’ (nickname),

Question 6

Check the box to indicate your gender (F-Female, M-Male or X-Another gender) as it appears on your immigration document that you are seeking to amend.

Question 7

Indicate your date of birth in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day)

Question 8

Indicate your place of birth including the city, state or province, and country.

Question 9

Indicate your current citizenship. To be a citizen of a country means that you were either born in that country (in most cases) or you were granted citizenship in that country. If you have dual citizenship, select the country that issued the passport or travel document that you used to enter Canada.

Question 10

Indicate the passport number of the document you used upon entry to Canada.

If you do not have a copy of this passport, indicate your current passport number.

Check the box to indicate if this passport number was the one used at the time of entry or if it is your current passport number.

If you did not have a passport upon entry, provide your travel document number.

Question 11

Indicate the date of issue of the passport you used in box 10 in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).

Question 12

Indicate the expiry date of the passport you used in box 10 in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).

Question 13

Marital Status on your first entry to Canada (check the box that applies to you):

• Never married
• Married: This means that you and your spouse have had a ceremony that legally binds you to each other. Your marriage must be legally recognized in the country were it was performed and in Canada (if you are married, check yes or no to indicate if your spouse is a Canadian citizen or permanent resident).
• Widowed: This means that your spouse has died and you have not re-married or entered into a common-law relationship.
• Separated: this means that you are married but officially no longer living with your spouse.
• Divorced: This means that you are officially separated and have legally ended your marriage.
• Common-law partner: this means that you have lived with your partner in a common-law relationship for a minimum of one year.

Question 14

Indicate the language of correspondence (English or French) you wish to use.

Question 15

Indicate your current mailing address, including:

• Post Office (P.O.) Box number
• Apartment or unit number
• Street number
• Street name
• City or town
• Country
• Province/state
• Postal code
• District

If the country in which you reside does not use any of these values, please ensure a complete address for the country in which you reside is included.

If you are requesting an amendment to a valid temporary resident document, a Canadian mailing address must be provided.

Question 16

Indicate your current residential address (where you live) if it is different from your mailing address, including:

• Apartment or unit number
• Street number
• Street name
• City or town
• Country
• Province/state
• Postal code
• District

If the country in which you live does not use any of these values, please ensure a complete address for the country in which you reside is included.

Question 17

Check the box to indicate whether your telephone number is from Canada or the US or any other country.

Indicate your telephone number including your area and country code, if applicable.

Question 18

Check the box to indicate whether your alternate telephone (cell, mobile, business) number is from Canada, the United States (US) or another country.

Indicate your alternate phone number including the area and country code, if applicable

Question 19

Indicate your e-mail address using this format (if applicable): name@provider.net

Note: By indicating your e-mail address, you are hereby authorizing transmission of correspondence including file and personal information to be sent to you via e-mail to the address provided.

Ensure your e-mail address will be valid for the entire processing period.

Question 20

Indicate the date you originally entered Canada in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day)

Question 21

Indicate the date permanent residence or temporary residence was granted to you in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day)

Part B – information to be amended

Question 1

Check the appropriate box to indicate what type of document needs a correction.

Note: If you are requesting an amendment to a temporary resident document, the document must still be valid (not expired). If you have more than one valid temporary resident document and you are requesting a correction, please indicate the document number or if unknown, the document issue date and document expiry date of the requested document.

Question 2

Indicate your surname(s) (family name) as it should appear on your immigration document. If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 3

Indicate your given name(s) as it should appear on your immigration document. If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 4

Indicate your date of birth as it should appear on your immigration document in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 5

Indicate your place of birth (city, state/province) as it should appear on your immigration document.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 6

Indicate your country of birth as it should appear on your immigration document.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 7

Indicate which country or countries you are a citizen of as it should appear on your immigration document.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 8

Indicate your gender (F-Female, M-Male or X-Another gender) as it should appear on your immigration document.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 9

Indicate your marital status as it should appear on your immigration document. Your record will only be amended if your marriage status was recorded incorrectly at the time of entry to Canada and you can provide proof. If your marital status has changed after you entered Canada, it will not be amended.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 10

Indicate the date of original entry to Canada as it should appear on your immigration document in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 11

Indicate the date permanent residence was granted (if you are a permanent resident), as it should appear on your immigration document. If you are a temporary resident, indicate the date that should appear on your document in the following format: YYYY-MM-DD (Year-Month-Day).

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Question 12

Indicate the change to be made if it is not described in questions 1 to 11 above.

If you are not asking for this information to be changed, leave this section blank.

Part C

Important information:

Read all of the statements in all sections carefully and:

• Write your name in the space provided, and
• Sign and date in the space provided.

By signing, you certify that you fully understand the questions asked, and that the information you have provided is complete, truthful, and correct. If you do not sign and date the application, it will be returned to you.

Question 1

Check the appropriate box to indicate if you, since your admission to Canada as a permanent resident, have been convicted of a crime or offence in Canada or elsewhere. If you check “yes”, attach any copies of your pertinent court documents.

If you are a temporary resident, leave this section blank.

Question 2

Provide an explanation of the reasons why you are requesting the amendment(s). You may attach a separate piece of paper if more space is required. Outline the error that was made, what information was provided in your application, and any appropriate details as to why a change is required.

Step 3. Mail the application

Follow the instructions below to submit your application:

• Print your name and address at the top left-hand side of the envelope,
• Affix sufficient postage (top right of the envelope).

Urgent applications

If your application is urgent and meets the criteria for urgent processing, mail your completed application by registered mail to the address shown above and write “Urgent” on the envelope.

What happens next?

Once your application has been received, it will be processed and you will be advised whether your request has been approved or refused. Processing times can change. You can obtain current processing times on our website.

Approved requests

If your request for an amendment to a valid temporary resident document is approved, you will receive a new temporary resident document (IMM 1442) reflecting the amendment(s).

If your request for an amendment to your record of landing or confirmation of permanent residence is approved, you will receive a verification of status document that will show the amendment that was recorded in the system. Please present the VoS document with your original record of landing (IMM 1000) or confirmation of permanent residence when you are asked to present your entry documents.

Refused request

If your request is refused, you will receive a letter with the reason(s) for the decision. The letter will also confirm that a note was made on your immigration file indicating that you made a request for a correction. The original documents that you submitted will be returned to you.

If you wish to request a change to your personal information for reasons other than errors made by Canadian immigration officials, refer to IRCC’s identity management procedures.

If you move

Ensure that your address (including your email address) will be valid for the entire processing period. Documents lost in the mail are not our responsibility. If your documents are lost in the mail you will be required to re-apply with new documents.

If you move or your address changes before your application has been processed, you must advise us by changing your address online.

Features