Immigration in Mississauga
Advice for Mississauga families, by phone
In the 2021 Census, 53.2% of Mississauga residents in private households were immigrants, and about 52,500 had arrived in the five years before the census (Statistics Canada).
People usually look for an immigration lawyer in the middle of something: a spouse abroad waiting for a decision, a work permit about to expire, parents who want to visit for longer, or a family counting days toward citizenship. Immigration law is federal, so the rules are the same here as anywhere in Canada. What is local is how you deal with IRCC’s offices in the city, how relatives arriving at Pearson become permanent residents, and where to find free help once they are here. Those are the subjects of this page. Each pathway is explained on our immigration law page, with more depth on family sponsorship and permanent residence.
How we work with Mississauga clients
We have one office, in Toronto, and immigration files rarely need a visit: consultations are by phone, and documents move by email. You deal with Rosalie Wannes, a licensed Ontario lawyer, in English or Armenian (service in Arabic is also available). When a declaration or affidavit has to be sworn, or a document certified, we do it at the office. Our Mississauga page lists the other work we do here.
IRCC in Mississauga
Two IRCC addresses in Mississauga, and neither takes walk-ins
Mississauga has two Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada sites that are easy to confuse. Knowing which does what saves a wasted trip.
The citizenship office on Glen Erin Drive
IRCC lists a citizenship office at 3085 Glen Erin Drive among its offices that open by appointment only. Only people with a scheduled appointment can go in. If IRCC wants to see you in person, for an interview or to review original documents, the invitation letter says which office, the date and how to reschedule, and it may not be the office closest to you.
The Case Processing Centre
IRCC’s Case Processing Centre in Mississauga works only on digitized applications and documents and is not open to the public. You can’t drop off an application or ask about your file there. Status questions go through your IRCC online account or, if you have one, your representative.
Biometrics and ceremonies
Fingerprints and photos for visa, permit and permanent residence applications are given at a designated Service Canada office, by appointment only, with the instruction letter from IRCC. Citizenship ceremonies are held in person or virtually, and the invitation sets the format and place. If you are waiting for any of these steps and something in your life has changed, such as a marriage, a birth, a new address or a charge, IRCC needs to know, and we can tell you how to report it.
Why Wannes Law
A Toronto law firm that keeps you informed
-
A licensed Ontario lawyer
Rosalie Wannes, licensed by the Law Society of Ontario, is responsible for your file from start to finish.
-
Fees before you commit
Instant online quotes and published flat fees, so you know the cost before you retain us.
-
Every step explained
Plain-language explanations of what happens, what you provide and what we handle, at every stage.
-
Direct access
Reach your lawyer and law clerk directly by phone and email while your matter is underway.
-
Sign in person or remotely
Meet at our Sheppard Ave E office in Toronto, or review documents by video and courier the originals.
-
English, Armenian and Arabic
Talk through your matter in the language you are most comfortable with.
When they arrive
Landing as a permanent resident at Pearson or another port of entry
When a sponsored spouse, child or other family member is approved while living abroad, the last step happens at the border. Toronto Pearson International Airport is in Mississauga, but the rules are the same at every port of entry.
-
Step 1: Check the Confirmation of Permanent Residence
The Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) proves the approval. Check names, dates of birth and other details as soon as it arrives; errors should be corrected through IRCC, and are easier to fix before travel.
You provide
- The COPR and, if required, the visa in the passport
- Passport valid for travel
-
Step 2: Travel before the date on the COPR
Someone approved from outside Canada must travel to Canada and become a permanent resident on or before the date shown. Plan the flight well inside that window.
-
Step 3: At the border
A border services officer examines the COPR and documents, may ask questions to confirm the person still meets the requirements, then signs and dates the COPR with the entry date. Bring a Canadian mailing address for the PR card; if it isn’t given at the border, it can be provided online within 180 days.
You provide
- Mississauga mailing address for the PR card
- A list of goods being brought in, if applicable
-
Step 4: The first weeks
Apply for a social insurance number and an Ontario health card, and connect with local settlement services. Start a travel log for the PR card and, later, citizenship.
In Mississauga
Free local help, and when you need a lawyer instead
Mississauga has good free resources for newcomers, including help with some documents. Use them, and bring us in when the question is about your status or an application.
Free help in Mississauga
- Mississauga Library’s newcomer services: English conversation, citizenship study materials, and scheduled settlement and commissioner of oaths sessions run with partner agencies at some branches
- Immigration Peel, the Peel Newcomer Strategy Group’s guide to settlement services, housing, health care and jobs in Mississauga, Brampton and Caledon
- The City’s Newcomers to Mississauga page, for transit, recreation and OHIP basics
When to call us
- Choosing a sponsorship class, or a pathway to permanent residence
- A permit about to expire, or already expired
- A refusal, a procedural fairness letter or an interview invitation
- A declaration or affidavit that is part of a larger application we are preparing
Related for Mississauga families
- Buying a first home once you have status: our Mississauga real estate page
- Wills and powers of attorney after you settle: our Mississauga wills page
Questions
Mississauga immigration questions
Can I visit the IRCC office in Mississauga to ask about my application?
No. IRCC’s citizenship office on Glen Erin Drive sees only people with a scheduled appointment, and the Case Processing Centre isn’t open to the public. Use your IRCC online account, or ask your representative.
My wife lands at Pearson next month. What does she need?
Her passport, the Confirmation of Permanent Residence and, if she needs one, the permanent resident visa in her passport. She must arrive on or before the date on the COPR, and should have a Canadian mailing address for her PR card.
The name on the COPR is misspelled. Can she still travel?
Contact IRCC to have it corrected, and get advice before travelling. The border officer checks the COPR against her documents, so errors are best dealt with first.
Can the library’s commissioner of oaths do our common-law declaration?
Possibly, for a simple declaration, if the session’s commissioner agrees. We commission the IMM 5409 at our Toronto office when it is part of a sponsorship we are preparing, and we check it against the rest of the application.
Where does a sponsored spouse give biometrics?
It depends where they are. Outside Canada, usually at a visa application centre. In Canada, at a designated Service Canada office, with an appointment booked in advance and the instruction letter from IRCC.
Do you have an office in Mississauga?
No. Our only office is at 3319 Sheppard Ave E, Suite 103, in Toronto. Consultations are by phone.
Can you help my relatives visit for a family event in Mississauga?
Yes. A visitor visa application has to show the purpose of the trip, enough funds and ties to home. An invitation letter from you helps but doesn’t replace that evidence.
Areas We Serve
Immigration advice across Peel and the GTA
The same phone consultation wherever you live, with local detail on each page.
-
Scarborough
Immigration lawyer for Scarborough clients. Our office is on Sheppard Ave E.
-
North York
Immigration lawyer for North York clients.
-
Markham
Immigration lawyer for Markham clients.
Here to help
From application to arrival, one lawyer throughout.
Book a free 15-minute call, or tell us about your application in the quote form.
Prefer to talk now? Call (647) 707-7718 · Service in English, Armenian and Arabic