From Canada:
There are two ways for you to change your address on your immigration application within Canada:
- Use the Change of Address online service, if:
- your case is being processed in Canada
- your address is in Canada
- you are moving within three weeks or have already moved
- you must also have either:
- sponsored a member of the family class,
- applied for permanent residence from within Canada,
- applied for a Permanent Resident Card,
- applied for Canadian citizenship (for yourself or for a person adopted by a Canadian citizen),
- applied for a citizenship certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship),
- applied to renounce or resume Canadian citizenship, or
- applied for a search of the citizenship records.
Documents needed:
You may be required to provide one or more of the following documents:
- a copy of your application
- your fee receipts
- any letter or official document IRCC issued to you
What you should know!
- If you currently have an immigration application in process and a representation on file (either paid or unpaid), the mailing address that’s in your file will be the representative’s address
- You can make a change of address request using the online service 24 hours a day, seven days a week
- It will take 5 business days for your address to be updated on your application. Make sure to continue monitoring your current contact information in the meantime!
- Complete the IRCC Web form
- You simply need to follow the instructions and make sure to provide all the details required
From the United States
The process of changing your address depends on the application you submitted:
- If you made an immigration application, you need to contact the Canadian visa office in your region
- If you made an application for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship), search of citizenship records or to renounce/give up your Canadian citizenship, you need to fill out the IRCC Web form
- If you made a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) application or an application for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds, you need to send your change of address to the Backlog Reduction Office in Vancouver
Note that if you fail to notify the visa office or IRCC of your change of address, important documents may be delayed or lost and thus, your application may be refused!
From outside of Canada and the United States:
The process of changing your address depends on the application you submitted:
- If you made an immigration application, you need to contact the Canadian visa office in your region
- If you made an application for a citizenship certificate (proof of citizenship), search of citizenship records or to renounce/give up your Canadian citizenship, you need to contact the Canadian embassy, high commission or consulate where you made your application
- If you made a pre-removal risk assessment (PRRA) application or an application for permanent residence based on humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) grounds, you need to send your change of address to the Backlog Reduction Office in Vancouver
Note that if you fail to notify the visa office or IRCC of your change of address, important documents may be delayed or lost and thus, your application may be refused!
Frequently Asked Questions
Who cannot change their address using the online service?
Two types of people cannot use the online service to notify a change of address:
- If you’re an immigrant who has recently arrived in Canada as a permanent resident and need to inform IRCC of your new address to receive a Permanent Resident Card, you need to use the Address Notification online service. Note that if you fail to make the change of address within 180 days of the date you entered Canada, you will need to re-apply for a permanent resident card and pay a fee.
- If you don’t have an active permanent resident application, you need to use the IRCC Web form to make your change of address.
How do I change my address as a temporary resident (worker, visitor or student)?
Work permits, study permits and visitor records are different in that they are processed and closed on the same day. Therefore, they cannot be accessed through the online service the same way immigration and citizenship applications are.
If you’re a temporary worker, student or visitor, you can change your address using the IRCC Web form.
What if I changed my address using the online service, but can’t see any changes?
Make sure of the following things:
- Your home address is in Canada and your case is being processed in Canada
- It has been 5 business days since you made the change of address
You are not a new permanent resident that recently immigrated. If you are, you need to notify IRCC of your new Canadian address using the Address Notification online service and not the online service!
I want to change the address of the other people that were included in my immigration/citizenship application. How do I do that?
When you use the Change of Address online service or the Address Notification online service, you will be asked to enter the names of the people that were included in your application who are also moving to your new address. So you do not need to make a separate Change of Address or Address Notification for each dependant.
That being said, only the person who made the immigration or citizenship application (i.e. the principal applicant) can use the Change of Address online service or the Address Notification online service. This is done for security reasons.
