Port of Entry (POE) Letter

Key facts About Port of Entry (POE) Letter Canada

• A POE letter of introduction confirms IRCC approved your work permit, study permit, or super visa application, but it is not the permit itself
• Only applicants who applied online and gave an email address receive a POE letter
• The letter's validity is usually tied to your medical exam or passport expiry, whichever comes first
• You must present the printed letter plus supporting documents to a CBSA officer, who then issues the actual permit
• An expired POE letter cannot be renewed, you must submit a new application

If you're waiting on a Canadian work permit, study permit, or super visa, you'll likely see the term "port of entry (POE) letter" in your IRCC account before you see your actual permit. It's one of the most misunderstood documents in the immigration process, and getting it wrong at the border can mean turning back at the airport. This guide covers what a POE letter actually is, which permits need one, what to bring, how long it stays valid, and what happens during the interview that decides whether you get your permit. If you'd rather have a licensed consultant handle this for you, book a free assessment and we'll walk through your specific file.

What Is a Port of Entry (POE) Letter?

A port of entry (POE) letter, officially called a letter of introduction, is the notice IRCC sends once it approves your application for a work permit, study permit, or super visa. You'll sometimes see it called a correspondence letter, introduction letter, or introductory letter. All of these refer to the same document.

The POE letter is not your permit. It doesn't authorize you to work or study in Canada on its own. It confirms that IRCC reviewed your file, is satisfied you meet the requirements, and is ready to issue your permit once a Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) officer verifies your documents at the border.

Note: only applicants who applied online for a work permit, study permit, or super visa, and provided an email address, receive a POE letter through their IRCC account. Visitor visa applicants and most other temporary resident categories don't get one.

What Types of Permits Require a POE Letter?

You'll typically receive a POE letter if IRCC approves one of the following:

• An employer-specific work permit, tied to one employer, job, and location, often backed by a Labour Market Impact Assessment (LMIA)
• An open work permit, including a Post-Graduation Work Permit (PGWP), a Spouse Open Work Permit (SOWP), or a Bridging Open Work Permit
• An International Experience Canada (IEC) work permit
• A study permit, including cases where you're switching from a visitor visa to a study permit
• A super visa, if you're a parent or grandparent from a country that doesn't need a regular visitor visa

Visitor visas and permanent resident visas don't come with a POE letter. Permanent residents landing in Canada use their COPR and passport instead.

What to Bring to the Port of Entry

Your POE letter is the anchor document, but CBSA officers expect a complete package. Missing even one item can delay or, in rare cases, block your entry:

• A printed copy of your POE letter, don't rely on a phone screenshot, border kiosks and officers work with paper
• A valid passport, some permit categories require validity beyond your permit's end date
• Your job offer letter and LMIA confirmation (employer-specific work permits) or your letter of acceptance (study permits)
• Proof of financial support, recent bank statements, a scholarship letter, or a guarantor's affidavit
• A valid temporary resident visa (TRV) or eTA, depending on your passport's country
• Your medical exam results, if your permit category required one, valid for 12 months from the exam date
• Any additional documents the visa office specifically asked you to bring, such as police certificates or originals of scanned documents

Bring more than you think you need. Officers can defer issuing your permit and ask you to return with a missing document, but that's discretionary, not guaranteed.

How Long Is a POE Letter Valid?

Your POE letter lists a validity date, and you must enter Canada before it passes. That date is usually set by whichever comes first: the expiry of your immigration medical exam or the expiry of your passport. If your medical exam expires in three months but your passport is valid for two years, your letter will typically expire with the medical exam.

If your letter expires before you travel, it becomes void. A border officer cannot issue your permit off an expired letter, even if your application was already approved. You would need to submit a brand-new application, pay the fees again, and possibly redo your medical exam. As IRCC's own guidance confirms, the letter alone doesn't guarantee entry into Canada or a work permit.

If a genuine emergency, a medical issue, a travel ban, a family crisis, is going to make you miss the date, contact IRCC in writing before the letter expires. Extensions are discretionary, not automatic. Our processing time tool can help you plan your travel window against current IRCC timelines if you end up needing to re-apply.

What Happens at the Port of Entry Interview?

When you land, you'll go through primary inspection, often a kiosk if you're arriving by air, which will direct work and study permit holders to an officer for secondary processing.

The officer reviews your POE letter, pulls up your file using the reference number on it, and checks it against what you're presenting: your job or school, your financial proof, your visa or eTA. Expect direct questions: why you're coming to Canada, who your employer or school is, how long you plan to stay, how you'll support yourself. Answer clearly and don't withhold anything that's changed since you applied, a new marriage, a new employer, or a legal issue must be disclosed.

If everything checks out, the officer prints, signs, and stamps your permit on the spot. This physical document, not the POE letter, is what actually authorizes you to work or study. Official IRCC guidance is explicit that the letter itself never replaces this step. If something doesn't line up, you may be sent to secondary inspection for a longer interview, and in rare cases the officer can refuse to issue the permit altogether.

Common Mistakes That Delay or Block Entry

• Treating the POE letter as the permit. You cannot legally work or study, remotely or otherwise, until CBSA issues the physical permit at the border.
• Traveling with an expired medical exam. A valid POE letter doesn't help if your medical has lapsed.
• Underestimating financial proof. Bring recent statements (within 30 days), not outdated screenshots.
• Missing the right visa document. Visa-required nationals need a TRV; visa-exempt nationals need an eTA. Check before you book your flight.
• Not disclosing a material change. A new job, marriage, or legal issue since your approval must be reported at the border.

How SEP Immigration Can Help

We've guided applicants from nearly 20 countries through this exact process, catching missing documents and expiry traps before they turn into a refused entry. If you have a POE letter in hand or you're still waiting on a decision, book a consultation with our licensed team, or start a free assessment if you haven't applied yet.