IMM 5444, screen by screen
Updated
UCI number: what it is and where to find it
Your UCI is the number IRCC uses to know it is you, on every application you make. Here is what it looks like, where to find it, what it is not, and where it goes when you renew your PR card.
What a UCI is
UCI stands for unique client identifier. IRCC also calls it a client ID or client identification number. They are three names for the same number.1
You get your UCI once you apply to IRCC for the first time. After that, it stays with you: if you have more than one application with IRCC, they all have the same UCI, and each one gets its own application number.2
The UCI is printed on the official documents IRCC gives you. That is why a form or the PR Portal can ask for it: it links the new application to your file.1
The two formats: 8 or 10 digits
A UCI has either 8 or 10 digits. IRCC shows it with hyphens:3
| Digits | Format | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | four numbers, a hyphen, four numbers | 0000-0000 |
| 10 | two numbers, a hyphen, four numbers, a hyphen, four numbers | 00-0000-0000 |
Both formats are normal. Copy the number exactly as your document shows it; if a form field won’t take the hyphens, type the digits only.
Where to find your UCI
IRCC says this number appears on all documents you get from IRCC. If you have applied before, look on:3
- Your PR card. IRCC names the PR card as one of the documents that carry your UCI. Your old or expired card still shows it.
- Letters IRCC sent you, on paper or by email, such as an acknowledgement of receipt.
- Your study permit or work permit, if you had one before you became a permanent resident.
- Your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR or eCOPR), which is a document IRCC issued to you.3
IRCC’s help pages don’t say where on each document the UCI sits, so we don’t guess a position here. Look for an 8 or 10 digit number in one of the two formats above.
Note: Not the number in the top right of your card’s back
The number in the top right corner on the back of your PR card is the PR card number, not your UCI. It starts with two letters, for example RA0302123456 or PA0123456.4
Your passport comes from your own country, not from IRCC, so the passport itself is not where IRCC gives you a UCI. A Canadian visa or permit you received from IRCC is an IRCC document.
UCI, application number, PR card number and SIN
These four numbers get mixed up all the time. Only one of them is your UCI.
| Number | What it looks like | Who issues it | What it identifies |
|---|---|---|---|
| UCI (client ID) | 8 or 10 digits: 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000 | IRCC | You, across every IRCC application |
| Application number | Usually 1 letter and 9 numbers, for example W993830598 | IRCC | One application |
| PR card number | 2 letters then 10 or 7 numbers, for example RA0302123456 | IRCC | One PR card |
| Social Insurance Number (SIN) | 9 digits | Service Canada | You, to work and use government programs and benefits |
IRCC says an application number is different from a UCI. You can have several application numbers but only one UCI.2
The PR card number and its format are described on IRCC’s identification number page.4
Your SIN is a 9-digit number you need to work in Canada or to get government programs and benefits. It is not an IRCC number, and it never goes in the UCI field.5
If you can’t find it, or never had one
First time applying to IRCC? Then you don’t have a UCI yet. On a paper form, write “Not Applicable” or “N/A”. Online, if the form won’t let you type “N/A”, leave the field blank.1
Applied before but lost your documents? If you don’t have any letters or immigration documents from IRCC, you can leave the UCI field blank on an application form.6
No dealings with IRCC since 1973? IRCC says that if you have not dealt with it since 1973, you won’t have a UCI or client ID.6
Asking IRCC for technical help with the PR Portal? IRCC’s web form tells you to enter 1111111111 if you don’t have a UCI.7
IRCC’s help centre points you to your letters and documents. It doesn’t list an online lookup for a forgotten UCI.6
Where the UCI goes in a PR card renewal
In the PR card application, IMM 5444, the UCI is question 1.2, in the first section on your situation. In the PR Portal’s digital version of the form, it is in that same first section.8
IRCC’s instructions for 1.2 say your UCI is an 8 or 10 digit reference number on all correspondence you receive from IRCC, and that you can also find it on your old PR card.8
Important: Don’t put your PR card number in the UCI field
The card number (two letters and digits, top right on the back) is a different number. The UCI field wants digits only, 8 or 10 of them.4
When to get help
A missing UCI is rarely a problem on its own. If your file is complicated, for example a question about your status or a long time outside Canada, speak to a licensed professional before you apply.
Note: Who can advise you
Only lawyers and paralegals in a Canadian law society, Quebec notaries, and consultants who are members of the College of Immigration and Citizenship Consultants can charge you to represent you. prcard.ca explains IRCC’s own instructions; it doesn’t give advice on your case.9
Have your UCI? Do the rest of the form the same way
The renewal pack asks one question at a time and gives you every IMM 5444 answer in portal order, starting with your UCI at 1.2. The interview is free.
Quick answers
How do I find my UCI number?
Look on any document IRCC gave you: your PR card, a letter from IRCC, or a study or work permit. It is 8 or 10 digits, shown as 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000.
Is a UCI the same as a SIN?
No. Your UCI is IRCC’s client number for you. Your SIN is a 9-digit number from Service Canada that you need to work and to get government programs and benefits.
What is my UCI ID number?
It is your unique client identifier, also called your client ID. It is the same number on every IRCC application you make, while each application gets its own application number.
When do I get a UCI?
Once you apply to IRCC. If you are applying for the first time, you don’t have one yet: write “N/A”, or leave the field blank online.
Is the UCI the number on the back of my PR card?
Not the one in the top right corner. That is your PR card number, which starts with two letters. Your UCI has digits only.
Keep reading
Sources
- 1.IRCC Help Centre, What is a UCI?. ircc.canada.ca
- 2.IRCC Help Centre, What is an application number?. ircc.canada.ca
- 3.IRCC Help Centre, Where can I find my client ID/UCI?. ircc.canada.ca
- 4.IRCC Client Application Status, Identification number. services3.cic.gc.ca
- 5.canada.ca, Social Insurance Number. canada.ca
- 6.IRCC Help Centre, I forgot my client ID/UCI. ircc.canada.ca
- 7.canada.ca, Permanent Residence Portal. canada.ca
- 8.canada.ca, IMM 5444 instructions, 1.2 UCI number. canada.ca
- 9.canada.ca, Learn about representatives. canada.ca