Where is the UCI number on a PR card?
Short answer: IRCC confirms the UCI is printed on your PR card, but the card carries two long numbers, so use the format to pick the right one. The UCI is the one written as 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000. The other number is the PR card number. IRCC's Client Application Status help page says the PR card number is in the top right corner on the back of the card and starts with two letters followed by ten numbers (example RA0302123456) or two letters followed by seven numbers (example PA0123456). That card number changes every time you renew or replace the card. Your UCI does not. When the IMM 5444 PR card application asks for your UCI, enter the hyphenated number, not the letter-led card number.
If your PR card is lost, the UCI is still on your COPR and on older IRCC letters. See our lost PR card replacement guide for the rest of the steps.
Where is the UCI on a work permit or study permit?
Short answer: Work permits and study permits are both printed on form IMM 1442, and IRCC lists them among the documents that show your UCI. Each permit also has a document number, which is one letter plus nine digits and is specific to that permit. Forms that ask for "UCI" or "client ID" want the hyphenated 8- or 10-digit number. Forms that ask for "document number" or "permit number" want the letter-led code. The two get mixed up often, and a wrong entry can send a form back or stall a school or employer portal. We cover the permit side in detail in work permit document number and study permit document number.
Is UCI the same as SIN number?
Short answer: No. The UCI and the Social Insurance Number (SIN) come from two different federal departments and do two different jobs. IRCC issues the UCI to track your immigration files. Service Canada issues the SIN, which the Government of Canada describes as the 9-digit number you need to work in Canada or access government programs and benefits. The UCI is 8 or 10 digits with hyphens. The SIN is always 9 digits. Your employer asks for your SIN, not your UCI. IRCC forms ask for your UCI, not your SIN. Never write one in the other's field. For the SIN side, including why temporary residents get a SIN starting with 9, read our SIN number guide.
What is my UCI ID number?
Short answer: Your UCI ID number is the same thing as your client ID. IRCC's help page What is my client ID? says the client ID, "also referred to as a UCI," is on all documents IRCC sends you and is an eight or ten digit number that looks like 0000-0000 or 00-0000-0000. So "UCI," "UCI ID," "client ID" and "client identification number" all point to one number. Copy it exactly as printed on your IRCC documents, including the hyphens if the form accepts them.
How to get UCI ID?
Short answer: You do not request a UCI separately. IRCC's help page When will I get my client ID/UCI? says you get it once you apply. If this is your first application to Canada, you will not have one yet. On a paper form, write "Not Applicable" or "N/A" in the UCI field. On an online form that will not accept text in that field, leave it blank. IRCC then assigns a UCI while it processes your first file, and it appears on your AOR, your biometrics letter and every document after that. If you applied before, even years ago for a visitor visa that was refused, you already have one, so use it rather than leaving the field blank.
