Faster Spousal Temporary Resident (Visitor) Visa Processing Times; New Open Work Permit for Spousal and Family Class Applicants
May 26, 2023
Today, Friday, May 26, 2023, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced new measures to strengthen family reunification, which include:
- faster temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal applicants
- new and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants
- a new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants
- open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023
Minister Fraser announced that, going forward, most TRV applications will be processed within 30 days, and applicants will benefit from processing measures specific to their circumstances as spouses and dependants.
Once in Canada, spouses, partners and dependants are now able to apply for and receive an open work permit as soon as they submit a complete permanent residence application under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SPCLC) or other family class programs.
Finally, Minister Fraser announced that spousal applicants, along with other open work permit holders, whose open work permits expire between August 1 and the end of 2023, will be able to extend their work permits for an additional 18 months.
Canada to Speed Up Spousal Sponsorship Application Processing
September 24, 2020
On September 24, 2020, the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship (IRCC), announced that the Government of Canada would be taking action to speed up the processing of Spousal Sponsorship Applications.
IRCC has increased the number of decision makers on Spousal Sponsorship Applications in Canada by 66%, to process these applications more quickly and reduce couples’ wait times.
With these initiatives, IRCC aims to accelerate, prioritize and finalize approximately 6,000 applications each month from October until December 2020. Combined with processing to date, this rate will lead to about 49,000 decisions by the end of this year.
Government Announcement Regarding 2020 Parent and Grandparent Sponsorships
December 31, 2019
On December 30, 2019, the Government of Canada announced the postponement of the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program until further notice to allow the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sufficient time to complete the development of a new intake process for the program. IRCC wants to develop an intake process which will ensure that all interested sponsors have the same opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form, and a fair chance to be invited to apply.
As a result of this announcement, as of January 1, 2020, no permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications will be accepted for processing until further instructions are issued by IRCC. IRCC intends to issue further instructions relating to the intake management process for the parents and grandparents program by April 1, 2020, at the latest.
Just as soon as any further instructions are released by IRCC or any announcements made, we will post them on our website. Affected clients with questions can send an e-mail to info@akcanada.com.
Parent Grandparent Sponsorship Program Relaunched
December 31, 2013
After a more than two (2) year moratorium on new Applications, which took effect on November 5, 2011, Citizenship and Immigration Canada will resume accepting applications of Canadian citizens/permanent residents, wishing to sponsor their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada, on January 2, 2014.
Application forms, guides and information on how to apply to the new Parent Grandparent Sponsorship Program became available, today, Tuesday, December 31, 2013.
The relaunched Parent Grandparent Sponsorship Program differs from the old in several respects:
1. The sponsorship undertaking period has been lengthened from ten (10) years to twenty (20) years.
2. The minimum necessary income to sponsor has been increased from “low income cutoff” to “low income cutoff + 30%”.
3. The period for demonstrating the minimum necessary income has been increased from one (1) year to three (3) years.
4. Income evidence has been limited to official documentation from the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA).
5. Immigration officials have the authority to request updated evidence of income.
6. A maximum of 5,000 new complete Applications for the sponsorship of parents and grandparents will be accepted, beginning January 2, 2014.
Because of the quota and the high demand for this category, individuals who are interested in sponsoring their parents and grandparents to immigrate to Canada with Abrams & Krochak’s assistance are encouraged to contact the law firm at http://www.akcanada.com/contact.cfm with a request for assistance as soon as they can or to complete Abrams & Krochak’s Parent Grandparent Sponsorship Program Online Eligibility Assessment Questionnaire at http://www.akcanada.com/assessment4.cfm.
May we take this opportunity to wish you and yours a very Happy New Year!
Canada Immigration extends Canada – Ontario Immigration Agreement
May 11, 2010
Canada - Ontario Immigration Agreement
Recently, Canada Immigration Minister Jason Kenney and Dr Eric Hoskins the Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Immigration signed an extension to the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement (COIA). “In extending the Canada-Ontario Immigration Agreement, we signal our commitment to continue to collaborate to attract, retain and integrate immigrants into communities in Ontario while exploring new ways to improve immigrant outcomes,” said Immigration Minister Kenney. “The extension of this agreement prolongs our support for immigrant settlement programs, including language training and programs for newcomer youth.”
“Ontario is pleased to sign this one-year extension as we negotiate a successor agreement, so that newcomers to the province can continue to receive the services they need to settle and succeed,” said Ontario Immigration Minister Hoskins. In the period 2010-2011 three hundred and twenty million dollars in funding will be provided to Ontario for 2010–2011on top of the annual settlement funding of $108 million. The Canadian Government had to the following to say about the extension of the Canada- Ontario Agreement: …”The Government of Canada will continue to work in partnership with the province of Ontario, settlement service provider organizations, local municipalities and other stakeholders to make a real difference in the lives of Ontario immigrants.”… It is hoped that the agreement will result in increased immigration so helping Ontario meet its “…overall social, cultural and economic goals…”.
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
Irish job-seekers hope for greener pastures in Canada
May 10, 2010
irish immigration
Like the many Irish migrants who arrived years before, Seamus Blake left his tiny coastal village in Ireland five weeks ago in search of greener pastures in Toronto.
No potato famine or decades-long political conflict drove him here.
Instead, a steady influx of young Irishmen and women like Blake, 24, is arriving here in desperate search of work, fleeing their country’s 14 per cent jobless rate, an after-effect of the 2008 global financial crisis and economic recession.
After spending a month at a backpackers’ hostel in Kensington Market, Blake moved into an apartment last week and, armed with a one-year work permit, started his job search. Hostel operators catering to young travellers in Toronto say as many as half of their residents over the past 18 months are visitors from Ireland looking to start a new life here.
Blake, 24, who graduated from Leeds University with a master’s degree in financial mathematics last year, arrived a year after his older brother David landed in Vancouver, also with a work permit.
“At the moment, there doesn’t seem to be any jobs for new graduates in Ireland,” said a despondent Blake, a native of tiny Liscannor, on Ireland’s west coast. “From what I heard, Canada’s economy has already bounced back and it’s full of opportunities.”
Latest statistics show the number of temporary foreign workers in Canada from Ireland — the class most recent newcomers arrive under — jumped from 1,514 in 2004 to 2,604 in 2008. Community leaders say those figures don’t begin to reflect the recent surge in Irish arrivals.
According to the London-based National Economic and Social Research Institute, some 18,400 Irish nationals emigrated in the year ending April 2009, mostly to Commonwealth countries. The exodus is expected to last for at least two more years.
Karl Gardner, deputy head of the Embassy of Ireland, said Irish people have a long tradition of adventure and migration. While the island’s population stands at 4.5 million, there are an estimated 75 million people of Irish descent around the world, including 4.35 million in Canada.
“We have always travelled,” Gardner said from Ottawa. “The sense is it is something that we do.”
Eamonn O’Loghlin, executive director of the Ireland Canada Chamber of Commerce in Toronto, receives several emails and phone calls a week these days from his countrymen, some his “lost friends and relatives,” exploring prospects in Canada.
“I try to be realistic and tell people that the job market is tight here as well, but it is easier if you have the education, skills and network in business,” said O’Loghlin, who followed his Canadian wife, Madeleine, to Canada in 1975 and never left.
O’Loghlin has met at least 60 new arrivals in the last year helping them connect with his group’s 250 members in GTA. The trade group plans a Welcome to Canada Information Night on June 1 to offer tips about living in Canada, jobs and accommodation. It will start a Facebook group and an employment website later this month to assist new Irish migrants.
Sandra McEoghain, founder of the four-year-old Irish Association of Toronto, said many of her 345 members are recent arrivals ages 24 and 35 here on work permits.
“There’s advertising in Ireland about Canada and some people are falling for that. People realized Canadian banks did really well during the recession and think there have to be more opportunities here,” said the Toronto business system analyst, 38, who came as a skilled immigrant in 2002. “Some of them have to leave fast and it’s much quicker to get a work visa.”
But it is not easy to settle in a new country, even if you share the same language and similar heritage. Most report having problems finding affordable accommodation and jobs without Canadian references.
It took Brian Byrne five months to land a job at an engineering consulting company, after sending out dozens of resumes and doing survival jobs in drywalling and masonry.
Although Irish credentials are generally recognized here, the 33-year-old native from Kilkenny said he had to adapt to the Canadian resume style, pick up colloquial English and spend time building a professional network that ultimately led him to his present job. “It is a full-time job looking for jobs,” sighed the manufacturing engineer.
For Brian Keane, who has a university degree and 11 years’ experience in construction management, his “leap of faith” to leave home turned out to be one of the best decisions he’s made in his life.
“I have guilt for not feeling homesick,” joked the 35-year-old Dublin native, who came here in December after he lost his senior management job in early fall. “I really like the Canadian lifestyle and the people are so friendly, outgoing, welcoming and helpful.
“My advice for those who’d like to move to Canada is: Don’t think twice, but plan it!”
Like other new arrivals surveyed for this story, Keane said he can see himself staying in Canada for good.
Take our FREE Online Assessment Today!
FREE ASSESSEMENT
Socialize with Abrams & Krochak
