IRCC Announces New Measures to Speed Up Family Reunification

The Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has implemented a new measure to expedite the processing time for Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) for spousal applicants. Under this initiative, spousal applicants who have already applied for permanent residency in Canada can now have their TRV applications processed within 30 days. This significant reduction in processing time enables applicants to join their Canadian spouses or permanent resident partners while awaiting the final decision on their permanent residency application.

The move aims to promote family reunification by allowing Canadians or permanent residents with spouses and dependents abroad to reunite with their loved ones sooner. Once the spousal applicants are in Canada on a TRV, they can begin the process of settling in their communities and building their lives together.

It’s important to note that individuals holding a TRV are not eligible to work or study in Canada until they are either granted permanent residence or obtain a separate work or study permit.

The announcement of the 30-day processing time was made by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser in Vancouver on May 26. He further revealed that the approval rate for spousal TRV applications exceeds an impressive 90%.

This high approval rate can be attributed, in part, to IRCC’s enhanced use of advanced analytics in pre-screening TRV applications before they are reviewed by IRCC officers. The adoption of this technology allows the department to assess various factors in an applicant’s profile, aiding in the determination of their eligibility for permanent residence and expediting the approval process.

The introduction of this streamlined process for spousal TRVs complements the existing processing time of 12 months for permanent residence applications through family class sponsorship. With spousal TRVs now processed within 30 days, and IRCC’s service standard of 60 days for work permits, sponsored spouses, partners, or dependent children may potentially arrive in Canada and begin working while awaiting IRCC’s decision on their permanent resident application. This means that, in some cases, the entire process from application to arrival in Canada can be as short as three months (90 days).

Eligibility for sponsoring a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residence is open to any Canadian citizen or permanent resident who can sign an undertaking agreement to financially support the sponsored family for several years. The financial requirements for sponsorship may vary if there are dependent children involved.

In addition to the spousal TRV announcement, IRCC also introduced another family reunification measure. Spousal applicants and their dependent children residing with their sponsor in Canada, with temporary resident status, may now be eligible for open work permits. They can apply for an Open Work Permit as soon as they have submitted a completed application for permanent residence to IRCC. Previously, spousal applicants were only eligible for an open work permit if they were applying for sponsorship from within Canada.

Moreover, open work permit holders whose current permit expires between August 1st and the end of 2023 will be eligible to extend their permit for 18 months through a free facilitated process. This extension will encompass spouses and dependents of most temporary workers, spouses of international students, and permanent resident applicants.

Overall, these measures showcase IRCC’s commitment to facilitating family reunification and ensuring a smoother and faster process for spousal applicants seeking to join their loved ones in Canada.