Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has taken a significant step towards quicker family reunification. They now aim to process Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) for spousal applicants within just 30 days.
This change benefits those who have already applied for permanent residency in Canada. Instead of waiting in their home countries, they can now come to Canada while their application is being reviewed by IRCC.
In simple terms, this means that Canadians or permanent residents who have family members abroad can unite with their loved ones sooner and start building their lives in Canada.
However, it’s important to know that spouses and dependents with a TRV cannot work or study in Canada until they get approved for permanent residency or obtain a work/study permit.
The decision to expedite processing time was shared by Immigration Minister Sean Fraser in Vancouver on May 26. He mentioned that the approval rate for TRVs among spousal applicants is over 90%.
This high success rate is partly attributed to IRCC’s use of advanced analytics. They now pre-screen TRV applications using this technology before IRCC officers make the final decision. Minister Fraser explained that this approach considers various aspects of an applicant’s profile to determine their likelihood of being eligible for permanent residence. This ensures that more applications fall into a category that’s more likely to be approved by IRCC officers.
Family class sponsorship processing time
Regarding the processing of permanent residence applications under family class sponsorship, it usually takes around 12 months. However, with the accelerated processing of spousal TRVs within 30 days, and IRCC’s 60-day service standard for work permits, it could take as little as three months (90 days) for a sponsored spouse, partner, or dependent child to arrive in Canada and start working while awaiting IRCC’s decision on their permanent resident application.
Any Canadian citizen or permanent resident can potentially sponsor a spouse, common-law partner, or conjugal partner for permanent residence. They need to commit to a financial responsibility agreement for the sponsored family for a specified period. The sponsorship amount changes when there are dependent children to support.
Other family reunification measures
IRCC’s efforts to facilitate family reunification go beyond the TRV announcement. They’ve also introduced another option for spousal applicants and their dependent children. Those who already live with their sponsor in Canada and have temporary resident status may now be eligible for open work permits. This permit can be applied for as soon as they’ve submitted a complete 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.
In addition, Fraser announced that those with open work permits expiring between August 1st and the end of 2023 can extend their permits for 18 months through a facilitated process, free of charge. This extension applies to spouses and dependents of most temporary workers, spouses of international students, and applicants for permanent residency.
These changes underscore IRCC’s commitment to making family reunification more accessible and efficient, while also acknowledging the various dynamics involved in immigration to Canada.
