Dear Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship and Deputy Ministers:
Thank you for taking concrete action to reduce the backlog of applications. It is encouraging to hear your plan for the upcoming months that IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within pre-pandemic service standards, including family reunification programs.
My note to you today is to remind you of the Liberals’ set of election promises on strengthening family reunification and reducing processing times, including:
- Reduce processing times for immigration applications to under 12 months.
- Create electronic applications for family reunification.
- Build a new program that will provide spouses and children abroad with visas while they are waiting for their permanent residence applications to be processed.
Source:
Strengthening Family Reunification and Reducing Processing Times | Liberal Party of Canada
It appears IRCC has been quite determined and successful in delivering the first two, but for the last item, which promises a new program that will provide spouses and children abroad with visas while they are waiting for their permanent residence applications to be processed, nothing has been confirmed to the public. There was a statement publicly made by you that the new policy would be introduced in the summer of 2022 – yet we are soon coming to the fall of 2022 with no news.
There are around 70,000 visa applications for spouses and children waiting to be reunited in Canada, both from inside and outside of Canada. Those who are waiting to be processed inside of Canada are at least able to stay with their loved ones and apply for Open Work Permits, while spouses and partners outside of Canada have fewer options to join Canadian sponsors in Canada unless they are successful in obtaining tourist visas. Tourist visa applications from these applicants are often judged more harshly by visa officers for their intent to return to their home country, or a classic excuse of marriage fraud investigation. Spouses and partners applying to join Canadian partners from outside of Canada are more scrutinized. Visa officers usually argue that applicants have a stronger tie to Canada that would make them more likely to overstay (?), which is purely a biased view targeting one disadvantaged group of applicants. This is a misleading view that should be eliminated system-wide. Adding to the insult is the fact that even foreign spouses, partners, and children of temporary residents (such as Work Permit and Study Permit holders) are able to obtain Open Work Permit or Open Study Permit much easier and faster than partners of Canadian citizens or PRs, as assessment of relationship for accompanying family members of temporary residents, is usually done quite slightly.
To make it fair, I suggest the followings to IRCC, with immediate effect:
- All pending PR applications inventory for spouses, partners and children outside of Canada that have reached the Sponsorship Approval/Acknowledgement of Receipt, be offered a fast-track tourist or Open Work Permit visas to facilitate their entry into Canada while waiting for PR to be finalized. To ensure integrity, the offer should be limited to the principal applicants only.
- For new applications, applicants should have an option to include an application for TRV/Work Permit with their PR application and this be processed at the same time with Sponsorship Approval. This is nothing new that requires too much thinking or planning, as IRCC has been offering this solution to applicants of in-Canada spouses, partners and children category for many years. Expanding it to applicants of the outland stream will avoid double-standard in your system.
I understand IRCC is working hard to swiftly respond to many priorities, including backlogs and humanitarian programme. However I still wanted to note you that foreign spouses, partners and children of Canadian sponsors and PR waiting outside of Canada, are an essential part of Canada's Immigration Plan which actively promotes family reunification and LGBTQ+, so these families should be supported better.
Bruce
