Timeframe to travel to Canada after visa approval

[AlbaNuadh]

Hi Everyone,

I hope someone here can advise me.
My husband and I have applied for a spousal sponsorship visa for him to come to Canada. We started the process at the end of last year before the process changed and therefore required to do the medical up front (or at least this was how we interpreted it). Anyway, he got his medical done but we didn't end up actually applying for the Visa until April. We sent proof of his medical along with the application and a letter of explanation in the hopes that they would accept it. Our GC Key says that the medical has been done so I assume they have accepted it.
Here is where the problem starts.
I read recently that the validity of the visa is dependant upon the date of your medical and that you will have to travel to Canada within a year of your medical being issued. We haven't had an approval yet, but assuming we do this means we'd have no more than 3 months (at the very most) to make the move. I have lived with my husband in his country for 14 years so we are literally picking up and shifting our life back to Canada, we have a son who is in school and we both have jobs to tie up and a house to sell. It would just be impossible. I have read that he just has to land in Canada- so could land in Canada, go through immigration and then fly straight home but that would be financially difficult on such short notice.
Does anyone know though experience if this is still the case? I've read that it is unlikely that they will extend the dates.

Thanks all!

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Hi Everyone,

I hope someone here can advise me.
My husband and I have applied for a spousal sponsorship visa for him to come to Canada. We started the process at the end of last year before the process changed and therefore required to do the medical up front (or at least this was how we interpreted it). Anyway, he got his medical done but we didn't end up actually applying for the Visa until April. We sent proof of his medical along with the application and a letter of explanation in the hopes that they would accept it. Our GC Key says that the medical has been done so I assume they have accepted it.
Here is where the problem starts.
I read recently that the validity of the visa is dependant upon the date of your medical and that you will have to travel to Canada within a year of your medical being issued. We haven't had an approval yet, but assuming we do this means we'd have no more than 3 months (at the very most) to make the move. I have lived with my husband in his country for 14 years so we are literally picking up and shifting our life back to Canada, we have a son who is in school and we both have jobs to tie up and a house to sell. It would just be impossible. I have read that he just has to land in Canada- so could land in Canada, go through immigration and then fly straight home but that would be financially difficult on such short notice.
Does anyone know though experience if this is still the case? I've read that it is unlikely that they will extend the dates.

Thanks all!

Hi

Generally, if the app is nearly finished being processed and the medical is expiring, IRCC will either extend it for a year or request a new medical.

If the app is not close to being finished, they usually just request a new medical.

If the landing window is pretty short, IRCC does sometimes ask if it's possible for the applicant to land in that time or not. Sometimes, they don't bother to ask and the COPR is issued with weeks or even just days left to land; in extreme cases, the COPR has arrived already expired and had to be returned to be re-issued.

 

[AlbaNuadh]

Hi

Generally, if the app is nearly finished being processed and the medical is expiring, IRCC will either extend it for a year or request a new medical.

If the app is not close to being finished, they usually just request a new medical.

If the landing window is pretty short, IRCC does sometimes ask if it's possible for the applicant to land in that time or not. Sometimes, they don't bother to ask and the COPR is issued with weeks or even just days left to land; in extreme cases, the COPR has arrived already expired and had to be returned to be re-issued.

Thank you for the advice. So really, it seems to be luck of the draw. But it's not necessarily the case that we will be left with a short time in which to travel.

 

[canuck_in_uk]

Thank you for the advice. So really, it seems to be luck of the draw. But it's not necessarily the case that we will be left with a short time in which to travel.

No guarantees but more often than not, IRCC extends the medical or requests a new one.