I have taken a screenshot, you can look it up here
MARCH 2020 *Outland* Spousal Sponsorship
- Thread starter sk2020
- Start date
Once the files are scanned/entered, they can probably process from home in a lot of instances. I sure wouldn't want to be in either of those depts. Be depressing walking into the office and 3000+ envelopes (of various types) are sitting there.
Unbelievable that they are this slow returning. They aren't even public facing. Pretty much everything else has already opened to some degree but immigration, which to some is as essential a government function as you can imagine, is opening last.
Maybe this should make them consider going to an electronic system instead of us having to mail them a textbook worth of paper.
Maybe this should make them consider going to an electronic system instead of us having to mail them a textbook worth of paper.
Means they're requesting proposals to provide services, and one is robotic processing.
https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/ircc-resumes-processing-1-july-2020.html
They are resuming ETA and TRV processing
They are resuming ETA and TRV processing
"IRCC also continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice."https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/ircc-resumes-processing-1-july-2020.html
They are resuming ETA and TRV processing
only online based apps no paper based apps.
Based on the above I understand that since the majority of IRCC staff is still working from home, it is only possible to process online apps. For sponsorship apps they have a bottleneck since it is only paper based apps, so first IRCC staff have to scan and do the data entry before processing (i.e. transforming it from paper to soft copies as if it was submitted online). Based on this recent news shared here about data entry and scanning staff will return to the offices on July 7, maybe this will help us getting through this bottleneck at last and then we will start seeing some progress even if the rest of staff will be working from home.
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I'm sure they'll eventually move to a fully-electronic system for sponsorship apps etc. It would be stupid not to. They could easily build online forms with validation etc. Would reduce the number of applications which are missing key details etc. Would make their system leaner and faster.
That's exactly what I am hoping too!!
The only irony is that they are not issuing the so-called "exemption" to the spouses to travel even after the big public announcement and now they open up the regular TRV.
Andy_ready
Star Member
Nova Scotia has not been in lock down since May. They have single digit cases. Stuff is almost back to normal there. So why is the IRCC office not opened or processing anything
Because exemption is only for what IRCC will consider essential travel. Maybe just visiting a spouse is not essential travel from their point of view. In general the chance of TRV visa approval for a spouse is always slim. I do not know what is the case for visa-free countries.That's exactly what I am hoping too!!
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I think there is a misunderstanding here. The exemption is not from the need for a visa, but from the essential travel requirement. Spouses who have or do not need visas may travel without showing it is essential.That's exactly what I am hoping too!!
The opening up is to apply for a TRV. It does not provide an exemption from the essential travel requirement.
But at least now spouses can apply for a TRV, and if approved, they can travel without proving it is essential.
Note this is how I understand the situation, I may be wrong.
Note it also means that some of those who apply for and receive visas may still not be able to travel, ie if they are not travelling to visit spuses.
Frankly it is all a bit confusing.
What I meant was; many sponsors applying for an exemption to travel as "essential" and TRV for their spouses have received either refusal stating they don't meet exemption criteria or their TRVs are kept on hold from being processed (for those who need Visa to travel). This happened in spite of the announcement that consideration would be given to spouses. Spouses could apply for TRV earlier too however faint chances of approval.