I got a response from the immigration ministers office finally. Not really necessary now that my wife will be here in a few weeks but thought I'd share:
Thank you for your correspondence of July 24, 2020, addressed to the Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, concerning your sponsorship undertaking on behalf of your spouse’s application for permanent residence. I have been asked to respond to your concerns.
Please be assured that every effort is being made to finalize the applications of spouses and partners as quickly as possible, as family reunification is a key priority for Immigration, Refugees, Citizenship Canada (IRCC).
Although Family Class applicants are assessed under relaxed criteria, the assessing officer must be satisfied that they are not inadmissible to Canada and, in the case of spouses and common-law or conjugal partners, that the relationship is genuine and not entered into for immigration purposes only.
Maintaining the integrity of Canada’s immigration program is a priority of the Government of Canada. Individuals who want to live permanently in Canada must meet program eligibility requirements, as well as statutory medical, criminality, and security background clearances. These requirements exist to protect the interests and safety of Canadians. The onus rests on applicants to prove that they have met the requirements for entry to Canada or that admission would not be contrary to legislative requirements.
The health and safety of all Canadians, including Government of Canada employees, remain a priority. This is reflected in the current limitations in processing. IRCC’s priority has been to balance the rights of employees to a safe workplace, while processing urgent applications. IRCC continues to explore options to facilitate processing in these extraordinary times, including finalizing applications virtually. However, safety of IRCC employees and clients must also be taken into consideration.
With regard to your questions and concerns about the processing of spousal applications, I note that on September 24, 2020, Minister Mendicino
announced that IRCC has taken action to speed up spousal sponsorship application processing. The Department has increased the number of decision-makers on spousal applications in Canada by 66% in order to process applications more quickly and reduce couples’ wait times. IRCC is also piloting new technology to digitize paper applications so that they can be processed more efficiently by IRCC employees working remotely. Further, IRCC is implementing facilitative biometrics measures and piloting technology that allows immigration officials to conduct applicant interviews remotely, in adherence with public health protocols.
Although the impacts of the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) have had an effect on the Department’s operations and ability to respond to and process applications, IRCC will continue to find new ways to keep families together and help them build their lives together in Canada.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I trust that this information is helpful to you