I just got this from my employer in Canada (as I am in Canada) - I thought we will see a slight delay in mail or news coming in as no mail will be functional - if CIC uses Canada Post:
Notice: All University of Employees
Canada’s postal service is on strike. Find out how this affects you.
How the Canada Post strike will affect you
The Canada Post Corporation and the Canadian Union of Postal Workers failed to reach a deal on negotiating a new collective agreement. As a result, the postal workers began a strike and will not accept, process or deliver mail to you effective 11:59 PM EDT Thursday, June 2, 2011.
This will affect you if:
you are submitting an application for temporary residence or wish to extend your status
you are submitting a new application (permanent residence or citizenship) or missing documents
your status is about to expire and you have not yet submitted an application to extend your status
your status expires during the strike
you are now out of status
Submitting an application for temporary residence or extending your status
If you are already in Canada and wish to apply for a Study Permit, a Work Permit, an Off-Campus Work Permit or a Post-Graduation Work Permit, or you wish to Extend Your Stay as a Visitor, you are strongly encouraged to submit your application online. Find out how to complete an online application.
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Your status is about to expire during the strike.
If your temporary resident status (e.g., as a worker, student or visitor) is about to expire, you should ensure that your application to extend your status is received by CIC before your status expires as shown on your immigration document. If you do this, your period of authorized stay as a temporary resident will be extended by law until a decision is made and you are notified. In this case, you are considered to have implied status as a temporary resident during that time, as long as you stay in Canada.
Note: “Implied status” only applies if your conditions do not change. For example, if you apply to renew your study permit and the permit expires before you receive an answer, you can continue to study in Canada until you receive a decision. If you hold a work permit, you may continue working under the same conditions as your previous work permit while on implied status if you have applied to extend your stay in Canada as a worker.
As a temporary measure, if your status is about to expire during the postal strike and you cannot use online applications or courier services to extend your status as a temporary resident, CIC will grant you an implied status for the length of the strike. In that case, you will be given a one-month grace period after the strike to submit an application to extend your status without having to restore your status.
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Processing times and application status
Please note that the estimated application processing times in Canada available on the website may be longer than expected given the interruption in mail services. You may be able to view your application status online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Please be aware that our automated voice response system at the CIC National Call Centre may also be able to provide you with information about the status of your application.
You have already sent your application but it might not have arrived before the strike.
If you have submitted an application and you are concerned that it might not be received because of the postal strike, you should keep all of your receipts, which will be an indication that your application is in process. If the application is urgent and it meets CIC’s criteria for urgent processing, you are advised to re-send your application via courier and request a refund on your original payment after the strike is over.
Find out more about how the strike is affecting processing times, your application status and fee payments.
Contact us.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/department/media/notices/canada-post-strike.asp