CEC Application stuck in background chk over 17 months - now on the bring of laid off due to recession?

[Syedraza1010]

Hi all,

I want to seek advice from people here. My CEC application was filed on 8 March 2023. It has been over 17 months now.
My background check started in Aug 2023.
We ask for CSIS notes and they say that CSIS has sent their findings to CBSA. (it was in May 2024). Still, I have not received any response from IRCC.
I don't understand why my application went to a background check in the 1st place (I have a PhD and a Masters from 2 different countries before landing to my current job in Canada).

Now, my job comes under the mass layoff, unfortunately. However, I have 3 months of temporary laid-off period to support my PR application.

What can I do now... I don't have a clue - my local MP has contacted IRCC thrice, but they say that 3rd party checks are out of their hands so they (IRCC) cannot make a decision before 3rd party comes back. Because of a closed work permit, I cannot also change jobs (as I have a family of 4 to feed, plus rent and insurance etc).

Should I hire a lawyer and ask IRCC to make a decision? But hiring a lawyer is also expensive given that I currently do not have a job and my spouse is not working as well.
I called IRCC and they said the same thing as they responded to my MP.
What options do I have now? Please suggest.

 

[scylla]

Hi all,

I want to seek advice from people here. My CEC application was filed on 8 March 2023. It has been over 17 months now.
My background check started in Aug 2023.
We ask for CSIS notes and they say that CSIS has sent their findings to CBSA. (it was in May 2024). Still, I have not received any response from IRCC.
I don't understand why my application went to a background check in the 1st place (I have a PhD and a Masters from 2 different countries before landing to my current job in Canada).

Now, my job comes under the mass layoff, unfortunately. However, I have 3 months of temporary laid-off period to support my PR application.

What can I do now... I don't have a clue - my local MP has contacted IRCC thrice, but they say that 3rd party checks are out of their hands so they (IRCC) cannot make a decision before 3rd party comes back. Because of a closed work permit, I cannot also change jobs (as I have a family of 4 to feed, plus rent and insurance etc).

Should I hire a lawyer and ask IRCC to make a decision? But hiring a lawyer is also expensive given that I currently do not have a job and my spouse is not working as well.
I called IRCC and they said the same thing as they responded to my MP.
What options do I have now? Please suggest.

The option you have is to hire a lawyer to do a writ of mandamus to force IRCC to make a decision. There are some people on this forum who have done this themselves without the help of a lawyer. However you would need to be very comfortable researching how this legal process works and taking this forward on your own.

 

[Naturgrl]

See from your past posts but did you live in China? If so that may be the issue as background checks have taken years because of the poor relationship between the two countries. There have various news articles about it.

 

[Syedraza1010]

See from your past posts but did you live in China? If so that may be the issue as background checks have taken years because of the poor relationship between the two countries. There have various news articles about it.

Yes, I spent two years working in China.