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Family Class while living in Canada - deliberately delayed by IRCC?

addicted2tennis

Full Member
Jul 10, 2020
25
4
Hi,
is there anybody here who applied Family Class (outland) while living in Canada (the third option of the checklist) in the last 6 months? I just received after 4 months a temporary number and confirmation that my application was received on December 14. Still no sign of AOR though. I would like to hear the timelines of all the people who applied in this category (I guess we are the vast minority as most people apply inland or outland while living outside of Canada). My feeling is that IRCC is intentionally withholding and delaying the processing of our applications, assuming that, as we're already in Canada, we're not in a rush compared to people who applied outland from abroad or to those who applied inland asking for an Open Work Permit too. I think it's very important that we share our experiences in order to understand if we're deliberately getting delayed by IRCC or if it's just a very strange coincidence. I created a WhatsApp group for all the people who applied Family Class while living in Canada in 2020 or 2021. Looking forward to welcoming you in the group!
 
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armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,158
8,804
My feeling is that IRCC is intentionally withholding and delaying the processing of our applications, assuming that, as we're already in Canada, we're not in a rush compared to people who applied outland from abroad or to those who applied inland asking for an Open Work Permit too.
Instead of going by feeling you could look at the tracker spreadsheets and actually compare:

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1LxDFjvZn-XR9uZpGbPTORYKQf0BMquSXNw0RvmqvZNU/edit#gid=2037240319
 

addicted2tennis

Full Member
Jul 10, 2020
25
4
I have the spreadsheet (I put my application there too), but it doesn't make a distinction between Family Class while living in Canada and Family Class while living outside Canada, they're both under the same Outland category. I'm also in the December whatsapp group and the vast majority of people who submitted outland from abroad already got their AOR while me and another girl who applied Family Class while living in Canada didn't receive anything yet. I'm just trying to understand if there is a pattern of delayed applications in this particular category and yes, for the moment it's just a feeling, but I would like to collect enough data and evidence to understand if that's actually deliberate from IRCC or if it's just a coincidence.
 

Alexis1971

Hero Member
Feb 16, 2020
737
510
Hi,
is there anybody here who applied Family Class (outland) while living in Canada (the third option of the checklist) in the last 6 months? I just received after 4 months a temporary number and confirmation that my application was received on December 14. Still no sign of AOR though. I would like to hear the timelines of all the people who applied in this category (I guess we are the vast minority as most people apply inland or outland while living outside of Canada). My feeling is that IRCC is intentionally withholding and delaying the processing of our applications, assuming that, as we're already in Canada, we're not in a rush compared to people who applied outland from abroad or to those who applied inland asking for an Open Work Permit too. I think it's very important that we share our experiences in order to understand if we're deliberately getting delayed by IRCC or if it's just a very strange coincidence. I created a WhatsApp group for all the people who applied Family Class while living in Canada in 2020 or 2021. Looking forward to welcoming you in the group!
Sorry but you are fortunate to be in Canada with your family so stop complaining. There are thousands who have applied in 2018, 2019, 2020 that are still waiting and who are separated from their spouses. My application has been in the system since 2018, a Canadian Citizen sponsoring my husband who I haven't seen since June 2019.
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,158
8,804
I'm also in the December whatsapp group and the vast majority of people who submitted outland from abroad already got their AOR while me and another girl who applied Family Class while living in Canada didn't receive anything yet.
Given that there are still many from previous months that have not received AOR yet, doesn't sound likely. Feel free to collect info of course but suspect they have far bigger problems than some relatively recent family-class-in-canada files.
 

addicted2tennis

Full Member
Jul 10, 2020
25
4
I'm sorry for your situation and I understand your frustration, but I didn't complain at all. All I'm trying to do is to look for other people who applied in the same category that I did, compare our timelines and trying to find out if our applications are deliberately withheld and delayed by IRCC. If this offends you or you see it as complaining, then I apologize.
 
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Alexis1971

Hero Member
Feb 16, 2020
737
510
Given that there are still many from previous months that have not received AOR yet, doesn't sound likely. Feel free to collect info of course but suspect they have far bigger problems than some relatively recent family-class-in-canada files.
Exactly, your file is 6 months old
 

kieraj

Star Member
Sep 5, 2020
119
59
trying to find out if our applications are deliberately withheld and delayed by IRCC.
The simple answer to this is your never going to know if thats what they are doing... there will never be press release saying "hey guys, we are ignoring these applications"

Like has been said, there are maaaaaannnnyyyyy applications before yours, and while you might end up getting a jump on some of those, waiting 6 months for something appears to be the normal at the moment.

Best thing to do is just wait and not try to connect dots to something that isnt there, you'll end up stressing yourself out
 

addicted2tennis

Full Member
Jul 10, 2020
25
4
I agree with you, but if I'd find out that most of the family class while living in Canada applicants are being delayed, it would give me a sort of peace of mind instead of having to worry that there might be something wrong with my application (mistakes, signatures or forms missing, etc). I'm trying to track those applications with the same spirit of the people who created the Google spreadsheet, being totally aware of the delays created by the pandemic and also that there are plenty of people in way worse situations than mine.
 
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cjr

Star Member
Oct 5, 2020
112
74
... it would give me a sort of peace of mind instead of having to worry that there might be something wrong with my application (mistakes, signatures or forms missing, etc).
Even without qualifying inland/outland/Canada/NotCanada, I'd say there's already plenty of data to suggest that your timeline is "normal" for the current circumstances.

It's hard not to worry when there's little to no feedback, but there's absolutely no point in looking for hidden motives on the part of overworked clerical staff working under less than ideal conditions.
 
Jan 3, 2021
9
3
I’ve had the same thought as you before. My husband and I are still waiting for AOR and we applied Outland from in Canada back in August. Definitely hard to be patient through it all, but hopefully having a temporary number gives you some peace of mind that at least they’ve received your app! (We had to spend hours waiting on the phone with IRCC just a week ago before we even got the temporary number!)
 

Idrissrafd

Hero Member
Aug 12, 2020
299
65
July 2020, Outland application, living in Canada. No AOR. Is it normal ? I do not know. Just keep in mind that, yes, blabla a lot of people are in the same situation, but also, some of them got their PR in less than 6 months lol How ? I don’t know, IRCC is so transparent, and first come, first served, is their leitmotif. IRCC is often (always ?) right, apparently, and you should understand that they’re working so so hard with a low salary...I’m feeling so bad for these workers.

PS. We’re in contact with a lawyer who helped someone that I know. They went to the federal Court and within 3 weeks, after the decision of the Court, IRCC coincidentally expedite the security process that was in progress since 26 months.
I’ll keep you informed.
 
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Idrissrafd

Hero Member
Aug 12, 2020
299
65
Where did you hear that? First I've heard of it. They seem to emphasize quite regularly that all files are different and processing times will vary.
After reading this decision, it seems that the Court pays a particular attention to that (first come, first served). In other words, it’s problematic if you do not respect that.

https://www.canlii.org/fr/ca/cfpi/doc/2014/2014cf543/2014cf543.html?searchUrlHash=AAAAAQBwInByaW5jaXBlIGTigJnDqXF1aXTDqSBmb25kYW1lbnRhbCBzZWxvbiBsZXF1ZWwgbGUgdHJhaXRlbWVudCBkZXMgZGVtYW5kZXMgc2UgZmFpdCBkYW5zIGzigJlvcmRyZSBjaHJvbm9sb2dpcXVlIgAAAAAB&resultIndex=1&fbclid=IwAR15gI--V32afy0aws9nKxEvNKAvVuCiBzKYBmFAzAcUk-yMr5fEtpv1qE0
 

armoured

VIP Member
Feb 1, 2015
17,158
8,804
You had to dig fairly deep to find that, didn't you? Can we just assume you made that claim up when you first wrote it and searched for some justification of your claim afterwards?

And as you note, it's the court stating this, not IRCC. The context is also completely different as the case shows - there was a specific queue for that class of immigrant, with a cap on the number allowed per year, which was the binding constraint; hence the question of whether and how a first come, first served approach was applied was completely different in meaning.

And therefore it's not at all clear that the court would get involved or take a position on the matter for other types of immigration and specifically family class, particularly as regards cases that are still within the normal and/or publicised processing timeframes.

Family class sponsorship is a completely different matter, with no targets, or formal queues, or caps of any kind; the primary question is resources allocated and internal operating procedures (both obviously issues during covid). And a critical secondary question is that some parts of the process rely on parties outside IRCC (RCMP, provincial agencies, possibly CRA, etc) for checks and their own resource issues and ability to respond promptly.

IRCC is quite explicit that some cases are more complex than others and will take longer - and hence no first come, first served applies (logically) for a program with no cap or waiting list.