mb112012 said:
Hi there just have a few questions, I am a bit confused about a few things and thought maybe I could get some answers here.
When you check processing times on the CIC website and it gives two time frames one 8 months and one 6 months. Is the 8 months from the time you get the email from the CIC saying they received your application or it is when they actually start working on the application?
another question I am sponsoring my husband, I am a canadian citizen and he is here on a visitors visa. We want him to be able to work as soon as possible. Should we have sent a work permit application as well? or is that included in the sponsorship application?
thank you in advance for your time
Hi,
So the 6 months frame is for the first stage in which they will evaluate your ability as a sponsor. If you're eligible as a sponsor they will send you and your husband AIP letter (Approval in Principle) which means he is eligible to apply for an Open Work Permit. Usually the OWP will be valid for 2 years. I suggest your husband to send his OWP application together with the PR application, so that as soon as you're approved as the sponsor, CIC will issue his OWP right away, so no time will be wasted. Just like in my case, my fiancé got approved as a sponsor on March 7th, and i've received my OWP today.
The 8 months frame is the second stage in which they will start looking at your husband's application. Basically, they will look at his background checks, police checks, health conditions, etc. So the 8 month second stage will start from the time you get AIP which results in 14 months in total for the whole PR process.
If you didn't send your OWP application with your PR application, you can start filling in the form and send it now, especially noting to them that you've already sent your PR application, and you know that this OWP app will be processed after AIP.
Hope everything is going well for you
