Inland Spousal PR + OWP Change?

[Underhill]

IRCC just released this notice:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/ircc-resumes-processing-1-july-2020.html

In it, it says:

"Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice."

Does this mean us Inland Spousal PR + OWP paper filers?! No more OWP's until further notice? Please tell me I'm reading this wrong...

 

[Eveslm]

IRCC just released this notice:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/news/notices/ircc-resumes-processing-1-july-2020.html

In it, it says:

"Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice."

Does this mean us Inland Spousal PR + OWP paper filers?! No more OWP's until further notice? Please tell me I'm reading this wrong...

Well it says IRCC also continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. So these would mean that they will process permanent residence applications (online and paper). Otherwise they would have said study permit, work permit and permanent residence applications submitted online.

Permanent residence applications are not listed here: Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice.

However it is confusing with the work permit applications if it also includes those sent together with PR applications (inland). And if they are not processing these there would be no point of applying inland

 

[bian07]

I hope they would at least process the ones they have received until today

 

[niashaalyssa]

I hope they would at least process the ones they have received until today

Yes, it would be good to know if this is the case.

 

[Underhill]

Well it says IRCC also continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. So these would mean that they will process permanent residence applications (online and paper). Otherwise they would have said study permit, work permit and permanent residence applications submitted online.

Permanent residence applications are not listed here: Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice.

However it is confusing with the work permit applications if it also includes those sent together with PR applications (inland). And if they are not processing these there would be no point of applying inland

I've scoured all related info I could find on the IRCC website, and while it's by no means an exhaustive effort, so far, all the language I can find on this is vague. If we take the IRCC's latest statement at face value, technically, inland spousal PR + OWP applicants are houseplants until further notice.

 

[miosky]

Yeah, it looks like OWP applicants may have to wait until their PR gets approved in order to be able to work. Note that it doesn't say paper applications received on certain dates will continue to be processed, but that paper applications in general will not be processed at all. They haven't really been processing applications for the past several weeks so expect that to remain the case.

 

[niashaalyssa]

I've scoured all related info I could find on the IRCC website, and while it's by no means an exhaustive effort, so far, all the language I can find on this is vague. If we take the IRCC's latest statement at face value, technically, inland spousal PR + OWP applicants are houseplants until further notice.

That's insane considering that's pretty much any who hasn't gotten their work permit even from last year's applicants. I'm hoping it's only effective from July 1

 

[miosky]

That's insane considering that's pretty much any who hasn't gotten their work permit even from last year's applicants. I'm hoping it's only effective from July 1

Agreed. I hope I'm wrong but I have a bad feeling about this. They should be more up front about whether open work permits already received will be processed or not, since they are part of PR application. If they won't be processing them, refunds must be issued

 

[bian07]

Agreed. I hope I'm wrong but I have a bad feeling about this. They should be more up front about whether open work permits already received will be processed or not, since they are part of PR application. If they won't be processing them, refunds must be issued

If they dont do the work permits they should at least start working on the pr applications again

 

[Underhill]

Wasp21 reports this on another thread here in this forum (hopefully this is good news):

##################
I called IRCC today and asked this very question. The agent put me on hold for a few minutes and then said that Inland OWPs are considered part of the Permanent Residence application, NOT a separate paper work permit application. Therefore, they would fall under this part of the IRCC's update:

"IRCC also continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice."
##################

 

[espg_007]

Given the travel restrictions, wouldn't it make more sense to concentrate on inland (PR, visitor, student visa extensions) applications? Those are the people affected the most!

 

[bian07]

Given the travel restrictions, wouldn't it make more sense to concentrate on inland (PR, visitor, student visa extensions) applications? Those are the people affected the most!

That's what I think, doesn't make sense to focus on people outside canada when they cant come anyway

 

[Underhill]

I think the current work permit processing focus is for bioengineers and medical experts that can help with covid - inland or out (outland specialists can get into the country quickly). Us regular folk get to wait (understandably so).

 

[PrincessButtercup]

Wasp21 reports this on another thread here in this forum (hopefully this is good news):

##################
I called IRCC today and asked this very question. The agent put me on hold for a few minutes and then said that Inland OWPs are considered part of the Permanent Residence application, NOT a separate paper work permit application. Therefore, they would fall under this part of the IRCC's update:

"IRCC also continues to process study permit and work permit applications submitted online and permanent residence applications, to the extent possible. Paper applications for visitor visas, study permits and work permits will not be processed until further notice."
##################

While I hope this is true, I'm not sure. I do know that upon receipt, the spousal OWP application is physically separated from the Inland PR application, and sent to the OWP office for processing. Once the OWP app is by itself, I don't know how they can determine that it was originally part of an Inland PR application. From my experience the government departments do not communicate. CBSA and IRCc definitely do not, and Work Permit reviewers may be the same.

I am an October 2019 Inland PR & OWP applicant, and while I saw others in my October thread receive their OWPs in January and February, I never got mine. After several webforms to IRCC and escalating the issue to my MP after waiting 5 months, the responses I keep getting were (paraphrasing) "We have received your paperwork, passed it on to the correct processing office, and it is being reviewed." No real answers and my OWP paperwork status in my GCKey has never changed beyond "We have received your application, and we will let you know when it is being reviewed." So frustrating. I would definitely not be surprised if they've halted all OWP processing except for the most pressing cases, and possibly medical/scientific professionals that could help with COVID research and treatment.

At this point I am not expecting my OWP to come before my PR, which of course means $255 spent for an OWP was in vain. And to add insult to injury, who knows how long PR will be delayed because of the pandemic. I think if I have to wait 15 months instead of the original, estimated 12, I will be happy, but an expecting it to be more along the lines of 18 months (totally speculating).

 

[miosky]

It's the complete silence from the government that is so frustrating. Also, why are some January applicants getting OWP approved before applicants from October, November, December? Maybe they are medical professionals, but still. My gut instinct is that many people simply won't get OWP approvals, period. They might get their PR, which is also delayed considerably, before OWP is even processed. And who knows when that will even happen.