Source: OP Manual - Procedures, Page 17
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op01-eng.pdf
5.24 Lock-in date
The lock-in date is a reference point used to freeze certain factors for the purpose of processing applications. Neither the Act nor Regulations define it. It does not overcome any requirements of the Act and Regulations that applicants must satisfy when an officer admits them. Regulations in effect on the lock-in date usually apply to applications submitted that day. Changes in regulations after the lock-in date do not usually apply to applications submitted on or before the lock-in date.
Note: The Act allows the Governor in Council to apply changes in regulations to applications already submitted. When the Governor in Council does this, it states which applications are affected by the changes.
Family class: Lock-in (of age) is based on the day that the responsible Case Processing Centre (CPC) receives a sponsorship application. The documents downloaded to CAIPS from the CPC will specify the lock-in date.
Refugee and economic class: Lock-in (of age) occurs when a visa office has accepted a submission as an application. If a visa office determines that, after date stamping a submission as received, the submission does not meet the definition of an application, the submisson should be returned to the appropriate party and the lock-in set only after the submission has been returned to the visa office with the missing information or documentation. If age is a factor that makes an applicant admissible, officers should use the applicant's age on the lock-in date. As long as they are the right age on the lock-in date, they can surpass it before admission.
For Quebec-selected economic files, the lock-in date for dependency is the date the application for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) was received by Quebec. There are some offices which already receive, as part of the application for permanent residence, a copy of Quebec Form 6. This form specifies the date on which the application for a CSQ was received by the Serviced'Immigration du Québec. In other cases, offices may receive only the CSQ. In the absence of proof of when the file was received by Quebec, offices should use the CSQ issuance date as the lock-in date. The fees payable for the dependent child should also be determined based on the age of the child as of the lock-in date. For example, if the child was 21 years old when the application for a CSQ was submitted, but is 23 years old when the application is received by the embassy, the fee would be CAN$150 (i.e., the fee for a family member of the principal applicant who is less than 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner). Where there is a
dispute as to the correct fee payable or dependency, the Service d'Immigration du Québec office should be contacted to provide the Quebec application date.
Note: For Quebec-selected entrepreneur cases, the lock-in date for conditions is the CSQ issuance date. The ministère de l'Immigration et Communautés culturelles du Québec has indicated that all the entrepreneurs selected by the department as of June 28, 2002 have signed Annexe 6 (D05 Admission conditionnnelle.doc): Déclaration d'un entrepreneur admis sous condition, acknowledging the conditions described in R98. The signed document is kept in the entrepreneurs' files at the Quebec immigration office. Successful Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) appeals and judicial reviews: Cases which are reopened following a successful IAD appeal or judicial review should maintain their original lock-in date, but the application date should be changed to reflect the date on which the file is re-opened. This will ensure that accurate processing times are reported. Note: Processing times are defined as the period required to bring a case to a final decision. A successful IAD appeal sets aside the original decision, thus initializing a new and separate processing time for a (new) final decision. Missions must flag these cases to ensure they are processed promptly to conclusion and not queued according to application date.
http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/op/op01-eng.pdf
5.24 Lock-in date
The lock-in date is a reference point used to freeze certain factors for the purpose of processing applications. Neither the Act nor Regulations define it. It does not overcome any requirements of the Act and Regulations that applicants must satisfy when an officer admits them. Regulations in effect on the lock-in date usually apply to applications submitted that day. Changes in regulations after the lock-in date do not usually apply to applications submitted on or before the lock-in date.
Note: The Act allows the Governor in Council to apply changes in regulations to applications already submitted. When the Governor in Council does this, it states which applications are affected by the changes.
Family class: Lock-in (of age) is based on the day that the responsible Case Processing Centre (CPC) receives a sponsorship application. The documents downloaded to CAIPS from the CPC will specify the lock-in date.
Refugee and economic class: Lock-in (of age) occurs when a visa office has accepted a submission as an application. If a visa office determines that, after date stamping a submission as received, the submission does not meet the definition of an application, the submisson should be returned to the appropriate party and the lock-in set only after the submission has been returned to the visa office with the missing information or documentation. If age is a factor that makes an applicant admissible, officers should use the applicant's age on the lock-in date. As long as they are the right age on the lock-in date, they can surpass it before admission.
For Quebec-selected economic files, the lock-in date for dependency is the date the application for a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ) was received by Quebec. There are some offices which already receive, as part of the application for permanent residence, a copy of Quebec Form 6. This form specifies the date on which the application for a CSQ was received by the Serviced'Immigration du Québec. In other cases, offices may receive only the CSQ. In the absence of proof of when the file was received by Quebec, offices should use the CSQ issuance date as the lock-in date. The fees payable for the dependent child should also be determined based on the age of the child as of the lock-in date. For example, if the child was 21 years old when the application for a CSQ was submitted, but is 23 years old when the application is received by the embassy, the fee would be CAN$150 (i.e., the fee for a family member of the principal applicant who is less than 22 years of age and not a spouse or common-law partner). Where there is a
dispute as to the correct fee payable or dependency, the Service d'Immigration du Québec office should be contacted to provide the Quebec application date.
Note: For Quebec-selected entrepreneur cases, the lock-in date for conditions is the CSQ issuance date. The ministère de l'Immigration et Communautés culturelles du Québec has indicated that all the entrepreneurs selected by the department as of June 28, 2002 have signed Annexe 6 (D05 Admission conditionnnelle.doc): Déclaration d'un entrepreneur admis sous condition, acknowledging the conditions described in R98. The signed document is kept in the entrepreneurs' files at the Quebec immigration office. Successful Immigration Appeal Division (IAD) appeals and judicial reviews: Cases which are reopened following a successful IAD appeal or judicial review should maintain their original lock-in date, but the application date should be changed to reflect the date on which the file is re-opened. This will ensure that accurate processing times are reported. Note: Processing times are defined as the period required to bring a case to a final decision. A successful IAD appeal sets aside the original decision, thus initializing a new and separate processing time for a (new) final decision. Missions must flag these cases to ensure they are processed promptly to conclusion and not queued according to application date.