Oh No...Not ANOTHER Pilot Progam OWP thread?!

[Ponga]

Since the issuance of the new OWP is basically automatic, based solely on CIC having received an inland sponsorship application (before anything is even checked), do you think they at least perform some sort of background check and/or police check before issuing the OWP? Maybe that's why it takes them ~ 4 months to issue it, because they're at least checking `something'?

I suspect that a background check (of some sort) is performed when they issue the regular OWP, but am just curious about how, if at all, their process differs for this new OWP.

 

[taffy7]

Well when you apply outland it can take 60 to 90 for SA and backgrounds checks takes months and months lol or even a year . I'm guess they are checking that the sponsor is real .

 

[Ponga]

But in reality, it only takes a couple of minutes for a person at CIC or CBSA to run the person's name and info through their system (like CPIC and NCIC (for the U.S.), Interpol, etc.) to see if a person would be inadmissible. For an Inland applicant, the second stage (after AIP) is only security, background and medical, so...it seems that it'd be easy for someone to use this as a way to simply get the OWP, leave their sponsor and disappear somewhere, at least until it expired. Perhaps that's one reason why it's a one-year pilot program.

This question that I posed stems from a rather lengthy discussion that I had with someone recently, that feels that the Pilot OWP program is an invitation for some people that simply want an OWP and would be otherwise unable to qualify for a regular one, because of inadmissibility issues.

 

[Majromax]

This question that I posed stems from a rather lengthy discussion that I had with someone recently, that feels that the Pilot OWP program is an invitation for some people that simply want an OWP and would be otherwise unable to qualify for a regular one, because of inadmissibility issues.

The pilot OWP is only granted if the applicant has legal status in Canada to begin with. If there's an inadmissibility issue, then they shouldn't have that legal status.

Inland applicants who lack status at the time of application can still get the OWP after approval in principle, but that obviously takes a great deal longer than 4 months as of this writing.

 

[Ponga]

The pilot OWP is only granted if the applicant has legal status in Canada to begin with. If there's an inadmissibility issue, then they shouldn't have that legal status.

Agreed, but consider these scenarios:

An American (with some sort of inadmissibility issue) drives across the border into Canada and is only briefly questioned in the primary line and allowed to enter.

Or

A person enters Canada and then commits a crime that would make them inadmissible....and then they submit the OWP application.


I can't imagine that CIC isn't doing some sort of a check before issuing an OWP, but...then again...anything's possible.

 

[Jenzo]

Agreed, but consider these scenarios:

An American (with some sort of inadmissibility issue) drives across the border into Canada and is only briefly questioned in the primary line and allowed to enter.

Or

A person enters Canada and then commits a crime that would make them inadmissible....and then they submit the OWP application.


I can't imagine that CIC isn't doing some sort of a check before issuing an OWP, but...then again...anything's possible.

Why do they make us send in our own criminality checks then if they do checking also? Do you need to send in police certificates to get an OWP? I don't recall having to do so but it's been years since I had my OWP.

 

[Ponga]

Why do they make us send in our own criminality checks then if they do checking also? Do you need to send in police certificates to get an OWP? I don't recall having to do so but it's been years since I had my OWP.

Exactly! They could easily just add an additional fee and it would probably even streamline the process, since they can see if there is a criminality issue.

A police report is [apparently] not needed for an OWP, which is why I started the tread. Even for those that get OWP after AIP, some get them before CIC has received their police report as well.

 

[Majromax]

Agreed, but consider these scenarios:

An American (with some sort of inadmissibility issue) drives across the border into Canada and is only briefly questioned in the primary line and allowed to enter.

At the time of crossing the CBSA agent will do a basic admissibility check and then allow the American into Canada if they pass. This process would apply at every entry, even if the American already had a work permit.

Besides, we already know this is the existing minimum for open work permits. In theory, Americans can apply for NAFTA work permits and study permits at the time of border crossing, but I do not know of anyone who has actually done this.

A person enters Canada and then commits a crime that would make them inadmissible....and then they submit the OWP application.

Committing and being convicted of a serious crime should cause a removal order to be issued against the temporary resident, OWP-having or no.

Exactly! They could easily just add an additional fee and it would probably even streamline the process, since they can see if there is a criminality issue.

It's a belt-and-suspenders approach. CIC will certainly do their own checks, but the police record is an additional verification that there are no criminality issues lurking. This is especially appropriate for immigrants from countries that would not share data as freely with Canada as does the United States.

Regardless, we can make the exact same claims in this thread with regards to the health check as the criminality check. Americans can temporarily live in and work in Canada for years without proving that they don't have TB, needing the chest X-Ray only at the point of PR application.