We applied from Europe for super visa for my mother in law on May 6th, just biometrics done… no change as of today either…
Ridiculous visitor visa processing times 2022??
- Thread starter alex772642
- Start date
You very well diagnosed the problem! There is no oversea visa post where visitor visas are being processed as we know it. There is a general halt on processing, regardless of where you are applying from. I have clients who applied from Germany (all of them with good IT jobs and permanent residents of Germany, but citizens of India, Pakistan and the Philippines) and their applications are being processed in Vienna (which serves that part of Europe); clients who applied from Pakistan, India and Thailand, some of them hold 10-year US visas, some have been to Canada several times in the past and hold expired Canadian visas; clients from Nigeria, whose applications are being processed at the Nairobi, Kenya visa office, and clients applying for visitor visas from the London visa office. Some of these applications have been pending for 11 months, some for 7 months, some for 6 months. For all of these visitor visa applications, the same trend follows them. "Your application is in progress. We will send you a message when we start reviewing your eligibility" Not one has eligibility under review.
The bottom line is: except in only a very few minority of cases - elderly parents in their 70s and 80s visiting children in Canada or husband visiting spouse and children in Canada - visitor visas are not being processed because of Ukraine (CUAET) and Afghanistan. COVID caused an overwhelming backlog and visa offices received standing instructions to focus on only some priority areas - CUAET, Afghanistan, PR, Student and spousal sponsorship. Visitor visas bring them little to no economic benefit, so they can afford not to process it for now. Things might change with the lifting of all COVID restrictions. But let's wait and see.
Here is my worry: by the time they resume processing of visitor visas, there might be very high rate of refusals. These visitor visas are already being processed with the aid of IRCC's "advanced data analytics tool"/artificial intelligence/Chinook, whatever you want to call it. That robot that has been trained to be discriminatory/racist and processing applications in bulk and trying to clear the backlog, is going to recommend rejecting many of these applications, as the applicants are from visa-required countries. Those from visa exempt countries don't need visas, just eTA and they get in. Filing a judicial review for a visitor visa is not what many clients want to spend huge legal fees on, so they will let it go. However, few who are determined will challenge such refusals and the chances of success with such JRs would be high.
Just my one cent opinion!
This is definately not correct.
Not sure what cases you are assisting with but my review of eligibility has already started:
Review of eligibility
- We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
I’m talking of my flies. Read my post very well. If review of eligibility has started, then you are in the very negligible minority of cases being processed. I have more than 10 applications from different countries and continents. None is at the stage of eligibility review. Some of them are pending for 11 months.
That's great! That means they have finally resumed the processing of visitor visas. Given that you applied as early as Feb/Mar (when the Russian invasion started and the London VO shifted their focus) you must be one of the firsts. I do feel that they started working on visitor visas when they first updated the processing time from 9 to 45 days. Anyways fingers crossed for you and pls let us know if you have any updates.
Well atleast they are updating the processing time accurately now, given that I have been waiting for 180 days
180 days? So the 143 days are finally real processing times… I hope yours is coming soon… it has been half a year
500k Ukrainians essentially applied for visas from Europe so the system got overwhelmed.
It is almost November now, so close to 9 months and no response yet!
My current status reads the below with the Estimated remaining processing time greyed out and no Estimated completion time is given:
Review of eligibility
We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
Review of medical results
You do not need a medical exam. We will send you a message if this changes.
Review of additional documents
We do not need additional documents.
Interview
You do not need an interview. We will send you a message if this changes.
Biometrics
XYZ Completed.
Background check
We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
Final decision
Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.
Based on other people from the site, any idea how much longer it is going to take?
My current status reads the below with the Estimated remaining processing time greyed out and no Estimated completion time is given:
Review of eligibility
We are reviewing whether you meet the eligibility requirements.
Review of medical results
You do not need a medical exam. We will send you a message if this changes.
Review of additional documents
We do not need additional documents.
Interview
You do not need an interview. We will send you a message if this changes.
Biometrics
XYZ Completed.
Background check
We are processing your background check. We will send you a message if we need more information.
Final decision
Your application is in progress. We will send you a message once the final decision has been made.
Based on other people from the site, any idea how much longer it is going to take?
If everything is good, you will hear from them not much longer. If everything is good and there is no query on the file, you should hear from them between 2 and 3 weeks of status change to "Reviewing Eligibility".
By way of an update on my delayed applications, here is a timeline for one of them:
Applied for TRV on the new portal - October 21, 2021;
Status change to "Reviewing Eligibility" - October 18, 2022;
Biometric Validity Letter - October 18, 2022; and
Original Passport Request Letter - October 19, 2022
It too 12 months to process this application. The Nairobi office has the application. Obviously visitor visas were not actively being processed by this office until all COVID-19 restrictions were completely lifted on October 1, 2022.
Hoping the other outstanding gets processed sooner than later!
By way of an update on my delayed applications, here is a timeline for one of them:
Applied for TRV on the new portal - October 21, 2021;
Status change to "Reviewing Eligibility" - October 18, 2022;
Biometric Validity Letter - October 18, 2022; and
Original Passport Request Letter - October 19, 2022
It too 12 months to process this application. The Nairobi office has the application. Obviously visitor visas were not actively being processed by this office until all COVID-19 restrictions were completely lifted on October 1, 2022.
Hoping the other outstanding gets processed sooner than later!
The long wait time is due to the fact that you are Russian. There may either be a hold on all TRV applications from Russia or instructions for denial. There are many Russians that are applying for TRVs with no plans on returning to Russia so if that is your case would suggest looking for other options.
Mine too is being processed in Nairobi,am from Nigeria,hopefully i hear from them soon...i applied on the 8th of june
Obviously not - I have been living in the Netherlands for a long time and wanted to visit Canada as a tourist.
The reviewing eligibility status changed a few months ago and no updates after that.
Unfortunately you may have to postpone your trip to Canada until after there is some conclusion to the war. Lots of other great destinations to visit around the world in the meantime.