Just wanted to share a reply I got from the Office of the Minister of Immigration:
Dear Mrs. Iay:
I am replying to your correspondence dated May 21, 2013, addressed to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, concerning your spouse, Mr. Iay and your sponsorship undertaking on behalf of his application for permanent residence.
Please be assured that Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) reviews all applications objectively and consistently to ensure fair and equitable treatment of all applicants. We assess each application on its own merit against the program requirements.
We realize that those who have submitted their applications look forward to a decision being rendered within a reasonable waiting period after applying. We make every effort to deal with the applications we receive in the most efficient and effective way. However, the many steps involved in processing an application, coupled with the volume of applications, sometimes make it difficult to conclude cases in as timely a manner as we would like.
Family reunification is a priority of CIC and every effort is made to complete the processing of spousal applications as quickly as possible. The sponsor must be assessed against the requirements of sponsorship and the foreign national being sponsored must be assessed against the statutory requirements of being in good health and of good character. In addition, the visa officer must be satisfied that the applicant is admissible to Canada, and, in the case of spouses and partners, that the relationship is genuine and not entered into for immigration purposes only.
Our records confirm that your undertaking was approved in March 2013. Your spouse’s application is currently in queue to be assessed by an officer at the Canadian Embassy in Manila. Once this assessment takes place, please be assured that he will be contacted should additional information, documentation, or a personal interview be required.
Information on processing times can be found at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp.
Citizenship and Immigration Canada closely monitors the backlog and processing times and is exploring new ways to improve service while maintaining the integrity of the immigration program. Despite the high inventory, we endeavour to process all cases as quickly as possible.
Thank you for taking the time to write. I hope that this information is helpful.
D. Kit
Ministerial Enquiries Division
