I received this reply today, after sending an email on July to Minister of Citizenship. Seems generic, other than two dates
Dear __my name_________:
This is in reply to your correspondence dated July 1, 2011, addressed to the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism, concerning the status of your husband’s application for permanent residence (APR).
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 Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). Accordingly, every effort is made to complete the processing of partner and spousal applications as quickly as possible. However, it is a 2-step process. 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.
Maintaining the integrity of our immigration program is a priority of the Government of Canada. As mentioned above, individuals who want to live permanently in Canada must meet certain requirements which include medical, criminality and security clearances. These requirements exist to protect the interests and safety of Canadians. The onus rests on the applicant to prove that he or she has met the requirements for entry to Canada or that admission would not be contrary to legislative requirements.
CIC conducts background checks by working together with partner agencies such as the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Canada Border Services Agency, medical authorities and agencies of foreign governments. Background screening processes are non-discriminatory and universal in their application. Any delays or requirements that our partner agencies may require in providing input are something over which we have no control. In addition, background and medical examination results are usually valid for a 12-month period. Should background or medical clearances expire during the application process, the applicant is required to update their results.
The need for further analysis of some cases by immigration and/or visa officials can also result in further delays. In addition, incomplete applications, failure to provide additional information, complexity of a case, difficulty in communicating with an applicant(s) or accompanying or non-accompanying dependant(s), postal or courier service delays, previous dealings with Canadian immigration officials, inadmissibility issues (criminality, medical condition) can contribute to processing delays. Multiple residences and/or employment, education and business dealings in different geographical areas, can also significantly delay the background clearance process. In this situation, clearances or verifications of documents must be obtained from different issuing authorities in many jurisdictions. Because of the variables involved, it is often impossible to predict the amount of time it will take to complete an application.
Our records confirm that your sponsorship undertaking was approved and your husband’s APR was received at the Canadian Consulate in Buffalo in January 2011. Currently, visa officers are completing routine medical, security and criminality background clearance checks. Please be assured that as soon as all statutory requirements have been met, this file will be finalized as expeditiously as circumstances permit. Visa officers will contact your husband should they require any additional documentation or information.
Current statistics based on historical processing data indicate that officers in Buffalo are finalizing 80% of applications in this category in approximately 11 months from the date of receipt of the completed application. Therefore, it appears that this application is proceeding normally with no unexpected or unwarranted delays.
Further information on processing times can be found at: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/information/times/perm/fc-spouses.asp.
A request by an applicant to have expedited processing is understandable. However, in the interest of fairness and program integrity, our policy is to process applications in the order in which they are received. To move one file ahead in the queue would not be fair to the many applicants in similar situations who had applied earlier.
With regard to increasing our current capacity to process more applications at the Buffalo office, every effort is made to conclude the processing applications as expeditiously as circumstances permit. However, CIC’s resources are limited and have to be deployed throughout an extensive overseas network. Each visa office must deal with operational environments unique both to its role in the Department’s overseas program commitments and the realities of the region of the world in which they are located. This means that processing times for categories of applications may vary within the CIC visa office network.
The Department closely monitors backlog and processing times, and continues to explore new ways to improve service while maintaining integrity of Canada’s immigration program.
I hope that this information is of assistance.
D. Kit
Ministerial Enquiries Division
This electronic address is not available for reply.
