TORONTO – Authorities in Canada have announced new measures for those seeking immigration including speeding up the visa processing for Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) for spousal applicants.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced new measures to strengthen family reunification, including
- Faster temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal applicants
- New and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants
- A new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants
- Open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023
The measures have been announced so that families can be together sooner while they wait for their permanent residence to be finalized.
According to official details, most of these applications will be processed within 30 days, and applicants will benefit from processing measures specific to their circumstances as spouses and dependents.
It bears mentioning that many applications have already been processed using these new tools. An official press release stated that within this cohort of applicants, an approval rate of 93% has been witnessed.
Another measure pertains to open work permits for spousal applicants. In this regard, the government has announced that it has made open work permits available for spousal applicants and their dependent children who reside with their sponsor in Canada and have temporary resident status.
“Spouses, partners and dependants are now able to apply for and receive an open work permit as soon as they submit a complete permanent residence application under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SPCLC) or other family class programs,” the press release said.
Moreover, the minister announced that spousal applicants, along with other open work permit holders, whose open work permits expire between August 1 and the end of 2023, will be able to extend their work permits for an additional 18 months.
“Family reunification through immigration is not only a matter of compassion; it is a fundamental pillar of Canadian society. Today’s announcement is a mandate commitment to help build inclusive and resilient communities. We are supporting Canadians and newcomers by reuniting families faster, and also allowing them to work and support themselves more quickly once they’re here. By doing so, Canada is helping newcomers achieve their true potential, while also strengthening Canada’s economy and social fabric,” said Sean Fraser while announcing the measures.
Canada is revamping its immigration system and is considered among the countries which welcome immigration as endorsed by figures as well.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) disclosed a few months back that it hit the target of 431,645 new permanent residents and surpassed 2021 numbers. Prior to setting a new record for entrants in 2021, the last time Canada allowed such a large number of newcomers was in 1913.
This is in line with the government’s plans to settle more immigrants to plug the gap regarding labor shortages in various sectors and to increase the targets every year for the next three years.
Canada has set a new goal to bring in 465,000 new permanent residents this year, 485,000 in 2024 and 500,000 in 2025. At present, Immigrants account for 36% of physicians, 33% of business owners with paid staff, and 41% of engineers.
The population of Canada hovers around 38 million and each year, it receives citizenship requests from people from across the world due to social safety net, and better healthcare amongst other factors.
