Author: Cassandra Fultz, RCIC

Cassandra specializes in Canadian immigration cases pertaining to Procedural Fairness Letters (PFL), Study Permits, PR Card Renewal on Humanitarian and Compassionate Grounds, Criminal Rehabilitation, Temporary Resident Permits, Canadian citizenship, Family Sponsorship, and Visitor Visas. She has advocated for her clients with an impressive success rate, including for applications with prior refusals.

India-Canada Direct Flights Resume Today

Date Posted: 2021/09/27

Have you been one of the many people affected by the ban that came into place in April this year?

Today the ban has finally been lifted and not a moment too soon as thousands of Visitor Visa, Study Permit and Work Permit holders had started to lose hope.

Since direct routes were restricted, such as from India, many had to stop over in other countries and along with that follow their quarantine and testing guidelines before they could even land in Canada and then another set of quarantine and testing requirements once they landed in Canada. This incurred a lot of travel costs.

It has been an impossible situation with many people wondering if they would ever get the chance to commence their studies, visit or work in Canada but finally, it seems, things may be returning to some sort of normality.

This is a huge boost to students in particular who, up until now, have had to study online if their designated learning institution authorized it. If they didn’t then it has caused huge issues with regards to any future applications like post graduate work permits.

Applicants who have had their visitor visas approved have been unable to join family in Canada up until now so things are moving in the right direction.

There are strict requirements that must be met of course. All travelers must have proof of a negative COVID-19 test from the approved Genestrings laboratory at the Delhi airport, taken within 18 hours of the scheduled departure of their direct flight to Canada.

They will also have to comply with all other requirements.

This is in addition to the ArriveCAN mobile app that must have all their information uploaded into it. Failure to do so will result in a refusal to board.

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Tags: covid-19, Study, visitor visa, Work Permit

Parents & Grandparents Sponsorship Application Invites being sent out now – says IRCC

Date Posted: 2021/09/23

The IRCC has announced it is now sending out invites in response to interests in sponsoring parents and grandparents they received in 2020.

The IRCC has confirmed that it will be accepting up to 30,000 applications under the Parents & Grandparents (PGP) program this year, based on the applications of interest submitted in 2020. This will be the highest number of intakes under this program for any period so far.

How do I know if my application has been accepted?

If you’re one of those who submitted their interest to sponsor your parent or grandparent in 2020, you might want to regularly check your emails for an update. You will also need to have your application confirmation handy when submitting your applications.

I don’t have my confirmation number, what do I do?

If you’ve lost your confirmation number, or are you using a different email address than when you sent in your interest, you can retrieve your confirmation number and invitation status using the Lost My Confirmation Number tool. You should receive a response from the IRCC within 10 business days.

The tool will be active once all invitations have been sent out to prospective applicants.

Is there a deadline to apply?

Yes, you have 60 days from the date you receive the invitation to submit the application. You must apply online using the new Permanent Residence Portal. If due to an accessibility reasons or disability you are unable to apply online, you can request a paper based application package by sending an email to IRCC.2021PGPPaperApplication-2021PGPDemandesenversionpapier.IRCC@cic.gc.ca before October 21, 2021.

Do I have to show a minimum earning to sponsor?

Yes, you will need to show that you can support your parents or grandparents when they’re with you in Canada. However, for the tax year 2020, the IRCC requires that you should have meet the minimum necessary income (MNI) requirement, instead of the MNI+30%. It will also allow recipients of COVID-19 related benefits to be included in the MNI towards sponsorship. This is to ensure that applicants who have been affected by the pandemic are not penalized if they’re unable to meet the MNI requirement.

It is important to note though that for prior years, the requirement will continue to be MNI+30%. Read more about minimum necessary incomes here.

I haven’t received an invitation; do I have any other option to sponsor?

As a matter of fact, you still have the option to apply for a super visa for your parents or grandparents. The super visa allows your loved ones to visit and stay with you for up to 2 years at a time, instead of just 6 months if they were on a visit visa. They can also enter Canada multiple times, for up to 10 years. We however advise that all travellers follow the health guidelines related to the pandemic and their physicians to ensure they always travel safely and in good health.

I want to know more about this program

Speak with us today to know more about the PGP program and other immigration and temporary residence programs.

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Tags: grandparents, parents, pgp, sponsorship

I Submitted My Proof of Canadian Citizenship Application Months Ago – What Can I Do?

Date Posted: 2021/09/21

Why haven’t I heard anything about my Proof of Citizenship application?

Early March 2020 seems like a lifetime ago but it is when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. The impact caused many problems for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Notably, Case Processing Centers, Visa Application Centers, and Visa Offices closed and staff had no choice but to work from home leading to reduced work capacity.

The impact of covid-19 is unprecedented, resulting in extremely negative impacts on Canadian citizenship and immigration processing times. Citizenship certificate applications have been among the hardest hit as these applications were de-prioritized in order to allow IRCC staff to focus on other types of applications that the government deemed more urgent.

Pre-COVID, processing time for Canadian Citizenship certificate replacement was approximately 6 months and was approximately 6 months to 1 year for a first-time application for proof of Canadian citizenship. When an application is submitted, you receive the Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) email from IRCC confirming receipt of your application.

In June 2021, IRCC announced processing time for applications had increased to 15 months (due to a growing backlog of applications during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020). In truth, the processing time had already gone up, and IRCC only announced this officially in June.

They also specify that there will be long delays before the acknowledgment of receipt is issued. Our office can confirm this is accurate as we have had many clients who have still not received their AOR email for applications submitted in 2020. IRCC also confirms that first proof of citizenship or renewal applicants from outside of Canada will have to wait even longer than 15 months.

When can I expect to get my acknowledgement of receipt email?

The Acknowledgement of Receipt, which will include your file number (10-digit file number beginning with PR), was generally taking between (3) to (4) months to be received before the pandemic. Now, it would be realistic to expect to receive the email approximately 14 months after you submitted your application in 2020 if you submitted later than the first week of February.

Can I call IRCC to check on my application?

Yes, you can call IRCC on the regular phone number of 1-888-242-2100. However, if you have not received the Acknowledgement of Receipt email with your 10-digit file number, then IRCC will not be able to check on your application at all as it has not yet been entered into the system. Until you receive the AOR email with the file number, there is no way to track the application. Your only means of confirming that it has been received by IRCC is the delivery confirmation from the courier company you used.

How can I speed up the processing of my citizenship certificate application?

To apply for urgent processing, you must be eligible to apply for citizenship and have reasonable grounds for the request, such as the need to;

access benefits like:
- accepting an offer of admission to a Canadian university or college
- accepting a job offer from a Canadian employer
- joining the Canadian Forces
- apply for your pension
- access health care (renew your health card)
- obtain your Social Insurance Number
- obtain your Canadian passport to travel urgently (such as because of death or serious illness in your family)

This list is NOT comprehensive – there are lots of other reasons why a request for urgency may be approved for a citizenship certificate application. If you have already submitted an application and your personal circumstances have changed whereby you need urgent processing, a new application can be submitted which will process urgently.

Expedited Processing Times – Proof of Citizenship

For a citizenship card or certificate replacement, urgent processing will have your Acknowledgement of Receipt issued in approximately 1 – 2 weeks and will have your citizenship certificate issued in approximately 8 weeks.

For a first citizenship certificate, urgent processing times are approximately 2 – 4 weeks for the AOR and 6 – 8 weeks for the citizenship certificate.

My citizenship certificate application has been returned by IRCC – What should I do?

If you submitted an application to replace your Canadian citizenship card/certificate and the application was returned to you, or you received a letter requesting additional documents or information, this means that your application was not complete. IRCC will not continue to process your application for a new proof of Canadian citizenship until you provide exactly what they have requested.

If your entire application was returned, then your application has not gone into process. You will need to submit the entire application again and include whatever documentation or information was missing.

If your application went into processing, but additional info or documents were requested, you must provide what IRCC has requested. If you don’t respond within 180 days (6 months) of their letter to you, your application will be deemed abandoned and you will not receive a replacement of your Canadian citizenship card or a refund of your IRCC processing fee.

If you’re not sure why your application was returned, Contact us for more information.

Tags: Citizenship certificate

International Students And PGWP In COVID Times

Date Posted: 2021/09/16

If you’re one of the students affected by COVID-19 and studying remotely, and not sure if you’d be eligible for the PGWP, you’re not alone.

Thousands of students have been studying remotely from their home countries, while studying with their respective programs in Canadian colleges and universities. Many have enrolled in a post-graduate work permit (PGWP) eligible program and have been asking if their study period outside Canada, due to travel restrictions, would still count toward their PGWP.

Objectives of the Temporary Public Policy

This temporary public policy aims to:

allow eligible PGWP holders and former PGWP holders, including those who changed their status to visitor or fell out of status, to apply from inside Canada for an open work permit for a period of up to 18 months or until the expiry of the applicant’s passport, whichever is shorter; and
exempt eligible foreign nationals from the requirement that a work permit not be issued if they have not complied with certain temporary resident conditions or work permit criteria.

General Requirements for PGWP

As a rule, students will only be able to qualify for PGWP if:

have a valid study permit,
have been approved for a study permit by virtue of being accepted into a program with a DLI, and
submit a study permit application prior to beginning their program and eventually be approved.

It is important to note that the time spent studying while being outside of Canada can only be counted towards PGWP duration after the IRCC receives the study permit application. The PGWP is issued for a minimum period of 8 months, based on the duration of the program a student has enrolled in, which again should be of a minimum 8-month duration.

The general eligibility requirements of PGWP remain the same as before.

Studying while outside Canada

Under normal circumstances, distance learning courses are not eligible for PGWP. For all other courses, at least 50% of the course must be completed in person while being in Canada. However due to the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions the IRCC has made temporary policy changes exempting students from this rule.

Exemptions for International Students during COVID

To be eligible for this exemption, students should either:

be enrolled in a PGWP-eligible programs in progress in March 2020, or
have begun or will begin PGWP-eligible programs between spring 2020 and fall 2021.

Thus, students who meet the above exemptions will not be required to meet the 50% distance learning rule; instead, up to 100% of their programs can be completed from outside Canada. But there’s a catch. Any time spent studying from outside Canada may be counted towards the overall length of the post-graduation work permit until December 31, 2021. If the student continues to study from outside Canada beyond this date, will be deducted from the length of the post-graduation work permit.

Students enrolled in multiple programs

Students enrolled in multiple programs that are eligible for PGWP may be able to:

complete 100% of their programs from outside of Canada (if both programs were either in progress in March 2020 or began between spring 2020 and fall 2021), and
combine the length of their programs of study when applying for a PGWP in the future.

Again, each course must be longer than 8 months in duration to be eligible for the PGWP.

Part-time or course cancellations due to COVID

Several numbers of students enrolled in a PGWP eligible course prior to the pandemic have been affected by the restrictions to classroom limits or course cancellations. As such they would have become part-time students due to no fault of their own. This policy maintains that if they were enrolled in the winter, spring, and summer 2020 semesters at a DLI, their eligibility towards a PGWP will not be impacted. They will be able to maintain their status as full-time students as it was the case when they enrolled in the program, for PGWP eligibility purposes.

What you need to apply for PGWP

As most schools are either closed or have restricted access, international students may face difficulties in obtaining a letter of completion or final transcripts from the DLI.

To address this situation, this temporary policy facilities PGWP applicants who fall under the abovementioned criteria to submit their application without a letter of competition or final transcript. The IRCC officer will require this information later when the application is being processed. Students will have sufficient time to apply for and receive these documents.

Students applying to restore their status can also apply without a letter of completion or final transcript.

Want to learn more about PGWP and how to apply? Speak with us today.

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Tags: PGWP, study permit

Visitor Visa Applicants Waiting For Decision Should Resubmit, says IRCC

Date Posted: 2021/09/10

The Canadian government regularly issues travel advisory for people traveling to and from Canada, especially during the times of pandemic. Yesterday the government made a special announcement for Visit Visa applicants who have submitted their applications before September 7, 2021, and have been waiting for a decision.

The advisory provides recommendations and next steps for these applicants.

If you are waiting a decision because you need to travel soon to Canada

In this case, the government has recommended that applicants file a new visit visa application. This can be through your representative or by yourself. Your application may be considered as urgent or requiring a quicker decision if you are applying:

to unite with an immediate family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada
to unite with an immediate family member who is in Canada temporarily
to unite with an extended family member who is a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada.
to visit on business (meeting, special event, training)
to attend an end-of-life ceremony or funeral
to be present during the final moments of life of a loved one
to provide care to a critically ill person
to join a vessel as a marine crew member
to assume a posting as a diplomat or to travel as an accompanying immediate family member of a diplomat arriving on posting who will also be accredited in Canada
to handle the affairs of a victim of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752

Immediate and extended family members

The IRCC defines immediate and extended family members as follows:

Immediate family member includes a

spouse or common-law partner
dependent child (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
dependent child of a dependent child
parent or step-parent (yours, your spouse’s or your common-law partner’s)
guardian or tutor

You will not require an authorization to travel and exemption that you need to travel.

Extended family member includes a

non-dependent child (adult child)
grandchild (dependent child of a non-dependent adult child)
sibling, half-sibling or step-sibling
grandparent

If you have a relationship with a Canadian citizen, person registered under Canada’s Indian Act or permanent resident of Canada, you may be considered as an extended family member provided you can prove that you are in an exclusive relationship for more than a year and have spent time together at some point in the relationship, and that you are both above the age of 18 years.

Resubmitting the application

When resubmitting your application, it is important to submit up to date information and documents, as it is a fresh application. Please note once this application is received, your previous application will be withdrawn, though if the application is already in process, there is no guarantee of a refund for the previous application, and you will not receive a notice of withdrawal for your previous application.

If you do not intend to travel immediately

In this case, you may not take any action. Your application will remain in queue for processing with the IRCC.

If you no longer intend to visit Canada

In this situation it is advised that you withdraw your application by placing a withdrawal request through the IRCC web form. However, please note that if processing has started, there is no guarantee of refund.

Are you looking to apply for a Visitor Visa to Canada? Speak with us today.

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Reference:

https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/services/coronavirus-covid19/visitors/visa.html

Tags: covid-19, visitor visa

Update for IEC Candidates in the Working Holiday Pool

Date Posted: 2021/09/07

In an updated issued today (September 7), the IRCC has stated that IEC candidates who are already listed in the Working Holiday pool and are fully vaccinated will no longer be required to provide a valid job offer to receive their Invitation to Apply (ITA).

This news comes when today the Canadian government has started easing travel restrictions for fully vaccinated travelers. IEC candidates who wish to travel to Canada to join their place of work will now only be required to provide a proof of vaccination of both doses of the approved vaccines, when they enter the country. Job offers already submitted will not be required to be submitted again.

IEC candidates who have not received any or both doses of the approved vaccines will still have to provide proof of a valid job offers when they arrive at Canadian borders and will be required to follow testing and quarantine guidelines, as would be applicable at their time of arrival.

Starting September 13, IEC will begin random draws to issue ITAs to candidates. Candidates are requested that if they do not intend to travel any time soon, they should decline the ITA. Declining the invitation will not affect their chances of receiving an ITA in the future and the candidates will continue to main in the pool for future rounds.

However, if IEC candidates accept the invitation, they are responsible to ensure that all requirements are met at the time of entering Canada.

We also recommend following the latest travel, testing, quarantine, and border restrictions information regularly updated on Canada’s travel webpage.

Tags: IEC, travel, Work Permit

IEC Working Holiday Extensions – Policy Update September 2, 2021

Date Posted: 2021/09/03

IEC Working Holiday permit extension - policy update

Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

International Experience Canada (IEC) provides candidates the opportunity to travel and work in Canada. Candidates from countries who have an agreement with Canada can apply for an IEC working holiday work permit. Some countries may allow candidates to apply once, twice, in the same or different pools, for one year at a time. It’s important that candidates confirm with their country’s Working Holiday agreements with Canada prior to applying.

Click here to read more about the IEC.

COVID-19 related policy

Last year the IRCC announced that work permit holders were allowed to request restoration of their status beyond the usual 90 days to apply for restoration. This came because of how the pandemic continues to have a negative impact on temporary residents within the country. Read more about it here.

Under the new policy announced on September 2, 2021, the IRCC has announced that IEC candidates who have received their Letters of Introduction (LOI), but are about to expire at the end of 2021, can request to have them extended for 12 months.

Who is eligible for this extension?

The IRCC announced that those who have not been able to come to Canada to work under the IEC working holiday program since the start of the pandemic, may be eligible to request one final 12-month extension on their LOI. They would need to meet the following eligibility requirements:

their initial LOI was issued between January 1, 2019, and April 30, 2020 – even if an extension was previously granted due to the pandemic;
their present LOI has expired or will expire before December 31, 2021;
they were approved for the WHP (special program code WHP – Working Holiday Programme);
they still cannot secure employment to overcome travel restrictions to come to Canada; and
the request for extension is received before December 31, 2021, using the IRCC’s Web form.

Is a medical exam required again?

If the candidate has already undergone an immigration medical exam, then they will not be required to go through it again. The candidate will not be required to undergo biometrics unless it has been more than 10 years since they first submitted their biometrics.

Will all extension requests be approved?

All requests will be reviewed by immigration officers on a case-by-case basis. If they application to extend the LOI is granted, the 12-month extension will be either from the date of processing of the expired LOI, or from the expiry date of the current valid LOI.

As per the new policy, all IEC candidates must have a valid job offer and must carry their extension letters with them when traveling to Canada.

As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

Reference: https://www.canada.ca/en/immigration-refugees-citizenship/corporate/publications-manuals/operational-bulletins-manuals/service-delivery/coronavirus/temporary-residence/covid-iec.html

Tags: covid-19, IEC, iec working holiday, Work Permit

Travelling to Canada – Updated Travel Guidelines for September 2021

Date Posted: 2021/08/29

Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

Canadians love to travel – before covid-19, the travel business was of the most successful industries in Canada. The pandemic has unfortunately locked us either in or outside the country. This includes almost all Canadians, foreign workers, students, and visitors who have been in Canada since the borders closed, or have been forced to stay outside Canada and are unable to return.

Since the the last few months, Canadians – citizens and permanent residents, and visitors to the country have had to quarantine at a hotel and at their homes (if advised to do so), after entering Canada. The good news is that starting September 7, the government of Canada will be lifting restrictions on international travel, and for foreign nationals to enter Canada, as long as they meet the travel exemptions. However, they will no longer be required to quarantine or take a day 8 COVID-19 PCR test at home.

Entry requirements currently in place

To enter Canada currently, travellers must:

have no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 – a pre-travel negative test result is required
have received the full series of an accepted COVID-19 vaccine or a combination of accepted vaccines (see below)
have received the last dose of the vaccine at least 14 days prior to entering Canada
download and register on ArriveCAN and upload proof of vaccination
meet the travel requirements to enter Canada, such as having the required visa / permits, residency status.

Canadian citizens (including dual citizens), people registered under the Indian Act, permanent residents of Canada, or protected persons (refugee status) are allowed to enter Canada.

Fully vaccinated foreign nationals will be allowed to enter Canada for discretionary travel on specific dates:

August 9, 2021: American citizens and green card holders, currently residing in and arriving from the United States, and who qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption
August 9, 2021: French citizens who currently reside in Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon and who qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption
September 7, 2021 (tentative): All other foreign nationals who qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption

Accepted vaccines in Canada

The Canadian government currently accepts the following vaccines:

Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty, tozinameran, BNT162b2)
Moderna (mRNA-1273)
AstraZeneca/COVISHIELD (ChAdOx1-S, Vaxzevria, AZD1222)
Janssen/Johnson & Johnson (Ad26.COV2.S)

All other vaccines are currently not accepted under the guidelines of the Public Health Agency of Canada. Partially vaccinated travellers will not be exempted under this new travel guideline. Any travellers who have contracted COVID-19 after receiving one dose of the vaccine will be required to complete two full doses of one of the above vaccines.

For travellers who have vaccine certificates in a language other than English or French, they will be required to have their certificates translated in either English or French.

Travelling with children or dependents who are not fully vaccinated

Unvaccinated children under 12 years of age, who are accompanying a parent, step-parent, guardian or tutor who qualified as a fully vaccinated traveller when they entered Canada:

must follow all testing requirements for pre-entry, arrival and Day-8 tests (unless under the age of 5)
are exempt from quarantine as long as they follow the public health requirements outlined in the handout provided at the border

Unvaccinated children aged 12 through 17 must follow all testing and quarantine requirements, whether or not they are accompanied by travellers who qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption.

Unvaccinated dependents age 18 or over, by reason of mental or physical limitation, must follow all testing and quarantine requirements, even when they are accompanied by parents or guardians who qualify for the fully vaccinated traveller exemption.

Travelling to Canada soon

Here are the steps to follow when travelling to Canada any time after September 7:

All travellers 5 years of age or older, regardless of citizenship, must provide proof of a COVID-19 test result to enter Canada;
A quarantine plan, in case the traveller is not eligible for exemption;
Proof of vaccination uploaded in the ArriveCAN app;
Have the following items available when entering Canada as proof of vaccination:
Randomized tests on arrival at the port of entry.

Getting a COVID test on arrival

The CBSA officers may randomly select travellers for an on-arrival COVID-19 test. If selected, the traveller:

must take the arrival test as directed on the day they enter Canada,
may receive a home test kit to complete within 24 hours of entering Canada,
may not have to wait for the results, and can proceed to their final destination, including taking connecting flights, and
are not required to pay a fee for the arrival test.

If the traveller has been given a home test kit, they will be required to follow the instructions included with the kit within 24 hours of arriving in Canada, and request a pickup of the sample.

Exemption from testing on arrival

Some travellers may be exempted from testing. These may be travellers who have recovered from a COVID-19 and provide a pre-entry molecular test result, which may have been conducted 14 to 180 days before they arrived in Canada through land borders; those arriving on a boat; and children under the age of 5 years.

Unfortunately though, fully vaccinnated travellers are not exempted from on-arrival random testing.

Staying alert is staying safe

In all cases, travellers will be required to continuously monitor themselves for any systems for at least 14 days from the day they enter Canada, and are required to report any COVID-19 symptoms immediately to the Public Health Agency of Canada at 1-833-641-0343 and follow their guidelines. If required, proof of test results must be presented to any federal, provincial, territorial or municipal government official on request.

As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

https://travel.gc.ca/travel-covid/travel-restrictions/covid-vaccinated-travellers-entering-canada

Conjugal Sponsorship Application From Afghanistan

Date Posted: 2021/08/22

Special Immigration Program for Afghan Families who Assisted the Government of Canada

Conjugal Sponsorship

Most sponsorship applications are submitted as spousal sponsorships (when the couple is married) or common-law sponsorships (when the couple has lived together for at least 1 year). But what happens when the couple cannot get married or live together? Can the partner still be sponsored?

The answer is YES – if a couple is not able to get married or live together due to circumstances beyond their control, then they may be eligible to apply for conjugal sponsorship. If the conjugal sponsorship application is approved, then the applicant will become a PR just as they would through a spousal or common-law sponsorship.

Some of the reasons that would allow a couple to submit a conjugal sponsorship application include:

armed conflict in the applicant’s country of residence
it is unsafe or impossible for the sponsor to travel to the applicant’s country of residence
it is illegal for the two parties in the couple to get married – this could happen for reasons such as different religions, different races, homosexual relationship
it is against the religion of the sponsor or the applicant to live together before marriage

Conjugal sponsorship applications are rare because usually the couple can either live together or get married. However, with the coup and Taliban takeover of the government in Afghanistan, I expect that conjugal sponsorship applications from Afghanistan will become more frequent.

Conjugal Sponsorship Application Requirements

Even though they are not married, the couple in the conjugal relationship must be able to show that they meet the requirements for the application:

They have been in a relationship for at least 1 year and have maintained contact over this time
They are in a serious and exclusive relationship with one-another – neither the sponsor nor the applicant is allowed to be romantically involved in an ongoing relationship with another person

Please note:

The couple is not required to have met in person yet
The couple is not required to have engaged in a physical or sexual relationship either before or after meeting

If the relationship has not yet reached 1 year long, then it may be possible to overcome this requirement on humanitarian and compassionate grounds and still file the sponsorship application.

Both the sponsor and the applicant must be at least 18 years old to file a conjugal sponsorship application.

Even if the sponsor or the applicant is still married to or living at the same address as a former partner, they can still be included as part of a conjugal relationship for sponsorship even if the divorce has not been finalized or the former partner has not yet moved out.

Dependent children up to age 21 can also be included on a conjugal sponsorship application, as well as dependent children who are older than 21 and who are unable to care for themselves due to a disability stemming from before they turned 21 years old.

A conjugal sponsorship applicant cannot live in Canada. If the person being sponsored is inside Canada, then they must be sponsored using the In-Canada class or Family class sponsorship application.

Conjugal Sponsorship Process From Afghanistan

For two people to be considered in a conjugal relationship and eligible for sponsorship, they will have to be able to show evidence that the relationship is genuine and meets the requirements for conjugal sponsorship. The relationship is expected to be permanent and exclusive, and the couple is expected to have a level of interdependence on one-another.

Applicants from Afghanistan will have to have translations done which meet the requirements for IRCC as all documents which are not in English or French are required to be translated, including relationship evidence.

Whether a couple meets the requirements to be considered “conjugal partners” and thus eligible for sponsorship, is at the discretion of the IRCC officer deciding the case.

If you are in a conjugal relationship and want to sponsor your partner from Afghanistan or any other country, contact us.

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Tags: conjugal, sponsorship

TR To PR Pathway – Work Permit Update

Date Posted: 2021/07/15

Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence Pathway – Work Permit Update

On May 6^th 2021, IRCC created a new pathway to permanent residence that opened the door for 90,000 temporary residents who are legally employed in a variety of ‘essential worker’ positions or are newly graduated students.

While this was a boon for thousands of applicants in Canada, it had a fatal flaw: No option for a Bridging Open Work Permit. Unfortunately, if an individual’s work permit was due to expire after they had submitted their PR application, they were not permitted to apply for a BOWP the way other PR applicants are. The expiring workers’ only option was to change their status from ‘worker’ to visitor’ in order to maintain status in Canada until a decision could be made on their PR application.

This affected many PR applicants negatively as it meant they could not work while their application was in process.

Today, July 15^th 2021, IRCC has now implemented a public policy to amend this issue.

Beginning July 26^th 2021, individuals who have applied for the Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence pathway can now apply for an open work permit while awaiting a decision on their application!

TR To PR Work Permit Application Requirements

To apply for the TR to PR Pathway Work permit, Applicants must:

have successfully submitted an application under one of the new permanent residence pathway’s streams
held a valid work permit, or were authorized to work without a work permit, at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
hold a valid work permit that is set to expire within the next 4 months
have temporary resident status, maintained status or are eligible to restore their status at the time their open work permit application is submitted
be in Canada at the time their open work permit application is submitted
have been employed in any occupation at the time their permanent residence application was submitted
meet the language requirements of the stream under which they applied at the time their permanent residence application was submitted

This program and its requirements are extended to include any spouse or dependents of the principal applicant.

At this time all we know in regards to submission is the work permit application will be submitted online and the work permits will be valid until December 31^st 2022.

The IRCC plans to release further instructions on how to submit on July 26^th2021.

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Tags: PR, Work Permit

Have you been one of the many people affected by the ban that came into place in April this year?

How do I know if my application has been accepted?

I don’t have my confirmation number, what do I do?

Is there a deadline to apply?

Do I have to show a minimum earning to sponsor?

I haven’t received an invitation; do I have any other option to sponsor?

I want to know more about this program

When can I expect to get my acknowledgement of receipt email?

Can I call IRCC to check on my application?

How can I speed up the processing of my citizenship certificate application?

Expedited Processing Times – Proof of Citizenship

My citizenship certificate application has been returned by IRCC – What should I do?

Objectives of the Temporary Public Policy

General Requirements for PGWP

Studying while outside Canada

Exemptions for International Students during COVID

Students enrolled in multiple programs

Part-time or course cancellations due to COVID

What you need to apply for PGWP

If you are waiting a decision because you need to travel soon to Canada

Immediate and extended family members

Resubmitting the application

If you do not intend to travel immediately

If you no longer intend to visit Canada

Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

COVID-19 related policy

Who is eligible for this extension?

Is a medical exam required again?

Will all extension requests be approved?

As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

Before making plans to travel to Canada, always check the government of Canada website for current information as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

Entry requirements currently in place

Accepted vaccines in Canada

Travelling with children or dependents who are not fully vaccinated

Travelling to Canada soon

Getting a COVID test on arrival

Exemption from testing on arrival

Staying alert is staying safe

As mentioned above, always check the government of Canada website before you make plans to travel to Canada as policies related to travel restrictions, exemptions, etc. can change at any time and without prior notice.

Conjugal Sponsorship

Conjugal Sponsorship Application Requirements

Conjugal Sponsorship Process From Afghanistan

Temporary Residence to Permanent Residence Pathway – Work Permit Update

TR To PR Work Permit Application Requirements

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