Automatic Immigration Application Extensions Eliminated

IRCC Will Now Solely Enable Extensions on Case-By-Case Foundation

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is taking again a coverage change carried out because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and can not lengthen deadlines routinely for incomplete immigration functions, based on CIC Information.

This new coverage change will have an effect on citizenship, everlasting residence, and short-term residence candidates. 

IRCC will, nonetheless, proceed to be versatile, and can nonetheless supply extensions on a case-by-case foundation to candidates who can’t produce all of the required documentation because of COVID-19 disruptions. 

The objective is to extend the velocity at which selections are made concerning immigration functions.

“Having shoppers present the required supporting documentation will enable IRCC to make well timed selections on their functions, the place doable,” mentioned IRCC in a press launch. “This may also assist decrease impacts to future processing instances for all candidates by decreasing the present stock IRCC has and expediting folks’s journey to Canada when the journey restrictions are eased.”

Over the subsequent few months, IRCC will contact all candidates which might be approaching the deadline, and request supporting paperwork. If they can’t present the documentation, they need to present an affordable clarification for the way COVID-19 created disruptions which might be stopping them from submitting a whole utility.

The next are examples of “affordable explanations,” based on IRCC:

• A Visa Utility Centre or Utility Assist Centre in your area has been closed, which prevents you from offering your biometrics

• A provincial or city-wide lockdown is stopping you from present process a medical examination or acquiring supporting paperwork, resembling police certificates.

If an applicant’s request for an extension is taken into account “affordable” primarily based on their clarification, the applying deadline can be prolonged for one more 30 days. 

If they don’t seem to be eligible for an extension, candidates should then get their paperwork so as as quickly as doable.

“As it could take time to get this data, it’s necessary to begin gathering the paperwork now, so it is possible for you to to submit them on time after we ask for them,” the IRCC press launch mentioned.

Candidates will obtain one other request a number of weeks or months later, and can have 30 days from the date it’s acquired to submit the supporting paperwork. An immigration officer will then decide in your utility. 

For citizenship candidates, then again, in case your paperwork should not acquired after the 30 days, and you haven’t supplied an affordable clarification, the division might cease processing your utility and think about it deserted.

IRCC will contact you to tell you of their determination, so you’ll not must contact them immediately.

Arghavan Gerami

Arghavan Gerami is the Founder and Senior Counsel at Gerami Legislation Skilled Company (‘PC’), a full-service immigration regulation agency in Ottawa, Ontario. Since 2011, Ms. Gerami has centered her apply on immigration and refugee litigation. Previous to that, Ms. Gerami labored on the Ministry of Lawyer Basic and the Division of Justice and had the privilege of serving the Honourable Mr. Justice M. Evans on the Federal Courtroom of Attraction on immigration and administrative regulation appeals. Ms. Gerami contributes to the Immigration Legislation Part of the Canadian Bar Affiliation, the Canadian Affiliation of Refugee Legal professionals, and the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Refugees. Ms. Gerami has additionally revealed quite a few journal articles and introduced at numerous immigration and refugee regulation conferences and occasions throughout Canada.