Advice From an Immigration Consultant
Can I return to Canada with my spouse during the Travel restrictions?
If you or your spouse are included in the list of persons who are exempt from travel restrictions, you may return to Canada. To see if you or your spouse are exempt from Travel Restrictions, you may find our recent blog post about exemptions and restrictions.
Can I Give my fingerprints (biometrics) for my temporary residency/ Permanent residency during the COVID-19 restrictions in Canada?
To prevent further spread of the novel coronavirus, some visa application centres are closed until further notice. Some IRCC offices are currently operating with essential staff only. At Service Canada locations, biometric collection services have been suspended until further notice. Due to this suspension, Immigration officers are extending the 30-day requirement for applicants to submit additional documentation with their application. Additional documentation includes police certificates, biometrics, passports, and medical examinations.
What you need to know:
Officers will send a request letter and allow 90 days for the applicant to respond;
If a request for additional documentation was sent but the applicant was unable to comply within the deadline, officers will allow an additional 90 days for the applicant to respond;
The Biometrics Instruction will still advise applicants to submit biometrics within 30 days, however, applicants will be allowed 90 days to submit biometrics
How are Immigration applications being affected during COVID-19?
As of today, March 25th 2020, IRCC will continue to process immigration applications. However, there may be an impact on processing times for applications. The current processing time estimates listed by the Processing Time Calculator may not be accurate.
I’m in Canada as a Temporary Resident and my status is about to expire. What should I do?
Temporary residents who are currently in Canada can apply to extend their status online. A temporary resident who has applied to extend their status is allowed to remain in Canada until a decision is made on their new application, even if their initial status expires while they are waiting for that decision. This is called implied status.
It’s important to note that IRCC has advised Temporary Resident applicants NOT to travel to a port of entry (POE) to apply directly to a border services officer. Travelling to a POE from inside Canada for the purpose of getting immigration services is not considered essential travel, and they will not receive these services.
How are international students being affected by COVID-19?
International students who held a valid study permit or had been approved for a study permit when the travel restrictions took effect on March 18, 2020, will be able travel to Canada by air or land. They will be exempt from air travel and border restrictions. This exemption is to accommodate students who are in the middle of their course of study or who have just been approved to study in Canada but were outside Canada when the travel restrictions took effect.
However, it is important to note that IRCC has advised those affected by these exemptions NOT to try to travel to Canada immediately. IRCC will announce when the exemptions are in place. Further, international students who are exempt from air travel restrictions will undergo the necessary health checks and must self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival in Canada.
For more information, you may find these pages helpful:
Our Services
Calver and Associates is a leading provider of Canadian Immigration services in Durham Region. We serve clients in Oshawa, Whitby, Ajax, and beyond. Our Registered Canadian Immigration Consultant has over 10 years of experience in Canadian Immigration law and over four years of experience serving those in the Oshawa area.
We can provide assistance with applications for both temporary and permanent residency in Canada. We handle applications for study permits, permanent residency, family class sponsorship, visitor visas, work permits, and Canadian citizenship. We also handle criminal inadmissibility cases by developing remedies for refusal.
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