Vancouver, BC- May 26, 2023: Today, big news came out for families hoping to reunite in Canada. Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, made an exciting announcement alongside Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament for Vancouver Centre.
Watch Minister Sean Fraser’s Announcement here:
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All about Minister Sean Fraser’s latest announcement:
“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.”
– The Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship
Quicker Visa Processing Times
The first part of the announcement was all about Processing times. Now, if you’re applying for a temporary resident visa (TRV) as a spouse, you won’t have to wait as long. IRCC’s goal is to process most of these applications within 30 days.
To help make this happen, IRCC will be utilizing new tools specially designed for spousal TRV applicants. These tools take into account the specific circumstances of spouses and dependents.
According to Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser, These tools have already been put to use, and the approval rate for these applications is high, at 93%.
New Work Permits
The second part of the announcement is about work.
Once in Canada, many newcomers look for jobs to support themselves and their families. To assist with this, Canada is now offering open work permits for spousal applicants and their dependent children who live with their sponsor in Canada and have temporary resident status.
Spouses, partners, and dependents can apply for and receive an open work permit as soon as they submit a complete permanent residence application. This applies to those applying under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SPCLC) and other family class programs.
Extended Work Permits
The last part of the announcement is about work permit extensions. If you have an open work permit that’s due to expire between August 1 and the end o f 2023, you can extend it for another 18 months. This extension was also recently offered to people with expiring post-graduation work permits.
These initiatives underscore the important role that immigration plays in meeting Canada’s labor needs. They also make good on Minister Fraser’s commitment to strengthen family reunification by making it easier for spouses, partners, and dependent children to obtain temporary resident status while waiting for permanent residence.
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