In this article we are going to talk about the effects of COVID 19 on Canada Immigration.
We hope that all of you and your families are safe, healthy and handling this difficult situation as best as can be expected.
We want to cover the changes that have been made by IRCC to prevent the spread of this coronavirus infection and to help those whose immigration applications have been affected.
As per IRCC, these special measures apply to those:
- Who is affected by service disruptions or travel restrictions related to COVID 19
- Who are Chinese, Iranian or South Korean nationals
- Who are in China, Iran or South Korea
Coronavirus effects on Canada immigration
The first thing that IRCC has done to prevent this spread of COVID 19 is
1) Citizenship ceremonies and test cancelled
They have canceled all the citizenship ceremonies, citizenship tests, interviews and other Canadian citizenship-related events for now during this pandemic. The new dates and times will be given in the upcoming weeks.
2) Restriction to travel to Canada after PR approval
If your permanent residence has been approved and you’re not able to travel to Canada because of the restrictions then you must use IRCC online form to explain your situation. It is available at their official website which is cic.gc.ca.
Link of the online web form: https://www.cic.gc.ca/english/contacts/web-form.asp
All you have to do is just enter all your queries about the effects on Canada immigration and your information and send this information to them online.
If your PR confirmation has already expired or if it is going to expire soon, then in that case too it is necessary for you to communicate with IRCC through that online form that we have just mentioned above.
3) 90 days of extension for PR application submission
Now, these instructions are for those who are unable to submit a complete application for permanent residence before the deadline. IRCC is giving an additional 90 days in some cases.
For example, if you are applying for permanent residence through the express entry system you must submit your application within 60 days of receiving your ITA. Even if your application is not complete you can submit it! IRCC will accept incomplete applications provided that applicants were unable to send all the required documents due to disruptions related to COVID-19. You must send a letter explaining the reasons why the documents are missing with your application. Also, you will have to pay all the associated fees in order to have an additional 90 days extension
When you get all the missing documents ready you may send them to IRCC using the online form.
4) Temporary residents can stay in Canada
For temporary residence such as students, visitors or workers, IRCC has announced that they can apply for their extensions online within Canada if their temporary status will expire soon and they can stay in Canada until they receive a further decision on their applications. This is a huge relief for many who are studying or working in Canada with temporary residency.
All they have to do is just
- Apply online
- Meet the requirements and
- Pay the related fees
5) 90 Days of extension for biometrics
There is a 90 days extension for biometrics as well for those who have been affected by service disruptions.
Also, no new biometrics instruction letter is required. Although the biometrics instruction letter will continue to say that applicants have 30 days to give biometrics, they will actually be allowed to complete this step in 90 days instead.
6) Impact on processing time
Many of our website visitors have been asking that is there any impact on application processing time. The answer is, of course, yes!
There may be delays in application processing time and the current processing times posted on their website may not be accurate. It is because of the tremendous disruption caused by COVID-19. You can find other information on their website related to COVID-19.
We’ve tried to cover as much information as possible on “How this pandemic will affect Canada Migration” in this article. If you have any questions, leave them in the comment box below and we would be happy to answer all of your questions.
The most important thing right now is to stay safe, stay healthy, stay home and try to follow the guidelines which are issued by government authorities. Respect the rules of social distancing because it is for our own well-being.
Get in touch today for immigration consultation: https://acemigrationservices.com/assessment-form/
The post Changes to Canada Immigration Due to Covid-19 | Coronavirus Effects on Canada Immigration appeared first on ACE Migration Services.
