Canada’s immigration board freshly upgraded the procedure timelines to emulate its functional ability during a pandemic.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) recently announced through its website that the immigrants who are willing to access the immigration service might face processing delays because of the COVID-19. The branch is giving priority to that application from the people who got exempted from the travel restrictions.
According to the latest IRCC update on their webpage on March 26, there might be a delay in the processing. They posted the information on their website that the application processing is dependent on 80 percent of applications. However, if there is any complex application, it might take a longer time for reasons specific to the application.
Permanent residence
IRCC announced that they are making every possible effort to handle all the permanent residency applications since COVID-19 created a backlog in the application that is why there can be a delay in the application processing.
On their website post, IRCC also added that they are finalizing many Canadian experience class applications that they received between May 24 and May 30, 2020, which means that they are working on the application that was received ten months ago.
PR Cards
If you are looking forward to registering for the permanent residency card, with the help of the online status tool, you can check your application’s status. This tool can be applied to any person applying for the permanent residency card for the first time, or maybe for renewal or replacement. IRCC also said that you need to keep your documents ready and get your identification number to log in.
On the off chance if you fail to check the status of your application online. You have another option to check the status by visiting IRCC’s webpage. A freshly updated PR card presently is in under process in about 125 days, and its renewals might take about 80 days.
Citizenship
| Document | Applicants | IRCC Status |
| Grant of Citizenship | Received AOR Letter | Concluding applications that were received between March 31 and April 6, 2019. |
| Grant of Citizenship | Waiting to receive AOR | Forwarding letters for applications that were received the week of January 21, 2021. |
| Proof of Citizenship | Look for the Client Application Status Tool. Processing time is 5 months. |
Family
| Program | Application type | IRCC Status |
| common-law, Spousal, , dependent child sponsorship | Inland | Concluding large number of applications that were received between Sept. 29 and Oct. 5, 2019. |
| dependent child sponsorship, Spousal, common-law | Outland | Finalizing most applications received between May 26 and June 1, 2019. |
| Parents and Grandparents | Check online account. | |
| Adoptive child or other relative | Check online account. |
Temporary workers
| Work Permit Type | Online or Paper | Eligible for Global Skills Strategy | IRCC Status |
| Work Permit Outside Canada | Online | Yes | Concluding many applications that were received between September 20 and 26, 2020. |
| Work Permit Outside Canada | Online | No | Check online account. |
| Work Permit Outside Canada | Paper | Can’t give accurate processing time. | |
| Work permit inside Canada (initial, extensions and changes) | Online | Concluding many applications that were obtained between December 13 and 19, 2020. | |
| Work permit inside Canada (initial, extensions and changes) | Paper | Concluding many applications that were obtained between December 13 and 19, 2020. | |
| For asylum claimants | Online | Concluding many applications that were obtained between December 6 and 12, 2020. | |
| For asylum claimants | Paper | Concluding many applications that were between December 6 and 12, 2020. |
Students
Presently, IRCC concludes many work permit applications that were received between December 13 and December 19, 2020. Application such as for study permits, work permits for students and study permit expansion. Complex application might take time in the process.
Because of the current travel restrictions, those students that have a valid study permit can only arrive in Canada only if they are going to Designated Learning Institution as per the recent COVID-19 readiness plan, or in case their study permit is approved before March 18, 2020.
Visitors
In case you have registered for the electronic travel authorization, you can track your application status online.
If you have applied for the visitor visa via online mode, you can check the application status by signing into your account. After signing, click on the check status and messages under the “View my submitted applications or profiles” section. And suppose you have applied for the visitor visa offline. In that case, you can associate your application with your online account, which provides you the facilities to check the status of your application. You will also receive the message from the IRCC regarding the application.