COVID-19 Pandemic forces Canada to temporarily change immigration laws

The novel coronavirus has turned the world upside down, bringing immigration and even tourism to a grinding halt. In this context, Canada has temporarily changed its immigration policy, delaying the acceptance of application and even rejecting them in some cases. To put it briefly, following are the few changes that Canadian immigration have made:

IRCC Announcement on Covid 19

• As per the IRCC, applications will not be refused on the basis of non-compliance but there could be delays
• IRCC offices abroad and the case processing centers will continue to process applications in progress
• Certain visa application centers have been temporarily shut down for the safety of the staff while a few others have cut down the staff to bare minimum necessity
• IRCC will continue to request the required documentation from immigration candidates from China, Iran, and South Korea. The documentation includes police certificate, medical records, biometrics, passports and others. Candidates will be provided extra 90 days to collect the proper documentation.
• All the existing appointments and interviews are likely to be rescheduled.
• Application for permanent residence and refuge will not be accepted till April 13.
• Candidates coming from China, Iran and South Korea will be given 30 more days to submit their documents with IRCC. 45 more days will be given to them for the medical opinion form.
• Things, however, remain the same when it comes to meeting the normal procedures for candidates for interviews and physical presence
• IRCC offices in China, Ankara and Manila will be processing emergency applications for temporary residence candidates.

What Immigrants affected by Corona Virus restrictions Can do

Owing to the global exigency situation, one can apply for the extension of a temporary residence document if you are located out of Canada as a foreign national. The application process remains the same.

Additionally, candidates whose applications are being processed and are currently in Canada can stay here till a final decision is given. For those with an expired TRV, you need to renew the documents without any delay. The procedures for applying for permanent residency remains the same. However, if your application has been withheld due to service unavailability caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This will ensure that you receive an additional 90 days to be able to provide all the required documents.

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Pallavi Sen Gupta

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