Canada is Encouraging family reunification through new immigration measures

by Rajneesh Kumar Published on 12/Jun/2023

Canadian government consistently taking key measures to help families reunite faster and easier way, and also support themselves upon landing in Canada. On 26 May 2023 Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser along with Hedy Fry, Member of Parliament announced new measures to reinforce family reunification. These measures include:

quicker temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal applicants
new and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants
a new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants
open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023

Speaking about the changes Minister Fraser said, “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.”

Minister Fraser announced quicker TRV processing and more thoughtful application measures so that families can be together faster while they wait for their PR to be finalized.

Now, most of such applications will be processed within 30 days, and candidates will advantage from processing measures precise to their situations as spouses and dependants. Several applicants have already been processed using the new tools. Within this unit of applicants, the IRCC has seen an approval rate of 93 percent.

Considering the job requirement for newcomers, the IRCC has also made open work permits available for spousal applicants and their dependent children. Spouses/partners and dependants can apply for and get an open work permit once they submit a complete PR application under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SPCLC) or other family class programs.

Lastly, Minister Fraser confirmed that spousal applicants and other open work permit holders (i.e. the people whose open work permits expire between August 1 and the end of 2023), will be able to extend their work permits for extra 18 months. A similar pathway was recently offered to numerous with expiring post-graduation work permits.