Introduction
Family reunification is one of the pillars of Canada's immigration system. On December 17, 2016 the Government of Canada announced significant changes to its spousal sponsorship application procedures that aimed to reduce processing time for spouses and common law partners seeking to obtain Canadian permanent resident visas.
Streamlining of the Process
The following procedural changes aim to make the spousal sponsorship process faster and more user-friendly:
Ability to Work
In addition to the changes to the spousal application process, the Government of Canada has announced that it will extend an open work permit pilot program launched in 2014. An open work permit allows an individual to work in any occupation full time or part time for any employer. This program has been extended until December 31, 2017. This program allows spouses to work while their permanent residence application is being finalized. To be eligible for an open work permit, individuals must:
- Be a spouse or common-law partner living in Canada;
- Be in the process of being sponsored by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (under the spousal class); and
- Have a valid temporary resident status.
An open work permit is generally issued within 4 months from the time complete applications for spousal sponsorship and open work permit are received.
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