Change in Procedures for Processing Quebec Family Class Applications

[rjessome]

http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/resources/manuals/bulletins/2011/ob295.asp

Operational Bulletin 295 –
April 13, 2011
Change in Procedures for Processing Quebec Family Class Applications
Summary
This Operational Bulletin (OB) will provide information on the change in procedures for Quebec family class applications that are being implemented by the Quebec Ministère de l'Immigration des Communautés culturelles (MICC) on March 25, 2011. These changes apply when a sponsor lives in the province of Quebec, or abroad, where applicable, and meets the federal requirements to sponsor a member of the family class.

Issue
The purpose of this OB is to provide operational instructions on the change in procedures being implemented by the MICC for family class applications. Effective March 25, 2011, the change applies when a sponsor is living in Quebec and meets the federal requirements to sponsor a member of the family class. It also applies when the sponsor is a Canadian citizen residing outside of Canada, sponsoring a spouse, partner and/or dependent child who intends to reside in Quebec upon return to Canada.

Background
Currently, if the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) receives an application where the sponsor lives in Quebec or is destined to Quebec, and meets the federal eligibility requirements, the CPC-M, and not the applicant, will send a copy of the undertaking application (IMM 1344AE) directly to the MICC.

The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) and inland offices currently forward the IMM 1344 and the IMM 5001 to the MICC if the sponsor:

•meets the minimum federal requirements;
•resides in Quebec; and
•is sponsoring a spouse or common-law partner from within Canada.

Instructions
a) At CPC-M:
Beginning March 25, 2011, if CPC-M has an application, where the sponsor meets the federal requirements to sponsor a member of the family class and resides in the province of Quebec, CPC-M will send a letter to the sponsor instructing them to download the MICC undertaking kit, complete and submit it to the MICC along with a copy of the letter issued by the CPC.

CPC-M will only send a copy of the IMM 1344AE directly to the MICC in the following cases:

•for adoption cases.
•or when the sponsorship application has not met the federal requirements but the sponsor chooses to continue processing.
The CPC can send an electronic version of the IMM 1344 to garants.dsiq @ micc.gouv.qc.ca.

If a sponsor decides to add a family member to their application during processing (i.e., a newborn dependant) or change a non-accompanying family member to an accompanying family member, CPC-M will send the sponsor a letter instructing him/her to download the MICC undertaking kit, complete and submit it to the MICC along with a copy of the letter issued by CPC.

b) At Visa Offices:
The MICC will continue to send decisions on undertaking applications to visa offices in the usual manner.

When the visa officer notes that the undertaking application has been approved, but a Certificat de Sélection du Québec (CSQ) is missing for one or more persons included in the application, the officer will ask the principal applicant to provide the missing CSQ(s).

The visa office can contact the MICC at garants.dsiq @ micc.gouv.qc.ca.

c) At CPC-V, Backlog Reduction Office and local CIC offices:
For FC1, FCC, and FCH cases, the CIC office will send a letter to the sponsor instructing him/her to download the MICC undertaking kit, complete and submit it to the MICC along with a copy of the letter issued by CPC. It is no longer necessary to forward a copy of the IMM 1344 or IMM 5001 to the MICC.

If a sponsor wants to add a family member during processing or change a non‑accompanying family member to an accompanying family member, the CIC office will send the sponsor a letter explaining the procedure and asking him or her to complete and submit the MICC undertaking application to the MICC along with the letter from CPC/Backlog Reduction Office/Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC).

For Humanitarian and Compassionate applications with sponsorship (HC2) the CIC office will forward a copy of the IMM 1344, IMM 5001 and the transmission to the MICC. In all other incidences, it is no longer necessary for CIC to forward these documents to the MICC.

For further information outlined in this OB, please contact your supervisor or your Regional Program Advisor (RPA). RPAs may in turn contact Operational Management and Coordination Branch.

[missmini]

thank u rjesomme for keeping us updated, i read a few times but didn't really figure out what it means and where's the change (yes, it's true that currently i focus more at the federal side and didn't really do my homework on what Quebec wants  i just know that we r eligible, that's it)

so, these r changes just on the way they work, not on the sponsor requirements, or other things which could affect us directly, right?

does it mean that now we need to submit some forms ourselves and send it to MICC and before it was Missisauga which was sending them?

r there more changes coming and will all this make the CSQ process longer? 

thank u!!! 

[rjessome]

thank u rjesomme for keeping us updated, i read a few times but didn't really figure out what it means and where's the change (yes, it's true that currently i focus more at the federal side and didn't really do my homework on what Quebec wants  i just know that we r eligible, that's it)

so, these r changes just on the way they work, not on the sponsor requirements, or other things which could affect us directly, right?

does it mean that now we need to submit some forms ourselves and send it to MICC and before it was Missisauga which was sending them?

r there more changes coming and will all this make the CSQ process longer? 

thank u!!! 

It's just a change in procedure.  Yes, from now on, anyone applying to sponsor to Quebec needs to follow these revised procedures.  It's pretty clear:

Beginning March 25, 2011, if CPC-M has an application, where the sponsor meets the federal requirements to sponsor a member of the family class and resides in the province of Quebec, CPC-M will send a letter to the sponsor instructing them to download the MICC undertaking kit, complete and submit it to the MICC along with a copy of the letter issued by the CPC.

There are always changes coming to CIC practices!    We just never know when or what exactly they will be. 

It shouldn't make the CSQ process longer if the sponsor is able to quickly follow the instructions and submit the request for CSQ.

[QCSunshine]

Unless I am misunderstanding something about the procedural change, that is what we had to do last fall when we applied for the CSQ from the MICC. We got the sponsorship approval from Mississauga, then we had to download and complete the MICC application and include the copies of the sponsorship approval letter from CIC with our MICC application. So I was a little confused by their announcement as well, even after reading it a couple times, but maybe they are only now publicly announcing what they have already been doing?

[rjessome]

Unless I am misunderstanding something about the procedural change, that is what we had to do last fall when we applied for the CSQ from the MICC. We got the sponsorship approval from Mississauga, then we had to download and complete the MICC application and include the copies of the sponsorship approval letter from CIC with our MICC application. So I was a little confused by their announcement as well, even after reading it a couple times, but maybe they are only now publicly announcing what they have already been doing?

I think where the process has changed is that CPC-M and CPC-V were ALSO sending a copy of IMM 1344AE and IMM 5001 to MICC for all FC sponsorship cases.  Now they will only do that for adoptions or if the sponsor does not meet federal sponsorship guidelines but still wants to continue processing.  So even though the sponsor included it before, MICC would match it up with what they had received from the CPC as well.  Now they won't.  These OB's are also internal instructions for CIC and provincial immigration staff around the world, not just for Joe Public.

[missmini]

I think where the process has changed is that CPC-M and CPC-V were ALSO sending a copy of IMM 1344AE and IMM 5001 to MICC for all FC sponsorship cases.  Now they will only do that for adoptions or if the sponsor does not meet federal sponsorship guidelines but still wants to continue processing.  So even though the sponsor included it before, MICC would match it up with what they had received from the CPC as well.  Now they won't.  These OB's are also internal instructions for CIC and provincial immigration staff around the world, not just for Joe Public.

looooool Joe Public, that's funny name

yeah me too i thought that once i'm approved as sponsor i suppose to fill and send all the MICC forms myself, that's why i didn't see the change...i guess now it's clear that for sure I have to fill in and send the forms myself AND follow up after

thanks a million...happy easter in advance

[QCSunshine]

Last fall, we were only instructed to send a copy of the sponsorship approval letter from CIC; no other copies of forms were necessary (not the IMM 1344 or anything else). So maybe the change is just that MICC only needs to see those forms in those specified situations (adoptions or those that want to continue processing despite not meeting federal sponsorship guidelines).

Regardless, as you said, it seems the change doesn't impact the applicant, only the processing procedure between CIC and MICC.

[jacklyn]

Hi rejsome! sorry i didn't reply bcz iam litlle bussy and iam not allowed to send you personal message.
iam not sure if he just wants to get in canada but anyway he's not living with me right now , my question is  the changes will apply for him or just for new comers??  thanks! Jacklyn

[rjessome]

Hi rejsome! sorry i didn't reply bcz iam litlle bussy and iam not allowed to send you personal message.
iam not sure if he just wants to get in canada but anyway he's not living with me right now , my question is  the changes will apply for him or just for new comers??  thanks! Jacklyn

I'm sorry.  I don't understand your question.  Are you asking about how to sponsor him?  Or have you already applied to sponsor him?  This change for Quebec processing is just procedural.  It doesn't have anything to do with the proposed change for conditional visas if that's what you are asking about.

[jacklyn]

like i told you in message , he got here in Jan 2010 and after 1 year he left me , my question is the proposal changes will apply for him or just for new comers ??thanks

[rjessome]

like i told you in message , he got here in Jan 2010 and after 1 year he left me , my question is the proposal changes will apply for him or just for new comers ??thanks

Oh, I'm sorry.  I get a lot of private messages everyday with questions.  No, these changes won't help you as your husband is already a permanent resident.

[hibou]

Hello!

Apologies as I think this info might be in the forum but I can't find it for sure- I was hoping for some clarification re the CSQ process.

I am being sponsored in Family class by my boyfriend, and the visa will be processed outland, in London.
We got 1st stage approval and then sent off the forms for the CSQ.

What happens next though? All things going well, and we receive the CSQ, do the MICC send it directly to CIC-M? Or to London? Or is it up to us to send the CSQ to CIC-M? (or to London!)

Thanks!