Olympics and sponsorship

[Suin]

Hello,
just thinking whether Olympics can slow down the sponsorship applications, especially for applicants who require visas to Canada?

[Karlshammar]

Most people attending the Olympics will probably be from countries that do not require visas as those tend to be the people with the most money, but will it have an effect anyway? Who knows... Time will tell.

[catchvb]

I think that is true most of the visitor will be from Visa-Free country. Also CIC must be having arrangements for that. I think PR and Tourist Visa are handled by two different groups.

[Suin]

so you think visitors visa is handled not by visa officers? that will be good news, as in our visa office just two officers only.

[Eric Parker]

The olympics probably won't slow applications, but it will be crowded at any land border from Washington State - already they are predicting (in the neighboring State of Oregon - Interstate Highway 5 in particular) a lot more traffic than usual for February.

the airport - YVR....they already have a lot of border officials waiting for the onslaught of passengers and the remodeling of the airport is nearing completion.

[ariell]

I don't think it will have any effect whatsoever. Of course visitor visas are still handled by IOs but I believe that they are completely different IOs than the ones that handle spousal immigrant visas.