CIC has changed the way you view processing times

[Illiasnie]

I'm sponsoring my husband outland and according to the OLD timelines I am over the processing time.
I want to contact my MP to see if they can get some info but I'm really afraid that it will be pointless due to the new changes.. any opinion on that?

I would still contact my MP. It might be a shot in the dark, but at least there's a chance that they might be able to help you. Especially since they've only just changed the website.

 

[ALazi]

I would still contact my MP. It might be a shot in the dark, but at least there's a chance that they might be able to help you. Especially since they've only just changed the website.

I did it anyway, especially since there were a few days in December that I was over the timeline until they made the change...
thanks for the reply!

 

[GG_wife]

Cap /= quota. They might have a quota to fill every year but they wouldn't have an outright cap.

Calm down. There is no cap on spousal sponsorship applications, per year, although there are undoubtedly quotas that need to be met. What happens after they meet that magical number, is anyone's guess.

I am curious how do we know there is no cap? Should this question be asked from an MP?

 

[leavingchina]

ALazi, I am writing my MP too.

 

[leavingchina]

A reminder to anyone writing letters.

Last month, Calgary MP Michelle Rempel asked the new Immigration Minister John McCallum if an influx of refugees would impact the processing of spousal visas. The Minister said there "would be no impact." Now that the CIC website is showing 18 months for ALL spouses living outside Canada, it may be worth mentioning the Minister's comments in your letter.

You can watch the video here:

http://globalnews.ca/news/2393556/immigration-minister-tells-female-mp-to-look-more-cheerful/

 

[chilkootcee]

I wrote the PM, my MP (who happens to be Michelle Rempel) and John McCallum the day it changed to 26 months...

It does make a difference. I encourage everyone to do this. Of course, one should be polite about it

C.

 

[S92]

Down to 17 months now. for people who don't have these:

October 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vTB6yzgrsdNreHPDSQeePY0MTCQWoux8yw9FcuV3d8w/edit#gid=0

November 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PYzxS8PMkmlEtwTLDOEe-4tE5DcBz82q-kFhFp7KHWQ/edit#gid=0

December 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-7ZsLm4S2Ywe-ufdBiMEZjK3bQ-3dD8v5ceEfHejE6w/edit#gid=0

I just visit all of them every morning to see what progress other people r having with their application and how fast CIC is processing application and giving AORs.
To be honest i don't feel like the "17 months" r gonna change anything. Apparently CIC and the politics guys want themselves to look good to the world after they failed to bring 25000 refugees before December like they promised. I believe its just a show.

 

[jcallahan]

Down to 17 months now. for people who don't have these:

October 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1vTB6yzgrsdNreHPDSQeePY0MTCQWoux8yw9FcuV3d8w/edit#gid=0

November 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1PYzxS8PMkmlEtwTLDOEe-4tE5DcBz82q-kFhFp7KHWQ/edit#gid=0

December 2015 spreadsheet:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-7ZsLm4S2Ywe-ufdBiMEZjK3bQ-3dD8v5ceEfHejE6w/edit#gid=0

I just visit all of them every morning to see what progress other people r having with their application and how fast CIC is processing application and giving AORs.
To be honest i don't feel like the "17 months" r gonna change anything. Apparently CIC and the politics guys want themselves to look good to the world after they failed to bring 25000 refugees before December like they promised. I believe its just a show.

I don't think they even made their revised target of 10,000.. Not that I'm complaining (if it would adversely affect our processing times), but if you're going to lower your target at least make it achievable.

 

[flx2015]

guys, the processing times we see on that page are updated daily. this means that it's most likely a live average/worst case of processing times that's maintained by their system based on how many applications they get out the door. keep in mind however that it is still an approximate figure based on their current data; just because it shows X number of months doesn't mean it's actually going to take 18 months for each and every one of us. it depends largely on how complete your application is and which visa office it gets sent to.

fyi the count was at 26 months on the first day of their website update. yesterday it was 18, now it's 17. i do remember that for the previous version of their site, they had listed 26 months for LVO, though looking at the spreadsheets posted here indicates that the average was closer to 12 months, with some people even getting through the whole process within 6 months! stay hopeful and don't assume the worst!

as for the refugees, they finalized 13000 refugee apps so far. the remainder are being processed at the lebanon, turkey, and jordan visa offices. unless your sponsorship apps are being processed at one of these visa offices, expect little to no impact. see all key figures here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/milestones.asp

 

[Ponga]

as for the refugees, they finalized 13000 refugee apps so far. the remainder are being processed at the lebanon, turkey, and jordan visa offices. unless your sponsorship apps are being processed at one of these visa offices, expect little to no impact. see all key figures here: http://www.cic.gc.ca/english/refugees/welcome/milestones.asp

CIC has sent resources (including staff) to those regions to help with the processing...which very well could impact/delay applicants elsewhere.

 

[flx2015]

CIC has sent resources (including staff) to those regions to help with the processing...which very well could impact/delay applicants elsewhere.

majority of those staff were drawn from a pool of retired visa officers.

i should also point out that before the CIC site update, i was keeping an eye on their weekly updates to gauge how long it took them to open an application after its receipt, and from what i saw, it was approximately 50-60 days and it did not change after the refugee relocation initiative began.

 

[krishnalynn]

majority of those staff were drawn from a pool of retired visa officers.

i should also point out that before the CIC site update, i was keeping an eye on their weekly updates to gauge how long it took them to open an application after its receipt, and from what i saw, it was approximately 50-60 days and it did not change after the refugee relocation initiative began.

.

Yea, sure it hasn't gotten quicker but nothing's really slowed down yet. Trucking along getting AORs/SAs about on schedule as previous months for Outland folks.

 

[kangamoose]

.

Yea, sure it hasn't gotten quicker but nothing's really slowed down yet. Trucking along getting AORs/SAs about on schedule as previous months for Outland folks.

I'm not sure AOR and SA are the best measure of impact of the refugees. If there is any increase in processing times it may not be evident until the security check is ready to be conducted. Screening >25,000 refugees is sure to be a long process even if initial checks have been made by the UN, it could result in delays for family class and economic streams or (the one I'm hoping for )everything will proceed as normal. Really is anybody's guess at this point.

 

[flx2015]

I'm not sure AOR and SA are the best measure of impact of the refugees. If there is any increase in processing times it may not be evident until the security check is ready to be conducted. Screening >25,000 refugees is sure to be a long process even if initial checks have been made by the UN, it could result in delays for family class and economic streams or (the one I'm hoping for )everything will proceed as normal. Really is anybody's guess at this point.

like i said before, refugee screenings are happening at the VOs in lebanon, turkey, and jordan. sure, its possible that they may have reallocated some resources from othr visa offices, but they've got enough sense to draw those resources in a distributed manner (ie from several VOs instead of just a few). that, combined with CIC's tendency to keep retired visa officers on call to handle high workloads means low impact for us.

once again guys, stay hopeful.

 

[brittanyquesada]

I am curious how do we know there is no cap? Should this question be asked from an MP?

I just watched an interview on cbc 'power and politics' with John McCallum
http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/2681576424 (video)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/canada-will-take-in-10-000-parent-grandparent-sponsorship-applications-this-year-1.3396179 (article)


he clearly stated that there is NO cap for spouses but there is for parents/grandparents and he explained that it is in fact 10,000 people aloud to apply.. and not what is stated on the website on January 4th (it said 5000)