A Cut Down In Processing Times – Immigration To Canada To Become Faster Through The Family Class Immigration Programs

Immigration To Canada has now become faster for all those individuals seeking to apply through the Family Class Immigration Programs. The processing time frames for the spousal/common-law partner categories of Family Class Immigration Programs are to be cut short from 24 months to 12 months, followed by a further reduction in  time to as low as 6 months.
This announcement was made by John McCallum, federal Immigration Minister of Canada, on December 7^th in Brampton, Ontario.
These new processing time targets will apply on all those who have yet to submit their applications, as well as all those individuals who have already filed their applications. Files will continue to get processed based on the first-in, first-out principle, whereby applicants who have already submitted their applications will get preference over those who are yet to submit their files.
The average processing time for spouses/common-law partners of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents In Canada was 26 months when the Liberal government took office last year. However, the processing time was 18 months for spouses/common-law partners residing outside Canada. This new target will be applicable on all those individuals residing both, inside and outsides, of Canada.
Mr. McCallum stated, “The proposition I guarantee is that the time is now 12 months, down from 24. The changes we’re announcing will last, will be permanent. Politicians come and go, governments come and go, but departments are always there. And we have enlisted their enthusiasm, their involvement in creating this new system and so I think Canadians can be confident that these positive changes are here to stay.”
He further mentioned, “This will be of benefit to the 64,000 spouses we plan to admit to Canada in the coming year, but it will be of benefit to all Canadians because I think that people are more productive citizens, they do better overall when they are with their families than when they are isolated from their families,” said McCallum.
According to the Immigration Plan 2017, the Government of Canada plans on welcoming 64,000 new permanent residents as the spouses, common-law partners, or dependent children of Canadian citizens or permanent residents.
Thus, this new target will be welcomed by the thousands of applicants in Canada and around the world who have already submitted their applications or are planning to submit them in the near future. Furthermore, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has also confirmed that an extension will be granted to a popular Pilot program till December 21,  2017, which allows spouses and common-law partners of Canadian citizens and Permanent Residents In Canada to work while waiting to receive their permanent resident status.
For latest updates related to Immigration to Canada from Pakistan, please visit our website lalani & Associates.