IRCC Announces Faster Processing for Outside Canada Spousal Sponsorships

IRCC announces today, that in an effort to process more applications and reunite families faster, its Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia will be expanding. This includes the addition of new office space and the hiring of 62 new employees.

They stated "The new space and additional staff will be primarily dedicated to family class overseas applications. These added resources will help IRCC process more applications and shorten processing times that have been extended during the pandemic.

Due to restrictions related to COVID-19, the Case Processing Centre in Sydney is currently limited to 30% occupancy. The opening of the new office space will significantly increase this capacity and will allow more employees who are currently working remotely to return to the office."

What IRCC failed to disclose however, is if this will impact the processing of the applications when they are sent to their designated VAC offices. Since the start of COVID-19 closures, VAC offices have been either completely closed or have stopped processing application that are deemed as non-essential. Although most VAC offices are now open to processing spousals, we have no further information about the impacts and delays that most applicants are facing.

Contact us at AKM Law for assistance with your spousal application.