COVID-19 won’t stop Canada from accepting spousal PR requests

Canada immigration has announced a fresh facility for those who want to sponsor their spouses for permanent PR. The Canadian government has said that applications for spousal and common-law sponsorship will be accepted and processed now even amidst COVID-19 measures. This will benefit partners who are both in Canada and abroad.

The new move helps those who have not yet been able to file their applications with the Canadian Immigration authorities. With a measure like this, IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada) has taken out a few sponsorship concerns of couples.

IRCC has indicated that it will accept and process new applications for permanent residence. Even incomplete ones may be accepted. This is considering the current COVID-19 crisis. The advantage is that there won’t be a delay in submission due to the inability to obtain a required document owing to COVID-19-based disruptions. In such a case, the applicant must give a detailed letter of explanation clarifying the COVID related delays.

Incomplete applications will be kept and reviewed in 90 days. In case the application remains incomplete in 60 days, IRCC officers will request for the missing documents. An additional 90-day deadline will be given to the applicant.

Generally, applicants receiving social assistance as last resort may not be eligible to sponsor their spouse or common-law partner. If you have been receiving such assistance lately, with the new measure, you won’t be inadmissible as a sponsor.

Examples of benefits that may not make you ineligible to sponsor include:

• Tax credits
• Subsidized housing
• Childcare subsidies
• Employment insurance

Also, the Government of Canada had announced on March 18, 2020, that they will prohibit the entry of foreign nationals into Canada till June 30, 2020. This was to help stop the spread of COVID-19. But exemption has been granted to immediate family members of Canadian citizens or Canadian permanent residents. These exempted relatives will include spouses and common-law partners.

Travelers should identify themselves to the airlines with supporting documentation. The document will show their immediate family members' status in Canada. The recommended documents include:

• Birth Certificate
• Marriage certificate / Evidence of common-law status
• Permanent resident Card or Canadian Passport
• Other documents that show an immediate family connection

These documents can be presented in the paper and electronic versions.

Nevertheless, the health check for COVID-19 symptoms conducted by the airlines is in place for every traveler.

If you are looking to Study, Work, Visit, Invest or Migrate to Canada, talk to Y-Axis, the World’s No.1 Immigration & Visa Company.

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