Canadian Immigration Application Timelines and Getting Legal Assistance

What will affect the time it takes for your Canadian immigration application to be processed?

There are several different factors that will affect the length of time it will take for your application to be processed once received by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. Some of these factors are:

• Which immigration category you are applying to Canada under

• The individual Canadian Immigration Visa Office or Case Processing Centre in which you are submitting your application to

• Whether the application is paper-based (sent through the mail) or through CIC’s online portal (electronically submitted)

• Depending on the application, whether or not you are able to find work in Canada

• The organization, preparation and submission of both your application as well as all of the required and appropriate supporting documentation

• If you are required to attend a personal interview or not in order to complete processing of your application

• Events that may be beyond your control (processing backlogs, immigration worker strikes, changes in immigration programs / legislation)

What could delay processing of my Canadian immigration application?

Applications can frequently experience delays in processing, and at worst, refusal. Below are some tips for ensuring that your Canadian immigration application is processed smoothly:

• Carefully read the application guide for your immigration category and follow the instructions.

  • Quite often applicants make assumptions about their applications and don’t verify it with the instructions provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. It is always a good practice to reference the instructions before submitting an application.

• Correctly fill out, validate, sign, and date the application forms.

  • Incorrect forms could result in your application being returned to you as well as delays in your application.

• Include all the required supporting documentation outlined on your application checklist.

  • Missing documentation will result in delays in processing or your application being returned to you.

• Make sure all forms are up to date.

  • A common mistake applicants make is using old forms in an application. Citizenship and Immigration Canada frequently updates forms and will require the newest versions.

• Pay the corresponding government fees and include the payment receipt with your application.

  • Every type of Canadian immigration visa has its own set of fees.

• Waiting until later to submit documents like Police Clearances and Proof of Medical Exam.

  • Some applications give you the option of submitting documents later. While this is okay, it could result in some processing delays.

• Double-check everything one last time before submitting your application.

  • One last thorough check can help you catch any costly mistakes.

How long does the Canadian immigration application process take?

Citizenship and Immigration Canada only provides estimates of average processing times for immigration applications. These average times are usually updated every 2 weeks and published by the CIC on their website. Processing times are categorized by the type of Canadian immigration visa you are applying for as well as what Canadian immigration office is handling the application (especially for applications made outside of Canada). You can find application processing times for the following:

• Visiting, studying, and working temporarily

• Economic Class

• Family Sponsorship

• Refugees

• Humanitarian and compassionate cases

• Passport

• Citizenship

• Permanent Resident Cards

• Replacing or amending documents, verifying status

Can you trust the immigration application processing times?

The average processing times published by Citizenship and Immigration Canada should be taken with a grain of salt. They are very general figures taken from the average of all applications processed in a specific category. Depending on the complexity of your application and things like unanticipated backlog, your application could be completed much more quickly or take much longer than the average time. The times provided are just to give you a very general idea.

Can you pay an extra fee to have your immigration application processed faster?

Definitely not! If you have heard rumours about this, they are simply not true. Be wary of any sort of legal professional or consultant that claims they can speed up your application by paying more money. This is a common scam used to cheat Canadian immigration applicants.

Will immigration application processing times ever speed up?

The current government has introduced a Backlog Reduction Plan to reduce delays in processing Permanent Resident applications based on humanitarian and compassionate considerations. New efforts have been made to reduce Citizenship application backlogs as well. Furthermore, in 2015 many former paper-based applications like Federal Skilled Worker were updated to the Express Entry electronic application system in order to expedite processing.

The Canadian government is usually proactive about reducing backlog and will continue to make adjustments to the system in an effort to speed up processing.

How can you benefit from obtaining legal assistance for your Canadian immigration purposes?

While it is by no means mandatory to receive legal assistance when applying for a Canadian immigration visa, there are significant benefits in doing so. Canadian immigration has become more complex than ever before, with many categories and variations of visa programs on offer. Sometimes it is difficult to be certain about an application, and even specific instructions provided by Citizenship and Immigration Canada can be confusing and at times seem contradictory.

How will a legal representative help you?

A legal representative can most importantly help you achieve clarity and peace of mind throughout the complex process of assembling and submitting a complete Canadian immigration application. There are many stages that legal representation can assist you with including:

• What Canadian immigration visa you should apply for

  • One of the most critical choices can happen even before putting together an application. A legal representative can help you determine which category is right for you and best matches your qualifications.

• What documents should be included

  • Supporting documentation, depending on the application, can be very involved and at times it can be hard to figure out exactly what is required by Citizenship and Immigration Canada. An experienced representative can help guide you throughout the document collection process and verify what is suitable for an application.

• How to organize a final application package

  • A Canadian immigration application is not just a pile of papers and documents. It should be organized and presented in such a way that the immigration official examining your application can easily understand.

Again, it is important to state that having legal assistance still does not guarantee approval on an application. No matter how well prepared a Canadian immigration application is, the final decision always remains with the immigration official assigned to your case.

How exactly will Akrami and Associates benefit you?

There are many ways in which our firm can assist your with your Canadian immigration application. We have a wide variety of knowledge and experience that we will gladly use to assist you:

• We can assist you in your selection of which immigration category you should choose. The initial selection will be significant in matching your attributes and hopefully being approved.

• We will help you to submit a professional and complete application, the first time. We can guide you in selecting the necessary and proper supporting documentation and ensure that the application being submitted is of the highest quality.

• We can help you create an Express Entry profile and determine how to achieve the highest combination of points possible for your application. This will in turn increase the likelihood of being given an Invitation to Apply for Permanent Residence.

• We can ensure that all of the many forms required for your Canadian immigration visa application are fully completed and contain the proper information. In addition, we can make sure that the forms you are using are completely up to date.

• We will do a final check of your whole application before submitting it to the Canadian immigration office or case processing centre. This can help to ensure that everything is complete and ready for the immigration officer to examine.

• We can provide a professional submission letter that better illustrates the strengths of your application and provides a summary of why you qualify for your particular Canadian immigration category.

• We will make sure that your application is sent to the proper recipient and will continue to actively monitor all communications from Citizenship and Immigration Canada. If necessary, we can provide updates on your status as well as respond to any concerns or requests that immigration may have about your application.

• We have the experience and ability to be able to help guide you in the right direction in terms of you finding work within Canada. We have access to several tools and resources and we would be more than happy to share those with you.

Contact Akrami and Associates

By allowing us to help you, we will do everything within our ability to ensure that your Canadian immigration application is the best it can be! Furthermore, we can use our experience and knowledge in immigration matters to significantly decrease the chances of processing delays due to missing / improper documentation or incomplete forms. Contact Akrami and Associates today so that we can start working for you.

With Akrami and Associates there is always a way!!