Last Updated on August 28, 2016

The Guidelines for Temporary Residents

• For the Notice of Decision
  • The authorities recommend that officers send notices of decisions to clients via e-mail where possible
  • This is especially so in cases where any delays might be problematic during the Canada Post Corporation mail service cessation
  • This would enable clients to have the opportunity for flagging any urgent situations to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  • It is worth highlighting that such e-mail messages would need to indicate that the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would send the original document once Canada Post Corporation resumes its mail services
  • This is typically applicable for documents such as study permits, work permits etc.
• For Implied Status
  • Many foreign nationals in Canada will require extensions
  • For this, they would need to apply through the e-application service
  • Some clients might not be able to use the e-application service
  • Therefore, these individuals would need to courier their applications to the appropriate Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) processing offices
  • In addition, these individuals would need to register their applications at the earliest possible
  • For more information on where the clients should send their applications, clients would need to visit the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) i.e. Find out where the application should be sent
  • The authorities permit foreign nationals to continue to stay in Canada and work or study under the terms and conditions of the latest admission
  • This is applicable until the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) makes a decision on their application for extension in case the clients made their applications prior to the expiry of their status
  • It is worth highlighting that the authorities provide no grace periods as a result of this situation
• For the Restoration Period
  • It is worth highlighting that there are no special measures affecting the duration of the standard 90-day restoration period as a result of this situation
  • Therefore, clients would need to remember that the 90-day restoration period requirement continues to remain in effect
  • As a result, all affected clients who were out of status before, during or after the suspension of mail services by Canada Post Corporation would need to apply for the restoration of status within their 90-day restoration period
• For Sending Work and Study Permits
  • Clients will usually need a work permit or a study permit in order to begin school or a new job
  • Therefore, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has decided to provide PDF versions of work and study permits on plain paper via MyCIC
  • This would merely serve as an interim solution for online applications and for paper applications where the client has used ‘Registered my Application’
  • The authorities encourage clients to register their applications
  • This would enable them to receive copies of their permits when the authorities make a decision on their applications
  • However, the educational institution or employer retains the prerogative of whether it can accept a PDF copy of the permit
  • Upon the resumption of mail services, the authorities will start printing and distributing all permits
• For Employer Inspections
  • The officers have the ability to send the Final Notice of Determination for employer inspections by courier
• For Employer Compliance and Non-compliance
  • The authorities will factor in mail service delays involving the Canada Post Corporation into determinations of employer compliance and non-compliance for cooperating with International Mobility Program (IMP) inspections
  • Employers typically have about 30 days from the date of the International Mobility Program (IMP) inspection letter to provide written submissions
  • Once this 30-day period lapses, the authorities will typically make their final determinations
  • It is worth highlighting that any failure on the part of the employers to submit the requested documentation by the due date could well result in a determination of non-compliance
  • In some cases, the employers might require an extension to provide written submissions
  • For this, they would need to request for extensions within 30 days of the date of the letter
  • Officers have the ability to extend the deadlines by an additional 15 days (for a maximum of 30 days)
  • Officers would typically be able to do this if they come across a reasonable explanation that justifies the extension request
  • Officers would need to consider the justification and decide whether the request is reasonable
  • In addition, officers would need to note that they can consider Canada Post Corporation delays as reasonable justification for exceeding the deadlines
  • But, the officers retain the discretion for rejecting the justification as well

The Guidelines for Permanent Residents

• For Family Class Sponsorships – Appeal Rights Letters
  • The sponsor typically has a finite period of time for appealing any negative family class decision
  • Therefore, officers would need to forward decision letters to the sponsor via any e-mail address previously provided
  • In some cases, the officers might find that they cannot send the decision letters via e-mail
  • In this scenario, the officers would need to hold the decision letters for the duration of the mail service interruption
  • When Canada Post Corporation resumes its mail services, the officers would need to send out the relevant client letters using the current date (i.e. the date on which they send the letter)
  • Doing this would enable clients to make use of the stipulated time of90 days within which they could file their appeals
• For the Haiti and Zimbabwe Temporary Public Policy
  • The authorities require clients to submit their applications on Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds on or prior to August 04, 2016
  • Doing this would enable the clients to be eligible for a stay of removal
  • This is in accordance with the provisions specified under the February 16, 2016, Haiti and Zimbabwe temporary public policy
  • As such, clients would need to ensure that they submit their applications before the deadline
  • To achieve this objective, the authorities permit clients to submit their applications by courier, fax or e-mail
• For Permanent Resident Cards (PRCs)
  • The Canadian Bank Note (CBN) Company Limited will be responsible for holding all non-urgent Permanent Resident Card (PRC) distribution
  • The Canadian Bank Note (CBN) Company Limited would need to do this until Canada Post Corporation mail services resume
  • However, the Canadian Bank Note (CBN) Company Limited would need to send urgent Permanent Resident Cards (PRCs) by courier to the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for distribution in accordance with current established procedures
• For the Inventory Reduction Exercise for Spouses and Common-law Partners in Canada
  • The authorities may have sent letters to some clients asking them to submit certain documents for their applications
  • Clients would need to respond to these requests by sending the requested documents to the address provided on the request letter by courier
  • In particular, clients would need to avoid sending the requested documents via e-mail
  • It is worth highlighting the importance that the authorities assign to medical furtherance letters
  • Therefore, any delays in sending these letters could result in the delayed assessment of immigration medical examinations and of applicants with conditions of public health significance
  • Naturally, this could affect the timeliness of the visa officer’s decision
  • As a result, the Migration Health Branch would need to forward the furtherance request letters to the visa officer
  • The visa officer would thereafter need to e-mail them securely to the client using MyCIC or any alternate means available to the visa office
  • It is worth mentioning that some overseas offices are already following this process

The Guidelines for Refugees

• For the Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA)
  • The authorities have prescribed strict timelines associated with Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) applications that typically affect a client’s stay of removal
  • This is why officers usually process applications from detained clients on a priority basis
  • Clients typically submit Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) applications and submissions by mail
  • However, the authorities encourage clients to send these Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) applications and submissions by courier to the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
  • The authorities are aware that not all clients have the ability to send these Pre Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) applications and submissions by courier
  • Therefore, the authorities permit clients to send these applications by fax or e-mail as well

The Guidelines Pertaining to Grants and Contributions

• For Resettlement Assistance
  • Program officers or Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would need to provide income support payments i.e. cheques to clients
  • They would typically do this at the local Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offices
  • Program officers and Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would need to continue to follow the already established procedures for confirming the receipt of cheques by clients
  • In some cases, the program officers and Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) non-governmental organisations (NGOs) might find that some clients already in their permanent residence are not easily accessible to the program officers and Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) non-governmental organisations (NGOs)
  • In this scenario, the program officers and Resettlement Assistance Program (RAP) non-governmental organisations (NGOs) would need to send the cheques directly to the client by courier
  • However, the courier will need to obtain the appropriate sign-off on delivery in order to confirm the receipt of the cheque by the client
• For Other Grants and Contributions Payments
  • The authorities have instructed officers to process all grants and contributions payments via direct deposit
  • Alternatively, the authorities have instructed officers to withhold all grants and contributions payments until Canada Post Corporation resumes its mail services
  • This is the status as of June 27, 2016
  • These directives apply to all grants and contributions payments except the Resettlement Assistance Program – Income Support (RAP-IS)
  • It is worth highlighting that officers would need to avoid sending any payments via courier except for Resettlement Assistance Program – Income Support (RAP-IS) payments

 

The Guidelines Pertaining to Citizenship

• For Citizenship Events
  • In the view of the authorities, events typically comprise tests, retests, hearings (by officers and judges), interviews and various ceremonies
  • It is likely that the authorities were unable to send certain event notices prior to the suspension of mail services by Canada Post Corporation
  • Therefore, to send these event notices on time, the authorities permit officers to send these notices via e-mail
  • However, if the officers find that it is more efficient to communicate with clients via telephone (where necessary), the authorities have permitted this as well
  • The authorities are aware that they might need to give clients the benefit of the doubt with regards to their attempts to contact the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) offices with their reasons for being unable to attend any events
  • In this scenario, the officers would need to be mindful of the fact that they can automatically reschedule no-shows for any event during the period of mail service suspension by Canada Post Corporation for another date or event with no explanation required
• For Other Citizenship Correspondence
  • The authorities require that officers send citizenship decision letters i.e. officer and judge by courier
  • However, the authorities permit the officers to send certain correspondence via e-mail such as:
    • Recall letters
    • Revocation letters
    • “Search of Records” letters
    • Document requests
    • Fingerprint requests and,
    • Procedural fairness letters
  • In some cases, the officers might find that transmission by e-mail is not possible
  • This would typically be the case with the distribution of citizenship certificates or proofs
  • In this scenario, the officers would need to send the correspondence by courier
  • In some cases, the authorities might require a response from the applicant or additional information from the applicant
  • In this scenario, the officers would need to extend the deadline for receiving responses from clients by 30 days
  • In addition, officers have the ability to send abandonment notices via e-mail
  • This is in accordance with the office schedules that the authorities have already established

The Guidelines for the Passport Program

• For Non-Urgent Requests
  • The authorities encourage clients with no upcoming travel plans to wait for submitting passports or travel document applications
  • This is especially so for non-urgent requests
  • This would enable these individuals to avoid the Canada Post Corporation service suspension and the resulting potential long wait times at passport service locations
  • In some situations, the clients might require the travel document much sooner
  • In this scenario, the authorities encourage clients to submit their applications:
    • By courier
    • Directly at a passport office or,
    • At a Service Canada receiving agent site
  • To find the nearest passport service locations across Canada, clients would need to visit the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) i.e. Find a passport service location near you
• For the Transfer of Documents for Passport Delivery
  • The authorities have put in place special courier arrangements with Purolator for the transmission of applications between the processing centres, passport offices and Service Canada receiving agents
  • These arrangements will remain in place during the suspension of mail services by Canada Post Corporation
  • Officers would need to continue using the existing procedures in place for delivering passports abroad
  • For this, officers would typically need to use the services offered by:
    • Priority Worldwide Services
    • DHL and,
    • Diplomatic Mail Services
  • However, these measures do not apply for applicants from the US
  • Applicants from the US would need to continue submitting applications by using an alternate certified courier
  • This is especially so because Canada Post Corporation would not be delivering United States Postal Service mail during the service interruption
  • US applicants who need passports urgently or are in exceptional circumstances would need to contact the nearest Government of Canada passport issuing office abroad
  • To find the nearest Government of Canada passport issuing office abroad, clients would need to visit the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) i.e. Government of Canada passport issuing office abroad
  • It is worth highlighting that exceptional circumstances would typically comprise cases involving last minute travel because of illness or death
• For Passport Collection Sites
  • The authorities plan to make available new passports for clients
  • Clients would be able to collect these from all 33 passport offices (except for the Pointe-Claire office) and 30 additional Service Canada receiving agent sites
  • The authorities would notify the client of the collection site at the time of submission of the application
  • Some clients might have applied prior to the announcement of the suspension of mail services
  • Officers are informing these clients through various outreach activities to contact the Passport Canada Call Centre for confirming their collection sites
• For Fees
  • For the most part, the authorities have mandated that they will still require the payment of fees for ‘Urgent’, ‘Express’ and ‘Pick-up’ during the suspension of mail services
  • Thus, they will require the payment of fees for all services with service standards of under 10 days
  • The authorities are aware that certain clients might require a gratis replacement in accordance with normal procedures
  • This would typically apply to the small percentage of clients who have paid for regular service and whose passport, the authorities had issued but which is currently being held within Canada Post Corporation
  • In this scenario, the authorities have decided to waive the pick-up fee from these clients
  • In all other cases, the collection of printed passports from the passport office and certain Service Canada receiving agent sites will continue to be available at no additional charge to the client
  • This is because the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does not have the ability to deliver these printed passports to the client’s residence
  • This applies to all printed passports having service standards of over 10 days plus five days for shipping and sorting to prepare for collection
  • It is worth highlighting that the officers would continue to process all urgent passport and travel document requests urgently for a specified fee, in accordance with the prescribed procedures