Replacing the Principal Applicant on an Application for Permanent Residence by a Parent or Grandparent sponsored as a member of the Family Class

Operational Bulletin 369 – January 17, 2012

Replacing the Principal Applicant on an Application for Permanent Residence by a Parent or Grandparent sponsored as a member of the Family Class

Summary

Typically, the Principal Applicant (PA) submits the parent or grandparent application for permanent residence in the Family Class. In some situations, the Principal Applicant (PA) could pass away before the authorities grant permanent residence.

In this scenario, officers could replace the Principal Applicant (PA) with the individual identified on the application as the:

  • Accompanying spouse or,
  • Accompanying common-law partner

However, they would only be able to do this in cases where the accompanying spouse or common-law partner are also found eligible for sponsorship as a member of the Family Class by the sponsor.

Officers would need to note that the sponsor would need to sponsor the accompanying spouse or common-law partner as a member of the Family Class. As such, the sponsor cannot be a step-parent or a step-grandparent. In addition, the officers would only be able to replace the Principal Applicant (PA) with the accompanying spouse or common-law partner once the sponsor makes the request to do so.

Issue

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides operational guidance to officers in cases where:

  • The head of the family passes away during the processing of a parent or grandparent application for permanent residence and,
  • The sponsor requests that the officers replace the Principal Applicant (PA) on the application with the spouse or common-law partner as listed as accompanying on the application

Background

The immigration authorities typically receive several applications for permanent residence. Many of these applications list an accompanying spouse or common-law partner. Therefore, the officers would need to go through the application thoroughly. The application must identify clearly, the following parties:

  • The Principal Applicant (PA) and,
  • The accompanying spouse or common-law partner

This is in accordance with the guidelines prescribed in R10 (1) (e).

The officers have the authority to replace the Principal Applicant (PA) with a person who shares one of the following relationships with the Principal Applicant (PA):

  • A marital relationship or,
  • A common-law relationship

This is accordance with the guidelines specified in Section 7.4 of OP 1.

However, officers cannot alternate the Principal Applicant (PA) once the processing of an application commences.

In some situations, the applicants might want to have their spouse or common-law partners considered as the Principal Applicant (PA). In this situation, the applicants would need to close the original application. Thereafter, they would need to submit a new application. In addition, they would also need to pay the new processing fees applicable for the fresh application.

The Instructions for the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)

Situations could arise where the Principal Applicant (PA) passes away during the processing of the sponsorship application. In this scenario, the applicants would need to inform the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) of the death of the Principal Applicant (PA).

Thereafter, the officer processing the application could replace the Principal Applicant (PA) with the individual identified on the application as the:

  • Accompanying spouse or,
  • Accompanying common-law partner

However, the officer will only do this if the individual is also eligible for sponsorship as a member of the Family Class by the sponsor.

Officers at the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to request for:

  • An updated sponsorship application and,
  • An updated IMM 0008

However, they will not charge any additional fees for this.

In addition, applicants must note that the lock-in date for age of dependent children will not change. It will remain the date on which the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) originally received:

  • The complete sponsorship application and,
  • The associated fees

The Instructions for the Visa Offices

The visa officer processing the application has the authority to replace the Principal Applicant (PA) with the individual identified on the application as the:

  • Accompanying spouse or,
  • Accompanying common-law partner

However, the officer will only do this if the individual is also eligible for sponsorship as a member of the Family Class by the sponsor. In addition, the applicants would need to inform the visa office about the death of the Principal Applicant (PA). Only then would the visa officer go about replacing the name of the Principal Applicant (PA).

Visa officers would need to request for:

  • An updated sponsorship application and,
  • An updated IMM 0008

However, they will not charge any additional fees for this.

In addition, applicants must note that the lock-in date for age of dependent children will not change. It will remain the date on which the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) originally received:

  • The complete sponsorship application and,
  • The associated fees

The Instructions to Follow In Case the Spouse or Partner is Not Eligible

In some situations, the officers might determine that the individual identified on the application is not eligible. This would typically be the individual identified on the application as the:

  • Accompanying spouse or,
  • Accompanying common-law partner

For instance, this individual could be a step-parent or a step-grandparent of the sponsor.

In this scenario, the officers could consider various humanitarian and compassionate factors. They could use these factors for assessing the familial relationship between the sponsor and the step-parent. Some typical questions that officers could question in this situation include:

  • Was the step-parent part of the sponsor’s formative years or,
  • Did the step-parent marry the Principal Applicant (PA) during the past year

The Instructions for the Global Case Management System (GCMS) / Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS)

The situation described in this Operational Bulletin (OB) is undoubtedly unique. Because of this, officers would need to follow the instructions given for dealing with these cases in the:

  • Global Case Management System (GCMS) and,
  • Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS)

The Instructions Applicable at Visa Offices

  • The officer would need to withdraw the file
  • Thereafter, the officer would need to enter notes that specify that:
    • The Principal Applicant (PA) has passed away
    • The officer is creating a new file and,
    • The officer is reallocating the fees
  • The officer would also need to notify the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) of the event
  • In addition, the officer would need to inform the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) that they require a new sponsorship

The Instructions Applicable for Cases in the Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS)

  • The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will create all the applications in the:
    • Case Processing Centre System or,
    • Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
  • Therefore, the officers would need to de-allocate and unreserved the fees from these systems first
  • Thereafter, they would need to create a new file in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • The officers would need to close the file in the Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS) first
  • In addition, they would need to show the fees as having been refunded
  • Thereafter, the officers would need to contact the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)
  • The officers would need to request the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) to create a new file in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) with the living spouse or common-law partner as the main applicant
  • Thereafter, the officers would need to de-allocate the fees from the existing application and unreserved it
  • Following this, the officers would need to give a status of “Transferred to GCMS” to the remaining Case Processing Centre System or Field Operations Support System (FOSS) Y-document related to the FC4
  • However, they would do this only once the fees have been entirely unreserved
  • After a gap of 72 hours, the fees will appear as being available in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • Once this takes place, the officers would need to allocate these fees to the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) file
  • Situations could arise where the death of the Principal Applicant (PA) entitles the sponsor to a refund
  • In this scenario, the officers would process the refund on the new application
  • They would show this refund as an overpayment in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • However, they would do this once the fees have been re-allocated in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

The Instructions Applicable for Cases in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

  • The officers would need to close the Global Case Management System (GCMS) file
  • They would also need to show the fees as having been refunded
  • Thereafter, the officers would need to contact the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) and request it to:
    • Refund the fees from the original Global Case Management System (GCMS) file or,
    • Re-allocate the fees from the original Global Case Management System (GCMS) file
    • Create a new file in the Global Case Management System (GCMS) that lists the living spouse or common-law partner as the Principal Applicant (PA)
  • Then, the officers would need to re-allocate the fees to the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) file
  • Situations of over payments will arise
  • In this scenario, the officers at the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to generate the refund of extra money paid

The Instructions Applicable at the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)

  • There are two Global Case Management System (GCMS) FC4-related scenarios
    • In the first scenario, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) initially processed the FC4 Sponsorship in the:
        • Case Processing Centre System or,
        • Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
      • Then, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would process the FC4 Sponsorship in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
      • After this, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would send the FC4 Sponsorship to the team of Handling Public Monies (HPM)
      • In this scenario, the officers collect the fees in the:
        • Case Processing Centre System or,
        • Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
      • They do not collect the fees in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
      • Therefore, the officers would need to de-allocate and unreserved the fees
      • This transaction will take approximately 72 hours to complete
      • Following this, the officers would need to give a status of “Transferred to GCMS” to the remaining Case Processing Centre System or Field Operations Support System (FOSS) application
      • The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will check the Global Case Management System (GCMS) to see if the fees are available
      • If the fees are found to be available in the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will re-create the application in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
      • Thereafter, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will take the fees for the application
      • Once the officers have followed all these steps, they will undertake an electronic transfer of the new file
      • This electronic transfer will send the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) to the mission
      • Thereafter, the officers would process any refunds applicable through the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) application
    • In the second scenario, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) processed the FC4 Sponsorship in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
      • After this, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would process the fees in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
      • Then, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would send the FC4 Sponsorship to the team of Handling Public Monies (HPM)
      • Thereafter, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to:
        • De-allocate the fees
        • Re-create the application
        • Take the fees on the new application and,
        • Refund on the new application as an overpayment
      • Once the officers have followed all these steps, they will undertake an electronic transfer of the new file
      • This electronic transfer will send the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) to the mission
      • Thereafter, the officers would process any refunds applicable through the new Global Case Management System (GCMS) application

Further Information

Situations might arise where the officers need to access further information. In this scenario, the authorities would update the following operational manual:

  • OP 2 – Processing Members of the Family Class

Questions

The officers might have further questions regarding the changes detailed in this OB. Alternatively, they might need to access further information about the changes specified in this OB.

In this scenario, they would need to contact Operational Management and Coordination at: [email protected].

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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The Modified Processing Instructions for Information Technology Work Permit Applications (Software Pilot) for British Columbia and Quebec

Operational Bulletin 225-E – January 06, 2012

The Modified Processing Instructions for Information Technology Work Permit Applications (Software Pilot) for British Columbia and Quebec

Issue

This Operational Bulletin (OB) replaces OB 225-D, published on September 30, 2011. OB 225-D dealt with the “Modified Processing Instructions for Information Technology (IT) Work Permit Applications (Software Pilot) for British Columbia and Quebec”. At present, the authorities have decided to keep the facilitated process for Quebec in place until further notice.

Situations will arise where officers receive work permit applications for the seven specific Information Technology (IT) occupations. The authorities had placed these seven occupations in the facilitated process for Information Technology (IT) specialists destined to British Columbia. Henceforth however, work permit applications for these seven occupations will require a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). This requirement comes into effect from January 01, 2012.

In OB 225-E, the authorities have mentioned that the facilitated process for British Columbia concluded on December 31, 2011. However, the authorities aim to keep the facilitated process for Quebec in place until further notice.

Background

Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) [Service Canada] issued a notice to employers on May 20, 2010. It notified the employers that the simplified process for certain Information Technology (IT) occupations was going to end on September 30, 2010.

It also informed the employers that employers wishing to hire a Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW), who was previously ineligible for Information Technology (IT) facilitated processing, would need to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). This update applied everywhere except in:

  • British Columbia, where the authorities extended the simplified process for certain Information Technology (IT) applications till December 31, 2011 and,
  • Quebec, where the authorities extended the simplified process for certain Information Technology (IT) applications until further notice

Thus, employers would need to apply for a Labour Market Opinion (LMO) for the specified workers with effect from October 01, 2010.

The Guidelines

The Guidelines Applicable for Work Permit Applications Received Prior to January 01, 2012

Officers will apply the terms of the simplified entry process for the seven specific Information Technology (IT) occupations. The authorities have specified the details of these occupations on the website of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC). They will do so for work permit applications they receive up to and including December 31, 2011 for:

  • Initial applications and,
  • Renewals

On approving these applications, the officers would need to ensure that they have a maximum duration of one year from the date of work permit issuance. This is in accordance with previously issued instructions.

The Guidelines Applicable for Work Permit Applications Received On or After January 01, 2012

The authorities have mandated that certain work permit applications would require a Labour Market Opinion (LMO). This is especially applicable in cases where the work permit applications are for the seven specific Information Technology (IT) occupations, which previously came under the facilitated process. This requirement comes into effect from January 01, 2012.

In addition, the Labour Market Opinion (LMO) would need to specify the requirements for the durations of the occupations. The officers would need to ensure that the work permit durations are in accordance with the requirements specified within the Labour Market Opinion (LMO).

Officers must also note that the facilitated process will continue in Quebec until further notice. 

Readers might require more information about the information given in this OB. They could refer to the website of Human Resources and Skills Development Canada (HRSDC) for obtaining greater clarity on the subject.

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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The Ministerial Instructions and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Applications

Operational Bulletin 219 – January 09, 2012

The Ministerial Instructions and Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Applications

Issue

The authorities amended the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) on June 18, 2008. The amendment gave the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration certain authorities and powers. One of these enabled the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration to guide Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) officers on the manner in which they would need to process applications and requests.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration would need to ensure that CIC officers process requests and applications in a specific manner. The manner in which CIC officers process these applications and requests must support the attainment of the immigration goals prescribed by the Government of Canada.

The Minister of Citizenship and Immigration issued the first set of Ministerial Instructions (MIs) on November 28, 2008. Similarly, the Minister of Citizenship and Immigration issued the second set of Ministerial Instructions (MIs) on June 26, 2010.

These Ministerial Instructions (MIs) have introduced various changes to the requirements of the Canadian Experience Class (CEC). The Canada Gazette contains further details on these Ministerial Instructions (MIs).

The Requirements for Canadian Experience Class (CEC) Applications

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) offices will receive various Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications. The officers would need to ensure that the results of the principal applicant’s English or French language proficiency assessments (refer to Note) accompany these applications. This is applicable for all Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications received on or after June 26, 2010.

Officers might come across Canadian Experience Class (CEC) applications that do not have these language proficiency results accompanying them. In this scenario, the officers will not consider such applications for processing.

In addition, the officers would need to ensure that the language test results must not be older than one year at the time of application. This is especially so for language test results submitted prior to December 23, 2010.

Officers could come across language test results submitted on or after December 23, 2010. In this case, they would need to ensure that these language test results are not older than two years at the time of application.

The visa office would need to review applications for completeness. This is in accordance with Section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

Situations could arise where the visa office comes across applications received on or after June 26, 2010, that do not have any English or French language test results from a designated testing agency accompanying them. In this scenario, the officers would consider such applications as incomplete. Thereafter, the officers would return these applications to the applicants. In addition, they would also return the appropriate fees to the applicants concerned.

The authorities have updated the OP 25 manual.

The officers might want to obtain further information the changes outlined in this OB. To this end, they could contact their supervisors. Alternatively, they could even contact their Regional Program Advisors (RPAs). The Regional Program Advisors (RPAs) would thereafter, need to contact the Operational Management and Coordination Branch (OMC) at: [email protected].

Note:

  • Visa offices will only accept test results issued by a third party language testing agency designated by the Minister of Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism
  • This is in accordance with the guidelines specified in Section 9.6 of OP 25

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC)

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The Procedures Applicable for Issuing Refunds for Applications Submitted Under the First Set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1) to Applicants in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

Operational Bulletin 376 – January 19, 2012

The Procedures Applicable for Issuing Refunds for Applications Submitted Under the First Set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1) to Applicants in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

Issue

On occasions, officers might need to issue refunds of the cost recovery fee payment for Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications. This is applicable for Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications submitted under the first set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1). Typically, officers would issue these refunds by using the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

Officers would need to follow the instructions contained in this Operational Bulletin (OB) when issuing these refunds. These instructions pertain to applicants who:

  • Are not eligible for processing under the first set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1) or,
  • Have withdrawn their application before the authorities make an eligibility determination under the first set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1)

Officers would need to follow these instructions with immediate effect.

Background

The authorities have outlined the refund procedures in Appendix C of Operational Bulletin 120 (OB 120) dated June 15, 2009. This bulletin bears the title Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Applications – Procedures for Visa Offices.

The authorities would need to update the refund procedures specified in this bulletin. The amended procedures must contain the instructions for issuing refunds to Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications submitted under the first set of Ministerial Instructions (MI-1). Officers will typically create these cases in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

The Instructions for Issuing Refunds to MI-1 Applicants in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)

Situations will arise where officers create MI-1 applications in the Global Case Management System (GCMS). In this scenario, officers would need to follow the steps given below, when they issue refunds of the cost recovery fee payment. Officers would need to note that the triggers remain the same as those specified in Appendix C of OB 120.

The Procedures Applicable for Cases Where the Centralised Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney Needs to Issue the Refund

  • In the Global Case Management System (GCMS), the Centralised Intake Office (CIO) has set the MI field status as “Met” under the Eligibility – Eligibility Assessment
  • This status remains locked and thus, officers would not be able to change this
  • For issuing a refund, one of the following three scenarios must be met:
    • The applicant must have submitted a request for withdrawing their application (prior to the authorities making a final eligibility determination) OR
    • The visa office determines that the application is not eligible for processing and the applicant does not submit a complete application package within the mandated 120 days OR
    • The visa office determines that the application is not eligible for processing based on its review of the applicant’s submission

In these scenarios, the processing office will follow the actions given in the table below. 

Step

Action

1

The processing office would need to change or set the Selection status to “Cancelled”

2

If the applicant is withdrawing the application, the processing office will:

Generate a new “Ministerial Instructions” activity and change the status from “Not Started” to “Cancelled” in the Eligibility – Eligibility Assessment view 

Select “Withdrawn” from the Final Assessment drop-down menu. The system will create a “Withdrawal Letter” in the Correspondence – Outgoing view.

3

If the applicant is not eligible for processing, the processing office will:

Generate a new “Ministerial Instructions” activity and change the status from “Not Started” to “Not Met” or “Not Met – Docs not Submitted” in the Eligibility – Eligibility Assessment view 

The system will create a “MI – Not Eligible Letter” in the Correspondence – Outgoing view. This letter also goes by the name of “SW C50-Negative final determination of eligibility for processing- Ministerial Instructions”.

4

Assign the Centralised Intake Office (CIO) as a Secondary Office (Office 6262).

5

Navigate to the Application Fees View within the application.

6

Thereafter, the processing officer would highlight the payment transaction entries that require refunding in the Fees applet.

The officer can select more than transaction for refund, if applicable.

Click the Refund button.

Officers might want to refer to further details on this step. For this, they would need to refer to the Global Case Management System (GCMS) User Guide (Ctrl + H) – To Record a Fee Refund. 

In some situations, the officer might need to refund payments made in local currency. For dealing with this situation, the officer would need to go through the section titled “The Procedures Applicable for Cases Where the Mission Needs to Issue the Refund”.

7

The system creates a refund record. It also populates the following fields: 

  • Fee
  • Amount Required (CAD) and,
  • Amount Paid

In some cases, the Payment # field might have a value specified in the payment record. If this is the case, the Payment # field in the refund record will also hold the same value. 

The value in the Receipt # field does not carry forward into the refund record.

8

The officer would need to click on the icon, query for or type in the appropriate “User Id” and click OK in the “Refund Authorised By” field.

Thereafter, the officer would need to select “RPC” in the “Code” field. 

In some cases, the applicant could have made the payment in the local currency. In this situation, the mission would typically initiate the refund. Therefore, in this case, officers would need to select “RPA”.

9

The officer would need to place certain notes in the system.  The following are examples of suggested notes that officers could use or refer to.

  1. Ineligible:
    File reviewed: does not meet MI – not eligible for processing.
    MI Eligibility entered and cost recovery code changed to RPC.
    Processing has not begun. Applicant is eligible for refund of processing fees.
    Refund request sent to CIO-Sydney.
  2. Withdrawal:
    Withdrawal request from applicant received. Application withdrawn this date.
    Processing has not begun. Applicant is eligible for refund of processing fees.
    Refund request sent to CIO-Sydney.
  3. 120 days have elapsed. No submission from applicant:
    Reviewed: Applicant was provided with 120 days to submit complete application kit and supporting docs. The 120 days have elapsed and applicant has not submitted complete kit. Based on review of info available, not satisfied application is eligible for processing. Processing has not begun. Applicant is eligible for refund of processing fees.
    Refund request sent to CIO-Sydney.

Officers would need to note that the specimen notes illustrated above are only suggestions. Therefore, officers would need to reflect accurately the action taken on the file with their notes. They would need to do this for cases they take actions on. Ideally, the notes must indicate why the case warrants a refund.

10

The officer would need to go to the Outgoing view tab in the Correspondence section.

The system will typically create a “MI – Not Eligible” or “Withdrawal” letter (please refer to steps 2 or 3 given above). The officer would need to generate and print the letter for the client. 

On printing the letter, the system will update the Correspondence status to display “Sent”. Thereafter, the system will automatically change:

  • The Application Status to “Closed” and,
  • The Application Status Reason to “Not Eligible” or “Withdrawn”

11

The officers would need to notify the Centralised Intake Office at Sydney (CIO-Sydney). 

They would need to send them an e-mail at [email protected].

They would need to request the Centralised Intake Office at Sydney (CIO-Sydney) to initiate a refund when the applicant made the payment in Canadian funds.

The Procedures Applicable for Cases Where the Mission Needs to Issue the Refund

  • The mission would need to issue the refund in cases where:
    • The applicant is entitled to a refund, but the applicant made the original payment at the mission in local currency OR
    • The applicant is unable to cash a cheque received from the Receiver General for Canada
  • Typically, these applicants would be unable to obtain Canadian funds in the country where they resided
  • As a result, they made the payment in local currency at the mission

The Instructions for the Centralised Intake Office in Sydney (CIO-Sydney)

The Centralised Intake Office at Sydney (CIO-Sydney) will take the following steps specified in the table below. 

Step

Action

1

The Centralised Intake Office at Sydney (CIO-Sydney) would follow normal office refund procedures

2

It would annotate the actions taken in the notes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS).

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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Closure and Transfer of Visa and Immigration Services from the Canadian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, to Neighbouring Visa Offices

Operational Bulletin 380 – January 31, 2012

Closure and Transfer of Visa and Immigration Services from the Canadian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, to Neighbouring Visa Offices

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides information regarding the closure of the visa office at Damascus (Syria). This directive is valid until further notice.

In addition, this OB provides information about the transfer of visa and immigration services from Damascus (Syria) to neighbouring visa offices. The current state of unrest has resulted in this change.

The authorities have also redistributed the workload faced by the visa office at Damascus (Syria). As a result, the redistribution of the workload has resulted in new responsibilities for the visa offices located in:

  • Beirut (Lebanon)
  • Amman (Jordan)
  • Ankara (Turkey) and,
  • Tel Aviv (Israel)

The authorities have designated Amman and Beirut as full service visa offices. In addition, they have also made Ankara the new regional program centre.

Background

The authorities have decided to close the Visa and Immigration Section of the Canadian Embassy in Damascus (Syria). This is because of the current circumstances in the country. The closure remains effective until further notice.

They have also decided to redistribute the resulting Damascus (Syria) caseload to neighbouring visa offices in the region. The redistribution of the resulting Damascus (Syria) caseload has led to the emergence of new responsible visa offices for:

  • Temporary resident applications from Cyprus, Lebanon and Syria and,
  • Permanent resident applications from Cyprus, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon and Syria

This directive also has an effect on refugee class applications from:

  • Cyprus
  • Greece
  • Iran
  • Iraq
  • Jordan
  • Lebanon and,
  • Syria

The Instructions

The instructions for the changes in procedure follow.

The Regional Program Centre

Until now, Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s visa office Damascus (Syria) had been the regional program centre. With immediate effect, Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s visa office in Ankara (Turkey) will replace the visa office in Damascus (Syria). Therefore, the visa office in Ankara (Turkey) will become the new regional program centre.

Temporary Resident Processing

The Processing Instructions for New Applications 

Persons Residing In…

Applicants would need to submit applications to …

Syria

The visa office in Amman (Jordan)

OR

The visa office in Beirut (Lebanon)

OR

In person to any other Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) visa office

Lebanon

The visa office in Beirut (Lebanon)

Cyprus

The visa office in Tel Aviv (Israel)

The Processing Instructions for Applications in-Process

The visa office in Damascus (Syria) is currently processing various temporary resident applications. The visa office in Damascus (Syria) will continue to process and finalise these applications.

For Permanent Resident Processing

The Processing Instructions for New Applications

  • Applicants would need to continue sending the following applications to the Centralised Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (CIO-S) first:
    • New Federal Skilled Worker applications
    • New Quebec Skilled Worker applications
    • New Provincial Nominee Program applications and,
    • New Investor Program applications
  • Similarly, applicants would need to continue submitting new Family Class applications to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (CPC-M) first
  • The following offices would need to bear the responsibility for holding impacted files until the officers have completed the transfer of services:
    • The Centralised Intake Office in Sydney, Nova Scotia, Canada (CIO-S)
    • The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada (CPC-M) and,
    • The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville
  • As of March 01, 2012, these offices have the authority to send the impacted files to the appropriate visa office depicted in the table below 

Applicants In…

Applicants would need to submit applications to …

Syria, Jordan and Iraq

The visa office in Amman (Jordan)

 

Lebanon

The visa office in Beirut (Lebanon)

Cyprus

The visa office in Tel Aviv (Israel)

Iran

The visa office in Ankara (Turkey)

 The Processing Instructions for Applications in-Process

  • The officers would transfer the applications currently in process in Damascus (Syria) to the new responsible visa office
  • This includes the transfer of any supporting documentation accompanying the applications as well
  • Some applicants might have already sent the appropriate documents to the Canadian Embassy in Damascus (Syria)
  • These applicants do not need to re-send any documents to the Canadian Embassy in Damascus (Syria)
  • The new responsible visa office will contact the applicant once:
    • They have finalised an application and,
    • They are ready to issue a visa to the applicant
  • Thereafter, the new responsible visa office will make the necessary arrangements for facilitating this process

Refugee Class Applications

The Processing Instructions for New Applications

  • The authorities have suspended the refugee resettlement program for both:
    • Privately Sponsored Refugees (PSRs) and,
    • Government Assisted Refugees (GARs)
  • With immediate effect, the visa office in Damascus (Syria) will not accept any new refugee applications for refugees in Syria
  • This is effective until further notice
  • Similarly, the local Citizenship and Immigration Centres in Canada are placing on hold any new Privately Sponsored Refugee Applications (PSRs) it receives for refugees in Syria at present
  • It will continue to do so until the Department determines the appropriate longer term contingencies
  • In due course of time, the authorities will inform resettlement partners including:
    • Private sponsors and,
    • The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
  • On receiving the information from the authorities, these resettlement partners would be able to:
    • Submit new applications or referrals and,
    • Gain awareness of the number of new applications or referrals they could submit to other visa offices

The Processing Instructions for Applications in-Process

  • In the coming months, the visa office in Amman (Jordan) will finalise the processing of the several hundred remaining refugee cases that have cleared the selection of the authorities
  • Thereafter, only the refugee cases for people residing in Syria will remain
  • The officers would transfer the remaining refugee cases for persons residing in Syria to a secure location
  • Then, the authorities would wait for the situation to become more amenable, whereby they would be able to re-open the visa office in Damascus (Syria)
  • Once the situation becomes amenable, the authorities would re-open the visa office in Damascus (Syria)
  • Thereafter, the officers would resume processing these cases
  • However, officers would need to note that the refugee resettlement file caseload for persons residing outside of Syria would need to adhere to the same regional redistribution
  • Therefore, the officers would process this refugee resettlement file caseload according to the details specified in the table below:

Applicants In…

Applicants would need to submit applications to …

Jordan and Iraq

The visa office in Amman (Jordan)

 

Lebanon

The visa office in Beirut (Lebanon)

Cyprus

The visa office in Tel Aviv (Israel)

Iran

The visa office in Ankara (Turkey)

Greece

The visa office in Rome (Italy)

The Instructions for Returning Permanent Residents

The officers might come across applications from returning permanent residents. In this scenario, they would need to encourage the returning permanent residents to submit applications for a Permanent Resident Travel Document in person. These individuals would need to submit their applications at any of the neighbouring Citizenship and Immigration Canada’s visa offices in person.

Officers would also need to inform these applicants that they should not send any correspondence or applications to the visa section in Damascus (Syria).

External Client Enquiries

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would take all efforts to minimise processing delays. This is especially so during the transition period. During this time however, applicants and their representatives would need to avoid contacting the regional visa offices. The regional visa offices or the new processing missions would contact the applicants directly in due course of time.

Applicants could refer to the Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) website for further details.

The Expiry of Directives

These directives would remain in force, until the authorities provide any other notice to the contrary. The authorities would also communicate any further instructions as and when needed.

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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The Introduction of the Downloadable IMM 5455 Supplementary Identification Form

Operational Bulletin 383 – February 01, 2012

The Introduction of the Downloadable IMM 5455 Supplementary Identification Form

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides details about the new downloadable version of the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455).

Background

The authorities use the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) for collecting client information. This information pertains to the processing of Permanent Residence (PR) Cards.

The printed version of the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) has:

  • An integrated adhesive photo patch and,
  • A shaded box for assisting with the digital capture of the applicant’s signature

Because of these special features, the form was not available in a downloadable format until now.

Permanent Residence (PR) Card applicants typically needed to contact Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) for obtaining these forms. The CIC would make provisions for sending the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) by mail.

Naturally, sending the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) by mail involved the consumption of time. As a result, the application process for applicants experienced delays. In addition, the use of mail resulted in the CIC bearing increased postage and handling costs too.

The New Format

The new downloadable format of the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) will be available from February 01, 2012. Interested applicants would be able to find this form in a fillable and downloadable format.

In the new Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455), the shaded signature box is no longer a requirement. This is because the applicant’s signature feature will no longer appear on the Permanent Resident (PR) Cards. This is especially so for Permanent Resident (PR) Cards issued as of February 01, 2012.

Instead, the authorities will ask applicants to provide their photos. For this purpose, the applicants will need to send their photos in a small envelope. They would need to send this envelope along with their completed Supplementary Identification Forms (IMM 5455). However, they would need to note that they must not attach their photos to the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455).

The authorities will mount the photos with a stick-on adhesive patch. They will do this at the Case Processing Centre – Permanent Resident (PR) Card in Sydney. The authorities have made the necessary amendments in the Permanent Resident (PR) Card application and guide. Both these documents reflect the updated changes at present.

Because of these changes, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will no longer be mailing the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455). As the form is now downloadable, mailing it to the applicants is no longer necessary.

However, in certain situations, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will need to mail the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455). OB 352 specifies the instances in which this would be necessary.

Typically, Citizenship and Immigration Canada would mail the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455) only when they need to send it to individuals who:

  • Request for the form in Braille or in large print format
  • Self identify as all of the following:
    • They do not have access to the internet or do not have a printer
    • They do not have family members of friends who could assist them and,
    • They are unable to access application kits via an organisation or business because of a mobility disability OR,
  • Reside in remote areas where internet access is unavailable (The Industry Canada website carries details on these areas; therefore, officers could refer to this website for verifying this)

The Case Processing Centre – Permanent Resident (PR) Card in Sydney will maintain the capacity to process either version of the Supplementary Identification Form (IMM 5455). However, the internal processing of photo corrections through Port of Entry and Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) could continue to use the hard copy version of the form.

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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The Sanctions Against Iran

Operational Bulletin 378 – January 20, 2012

The Sanctions Against Iran

Issue

This Operational Bulletin (OB) specifies the definition of Iranian nationals. For the purpose of this OB, Iranian nationals comprise:

  • People holding Iranian citizenship or,
  • People residing in Iran

The authorities had imposed amended sanctions against Iran. These amended sanctions are in accordance with the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA). The amended sanctions came into effect on November 21, 2011.

As a result of this imposition, the authorities have placed certain prohibitions on:

  • People in Canada and,
  • Canadians residing outside Canada

The authorities have prohibited these individuals from providing or acquiring any financial services:

  • To, from or for the benefit of Iran or any person in Iran or,
  • On the direction or order of Iran or any person in Iran

In addition, Iranian nationals could face restrictions in transferring funds to Canadian banks as a result of this imposition.

However, the authorities have provided one exemption to this imposition. The amended sanctions provide an exemption for:

  • Non-commercial remittances of $40,000 or less or,
  • Payments required under a contract that existed prior to November 22, 2011

Background

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) assess Iran’s nuclear program on November 09, 2011. In response to the results of this assessment, Canada imposed further sanctions on Iran. These amended sanctions were in accordance with the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA).

The authorities introduced new regulations that amended the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. These amendments came into force on November 21, 2011. Some of the provisions contained in the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations include:

  • Prohibiting financial transactions with Iran
  • Expanding the list of prohibited goods to include all goods used in the:
    • Petrochemical industry in Iran
    • Oil industry in Iran and,
    • Gas industry in Iran
  • Amending the list of prohibited goods to include additional items that people could use in Iran’s nuclear program and,
  • Adding new individuals and entities to the list of designated persons found in Schedule 1 of the Special Economic Measures Act (SEMA) regulations

In addition, the amended sanctions also remove certain entities as well. This is because the authorities have deemed these entities as things that do not pose a proliferation concern any longer.

Readers might wish to go through the complete text of the November 21, 2011 regulations. Therefore, they would need to visit the website of the Canada Gazette. They would be able to locate the complete text of the regulations amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

As mentioned earlier, the imposition of these amended sanctions will have an impact on:

  • People holding Iranian citizenship or,
  • People residing in Iran

These individuals might face restrictions in transferring funds to Canadian financial institutions. This is especially so if they do not fit within the exemptions to the sanctions. The authorities have specified these exemptions in Section 5 (d) of the amended Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations.

In addition, the restrictions also impose other measures on these individuals. For example, they serve to prohibit people in Iran from opening a bank account in Canada. This is especially so if they are opening this account prior to their immigration to Canada. That too, for the express purpose of transferring funds. This prohibition applies even if the authorities would allow the funds themselves under the exemptions specified.

The Instructions

The offices of Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) will continue to process applications for permanent and temporary residence for:

  • People holding Iranian citizenship or,
  • People residing in Iran

All offices of the CIC – whether in Canada or overseas – will process these applications to visa issuance. They will also process these applications as per normal office procedures.

In certain situations, applicants might need to demonstrate that they:

  • Can transfer funds to Canada or,
  • Have transferred funds to Canada

This scenario could typically arise in the case of federal investor class applicants. Federal investor class applicants need to make their investment of $400,000 or $800,000. In this scenario, officers would need to:

  • Notify these applicants that they might face restrictions in transferring funds to a Canadian financial institution and,
  • Refer these applicants to the text concerning the sanctions specified in the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations 

Similarly, the officers would need to provide the same information to all other applicants too. However, in the case of other applicants, they would receive this information at the time of visa issuance.

People affected by the sanctions on financial transactions would need to apply for permits. They would need to obtain permits from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT). This is applicable for people who are:

  • Applicants for a visa or,
  • Already in Canada

The permits issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) authorise specific activities of transactions. They authorise these activities or transactions despite the prohibitions specified under the sanctions.

Therefore, officers would need to consider this permit process, when they assign a deadline for submitting evidence that:

  • Applicants can transfer funds to Canada or,
  • Applicants can make investments in Canada

Only after considering this would officers be able to refuse an application for failure to transfer the required funds or investments from:

  • People holding Iranian citizenship or,
  • People residing in Iran

The authorities have drafted specific text for communicating with clients affected by the sanctions. The In-Canada CIC offices and overseas missions would need to use the following text when communicating with these affected clients:

“Effective November 21, 2011, Iranian nationals and persons residing in Iran may face restrictions in transferring funds to, or opening bank accounts with Canadian financial institutions. The text of Regulations amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations, can be found at Regulations Amending the Special Economic Measures (Iran) Regulations. Persons affected by the sanctions on financial transactions, whether they are applicants for a visa or already in Canada, may apply for permits from the Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT) that authorize specified activities or transactions that are otherwise prohibited under the sanctions. Exemptions to the sanctions can be found in section 5(d) of the amended Regulations.

For more information, applicants should contact:

Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade

Economic Law Section (JLHB)

125 Sussex Drive

Ottawa, Ontario

Canada K1A 0G2

Tel: 613-995-1108

Fax: 613-992-2467

e-mail: [email protected]”

The authorities also wish to obtain a better understanding of the effects of the sanctions on the applicants. Therefore, they have instructed the overseas missions to report the number and nature of complaints presented to them at: [email protected].

Similarly, the authorities have asked In-Canada offices to report the number and nature of complaints presented to them to the Permanent Residence Program Division within the Operational Management and Coordination Branch (OMC). In-Canada offices would need to report the number and nature of complaints presented to them at: [email protected]. They would also need to specify the words “IRAN SANCTIONS” in the Subject line.

Readers might want to obtain further information the changes outlined in this OB. To this end, they could contact the Operational Management and Coordination Branch (OMC) at: [email protected].

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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Special Events – Specific Directives for Processing Foreign Mission and International Organizations Act (FMIOA) Temporary Resident Visa Applications for the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (SE Code 12FMLF)

Operational Bulletin 382 – January 31, 2012

Special Events – Specific Directives for Processing Foreign Mission and International Organizations Act (FMIOA) Temporary Resident Visa Applications for the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (SE Code 12FMLF)

Issue

This Operational Bulletin (OB) contains information and processing instructions for the participants of the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF).

Participants would need to note that the officers might process some of the participant applications under the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA). However, regular processing procedures would apply to other participants. Thus, these participants would also need to pay the appropriate processing fee.

Background

Quebec City will host the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). This event will take place from July 02 to July 06, 2012. The Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) has been the main organiser of this forum. The Government of Quebec has extended the cooperation due for organising this event as well. In addition, the Government of Quebec has also taken on the responsibility of hosting this forum.

The Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) is open to delegates from all countries. As such, it does not merely remain open to Francophonie member and observer countries. The registration for this forum will take place from December 01, 2011 to February 01, 2012. However, the organisers are aware that there might be some instances of late registrations. Therefore, they are anticipating extending the registration period until April 01, 2012.

For the most part, the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) remains directed at members of the civil society. This is particularly so because many of these individuals might come from non-member countries of the Francophonie. 

A permanent Order in Council covers the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF). This is in accordance with the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA).

The organisers expect several member and observer countries to participate in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). The table below highlights these participants.

Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) Member Countries

Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) Observer Countries

Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Comoros, Congo, Democratic Republic of Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Djibouti, Gabon, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Equatorial Guinea, Madagascar, Mali, Mauritius, Niger, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Chad, Togo, Egypt, Lebanon, Morocco, Mauritania, Tunisia, Dominica, Haiti, St. Lucia, Cambodia, Laos, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Belgium, Bulgaria, Cyprus, French Community of Belgium, Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, France, Greece, Luxembourg, Moldova, Monaco, Romania and Switzerland

Mozambique, UAE, Dominican Republic, Georgia, Thailand, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Poland, Czech Republic, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia and Ukraine

 The Processing Procedures

The Processing Procedures for “Representatives” and “Officials” of the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) Under the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA)

The authorities have granted certain privileges and immunities to the following individuals attending the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF).

  • “Representatives” of member and observer countries and spouses and,
  • “Officials” of the organisation and spouses

These individuals have various entitlements to immunities and privileges. Order SOR-88-574 contains detailed provisions concerning these immunities and privileges.

The privileges and immunities provided to these individuals, which have a particular relevance to Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC), are:

  • “Representatives” – under Article IV section 11 (d) of the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations  and,
  • “Officials” – under Article V section 18 (d) of the Convention on Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations

Schedule III Section 5 of the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) also lists these rights and privileges. The Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) provides further details on this. It specifies that these individuals enjoy “exemption in respect of themselves and their spouses from immigration restrictions”.

Based on these immunities and privileges, the authorities will not issue “representatives” and “officials” a Temporary Resident Permit. Instead, they would need to issue an official 0-1 Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to these “representatives” and “officials”. This is despite the fact that some of these “representatives” and “officials” could be inadmissible. Sections 33 – 43 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) lay down the details under which the authorities can deem visitors to Canada as being inadmissible.

In short, all individuals belonging to the following classifications will have, at the barest minimum, immunity from immigration restrictions:

  • All “representatives” and family members of states and governments that are members or observer countries of the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) and,
  • All “officials” and family members of the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF)

The organisers are expecting approximately 50 “officials” of the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) to take part in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). They will be taking part in various capacities. Therefore, the organisers are coordinating arrangements with the mission in Paris. They expect the mission to liaise with the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) officials. This would help in facilitating the processing of any visa that the employees of the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) might require.

The authorities would need to issue all visa applications for participants to Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) expeditiously. In addition, the authorities would need to issue these visa applications without charges or restrictions. In other words, the authorities mandate that the visa requirement in itself must not become a hindrance with regards to the person’s travel and entry into Canada. The fee exemption code provided is A01 (R296 (2) (a)).

The Regular Processing Procedures for Other Applicants not Covered by Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA)

The authorities would need to note that the delegates from the following group have entitlements to certain exemptions. For example, they are entitled to a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) or a Temporary Resident Permit (TRP) processing fee exemption. This is in accordance with the following provisions specified in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA):

  • Exemption Code A01 (R296 (2) (a)) or,
  • Exemption Code M10 (R298 (2) (a))

There are various delegates and family members attending the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). These individuals would be representing intergovernmental organisations and government officials (and family members) of invited countries. However, these individuals might not be holding any status in the Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF). The countries participating in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) but belonging to this category include:

  • Algeria
  • Argentina
  • Australia
  • Brazil
  • China
  • Columbia
  • Chile
  • India
  • Italy
  • Japan
  • Mauritania
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • South Africa
  • The United Kingdom and,
  • The United States of America

Officers would also need to note that certain delegates are not entitled to a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) processing fee exemption. This is in accordance with the following provisions specified in the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA). These delegates include:

  • Delegates representing an institution or Non Government Organisation (NGO) i.e. university president, lecturer, teachers’ associations, school teachers
  • Individual Participants i.e. members of the civil society (this especially includes individuals interested in the French language and culture or actively involved at the community level on related issues) and,
    • The organisers expect approximately 1,000 individuals belonging to this segment to participate in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF)
    • About 40 percent of these participants will be in the 18 – 30 year age group
    • Some of these participants might require financial assistance
    • The break-up of these 1,000 participants comprises:
      • Africa – 280 participants
      • Asia – 50 participants
      • The Caribbean – 280 participants
      • Europe – 250 participants
  • Media Representatives i.e. journalists, photographers, camera operators, technicians etc.
    • The organisers expect approximately 60 individuals belonging to this segment to participate in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF)
    • The break-up of these 60 participants comprises:
      • Africa – 15 participants
      • Asia – Three participants
      • The Caribbean – 30 participants
      • Europe – 12 participants

Other Necessary Information on the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF)

The Registration Process at the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF)

The authorities would require that all participants in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) register themselves. A selection committee would vet all registration applications for the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). They would also vet the registration applications received from members of the civil society. This selection committee will comprise:

  • Representatives of the Commissioner General of the Forum and,
  • A representative of the Quebec Government

Information Concerning the Media Representatives

There will undoubtedly be several members of the media, wishing to come to Canada, for reporting on the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). The authorities would require each of these members to follow an accreditation process. The authorities would evaluate the credentials of each of these individuals. Thereafter, they would issue a personalised letter to the approved media representatives. This letter will confirm the participation of the approved media representatives at the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF).

The Letters of Invitation or Confirmation

The authorities would issue a letter of invitation to each individual participating in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). However, participants would need to note that each individual would receive a letter of invitation. The authorities would not issue letters of invitation to a delegation. Therefore, each individual applying for a visa would need to have an invitation letter addressing the person specifically. This letter of invitation would serve as a confirmation of participation in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) for that individual.

Some participants would also receive financial assistance for participating in the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF). The letter of invitation for these individuals would include these details as well.

Spouses

The program for the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF) does not include any activities specifically meant for spouses. However, the organisers expect some spouses to accompany the following individuals during their trip to Canada:

  • Delegates representing governments of member countries and,
  • Organisation International de la Francophonie (OIF) officers

Delegates would need to note that the organisers will not be providing any funding for spouses attending the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (FMLF).

Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) Security Screening and Advising National Headquarters (NHQ) for “Representatives” and “Officials” (and Spouses)

As mentioned earlier, the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) accords certain specific privileges and immunities to applicants. These privileges apply only to “representatives” and “officials”. Therefore, missions no longer need to send these applications for security screening to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA).

However, missions would need to send an e-mail notification to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). The e-mail must specify that the authorities have granted a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) to these applicants. It must also mention why the authorities have done this. For example, they must specify that the authorities did this in accordance with the provisions specified in the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA). Therefore, the e-mail must conclude, the missions are sending the e-mail. This e-mail would enable the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) to alert its security screening partners.

The missions would need to send these e-mails to the generic inbox – [email protected]. These e-mails must contain the following information:

  • The full name and date of birth of the applicant
  • The event the applicant is attending, along with the dates and,
  • The notification that the person has cover under the provisions of the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) Order

Situations could arise where the applicants might apply in the future, under different circumstances. For example, these applicants might apply using non Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) applications. In this scenario, the authorities would need to refer these applications to the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA). They would do so via the Global Case Management System (GCMS). The Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) would take care of the security screening for these applicants. This is in accordance with the indicators specified in the Immigration Classified 2 manual.

In addition, situations could arise where the authorities need to admit an inadmissible applicant to Canada. This might have a significant impact on the security of Canada. In these situations, the officers would need to send a copy of the application to their respective geographic desks. Moreover, the officers would also need to consult the Case Management Branch about these kinds of cases. They could do so by sending an e-mail to [email protected].

The Coding at Missions and at Ports of Entry

  • The Special Events Code for this event is 12FMLF
  • The authorities have uploaded this Special Events Code in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
  • Therefore, officers would need to insert this Special Events Code as it is a prescribed requirement
  • The Statistics Unit of the Operational Management and Coordination Branch would be preparing periodic reports for briefing the management
  • Therefore, the organisers have included the Special Events Code in the letter of invitation
  • They have done so to enhance the ease of reference for the officers
  • The coding applicable for participants covered by the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA):
    • The officers would need to insert a note in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
    • They would do this if they processed the case under the provisions of the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA)
    • The officers would need to mention the notation “Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA)” on the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) by hand, if applicable
    • Situations could arise where the provisions of the Foreign Mission and International Organisations Act (FMIOA) enable an inadmissible person to come to Canada with a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) despite the fact that the applicant might well be inadmissible under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA) guidelines
    • In these situations, the officers would need to place the appropriate notes in the Global Case Management System (GCMS)
    • The note must mention:
      • “The applicant is indeed inadmissible under section X of Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA), but his/her visit falls under the purview of the Foreign Missions and International Organizations Act” 

Despite all these instructions, other situations might arise. These situations might bring forth a slew of questions among officers. Therefore, officers would need to send an e-mail to [email protected].gc.ca. They could send their questions to this e-mail address. In addition, they would need to mark a copy of this e-mail to their geographic desk as well.

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt Special Events: March, April and May 2012

Operational Bulletin 387 – February 16, 2012

Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt Special Events: March, April and May 2012

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) provides information on the fee-exempt events taking place in:

  • March 2012
  • April 2012 and,
  • May 2012

Background

The authorities will provide a fee exempt visa to certain delegates attending special events in Canada. This is in accordance with the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR).

The Writing Guidelines

The table below highlights the list of fee exempt events taking place in:

  • March 2012
  • April 2012 and,
  • May 2012

Special Events Taking Place in March 2012

Date

Event

SE Code

Fee Exemption Code

March 21

To

March 23

The International Meeting on Low Level Presence (LLP)

12LLPM

A01 / A06

March 26

To

March 30

The Meeting on the Second Generation Beacon Specifications (EWG – 1/2012)

12SCSC

A01 / A06

 

FMIOA

 

Special Events Taking Place in April 2012

Date

Event

SE Code

Fee Exemption Code

April 17

To

April 20

The 48th Session of the Cospas-Sarsat Council (CSC-48/CLD)

12SCSC

A01 / A06

 

FMIOA

April 22

To

April 27

The International Polar Year Conference

12POLA

A01 / A06

 

 

April 23

To

April 27

The NATO Battlefield Information Collection and Exploitation System Board of Directors Meeting

12BICE

A01 / A06

 

 

 

Special Events Taking Place in May 2012

Date

Event

SE Code

Fee Exemption Code

May 15

To

May 18

The 40th Session of the Codex Committee on Food Labelling

12CCFL

A01 / A06

 

 

  

Note:

  • Fee exemptions apply to single entry Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs) only
  • If applicants request for multiple entry Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs), they would need to pay the processing fee for them as well
  • Officers are encouraged to enter the appropriate code in:
    • The Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS) and,
    • The Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
  • Doing so would enable the authorities to track immigration status and other statistics in relation to the events being conducted

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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The Expansion of the China Transit Trial – Modified

Operational Bulletin 223-B – February 01, 2012

The Expansion of the China Transit Trial – Modified

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) advises officers about the changes made to the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program. The China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program commenced on February 01, 2012.

Issue

The authorities have expanded the one-year China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program on February 01, 2012. The pilot program will now include Air China.

Background

Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) introduced a limited China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program. They introduced this pilot program at the Vancouver International Airport (VIA) on July 30, 2009. This China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program was initially limited to a duration of one year. The CIC introduced the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program in conjunction with the Canada Border Service Agency (CBSA). As of March 2011, this also included Toronto’s PIA. However, this was only applicable for Terminal 1.

As a result of the changes brought about by the CIC, Chinese foreign nationals would need to meet certain eligibility criteria. Only then would they be able to travel under the terms of the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program. To be eligible for travelling under the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program, Chinese foreign nationals would need to:

  • Possess a valid visa issued by the United States
  • Possess a valid passport issued by the authorities of the People’s Republic of China
  • Hold a confirmed onward ticket for a connecting flight that departs from Canada immediately
    • Chinese nationals transiting Canada under the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program would not need to seek entry into Canada as temporary residents
  • Arrive in Canada on an airline that has an up-to-date Transit Without Visa (TWOV) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and China Transit Trial (CTT) Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with CIC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) and,
  • Transit through either of the two options given below:
    • Vancouver International Airport (VIA) or,
    • Toronto PIA (Terminal 1 only)

At present, the authorities have limited this trial phase to a duration of one year. In addition, this trial is currently limited to the following five airlines:

  • Air China
  • Air Canada
  • Jazz Aviation LP
  • Cathay Pacific and,
  • Philippine Airlines

Chinese nationals participating in the China Transit Trial (CTT) pilot program would also need to comply with one other requirement. They would need to have, as their last embarkation point, one of the following cities:

  • Beijing
  • Hong Kong
  • Shanghai
  • Guangzhou
  • Manila or,
  • Taipei

The Procedures

Therefore, Chinese foreign nationals would need to meet the criteria listed above. On meeting the above-mentioned criteria, these Chinese foreign nationals would be able to transit Canada at:

  • Vancouver International Airport (VIA) or,
  • Toronto PIA (Terminal 1 only) 

Chinese foreign nationals transiting Canada via the above-mentioned options would not need to obtain a temporary resident visa. However, this provision is only valid until September 30, 2012.

 

Source: Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) 

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