/ Published in Immigration Manuals, IP 2 Family Sponsorship Immigration

The Roles and Responsibilities

Last Updated on March 22, 2017


The Roles and Responsibilities of the Call Centre and the Case Processing Centre (CPC)

The Call Centre will typically be responsible for:

  • Responding to requests for sponsorship packages and,
  • Providing basic information in response to telephonic enquiries

Similarly, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will be dealing with different kinds of applications too. The table given below highlights its responsibilities.

When dealing with sponsorship applications for all members of the family class applying from abroad, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to:

  • Ensure that it receives a correctly completed sponsorship and permanent residence application that complies with the minimum requirements prescribed and carries evidence of the payment of the correct fees
  • Process sponsorship applications and assess sponsors against sponsorship criteria and eligibility requirements
  • Refer cases to the local office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for further investigation – if required and,
  • Send an electronic download of all sponsorship recommendations to visa offices via the Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS)
When dealing with permanent residence applications for spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners or dependent children, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to:

  • Review the applications for permanent residence for completeness
  • Ensure that the applicants have included the supporting documents listed in the application package along with the application and,
  • Forward the application for permanent residence, along with the relevant supporting documents, to the visa office for processing
When dealing with permanent residence applications for other family members including children who are adopted or those going to be adopted and orphaned relatives, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to:

  • Provide a positive sponsorship recommendation, which would trigger an electronic message to Docupost
  • The message to Docupost will result in the officers sending a partially filled application for permanent residence to the sponsor
  • Thereafter, the sponsor would need to forward the application for permanent residence to the relative abroad who has 12 months (or one year) to submit it to the appropriate visa office

The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) will be dealing with different kinds of applications too. The table given below highlights its responsibilities.

When dealing with applications for the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class, the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) would need to:

  • Ensure that it receives a correctly completed sponsorship and permanent residence application that complies with the minimum requirements prescribed and carries evidence of the payment of the correct fees – in accordance with the provisions specified in IP 8
  • Process sponsorship applications and assess sponsors against sponsorship criteria and eligibility requirements
  • Refer cases to the local office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for further investigation – if required and,
  • Make a decision on the sponsor’s eligibility to sponsor
When dealing with permanent residence applications, the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) would need to:

  • Process the permanent resident application, assess the applicant against the prescribed eligibility requirements and update the electronic record in the Field Operations Support System (FOSS)
  • Inform the applicant and the sponsor about the decisions related to eligibility
  • Initiate the relevant admissibility checks i.e. medical, security and background and update the electronic Field Operations Support System (FOSS) record upon receiving the admissibility check results and,
  • Inform the local office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) about the admissibility results in order that the local office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) can initiate the permanent residence interview
When dealing with applications from other family members in Canada [for Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) cases only], the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) would need to:

  • Process both the applications for sponsorship and Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) consideration – in accordance with the provisions specified in IP 5
  • Process the sponsorship applications and assess sponsors against the prescribed sponsorship criteria and eligibility requirements
  • Review the circumstances that the applicant has presented to determine whether Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) grounds exist
  • Make a final decision on straightforward applications, while making recommendations on the refusal or approval of applications for permanent residence that are not straightforward and,
  • Refer cases to the local office of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) for further investigation – if required

The Roles and Responsibilities of Officers at Local Offices of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) and Visa Offices

The officers at local offices of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) would need to:

  • Investigate criminal eligibility issues pertaining to applicants under the spouse and common-law partners in Canada class and applicants applying under Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) provisions (refer to Note below)
  • Investigate criminal eligibility issues or other sponsorship details (refer to Note below)
  • Initiate interviews with sponsors and applicants whenever necessary
  • Determine the eligibility of the applicants once the investigation is over and grant or refuse permanent residence in accordance with the delegated authority and,
  • Complete the processing of all applications received directly from applicants or via the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) under the Spouse or common-law partner in Canada class or Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) provisions

Note:

  • At larger offices of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), officers conducting the investigations would typically be Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) staff
  • However, at smaller offices of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the staff of Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) would usually conduct these investigations

The officers at the visa offices would need to:

  • Process applications for permanent residence by all members of the family class applying overseas – in accordance with the provisions specified in OP 2
  • Process the overseas family members included in applications of spouses and common-law partners in Canada and,
  • Make decisions on sponsorship applications

When it comes to adoptions, the manner in which (and the place where) officers deal with sponsorship applications involving adoptions will typically depend on wide range of factors – including the type and the status of the adoption. For more details on this, officers would need to go through the provisions specified in OP 3.

The Roles and Responsibilities of Sponsors – Sponsorship Application

For all sponsorship applications, sponsors will need to:

  • Read the instructions given and all the information provided in the sponsorship package and ensure that they meet the prescribed sponsorship criteria and eligibility requirements and are sponsoring a person who is a member of the family class
  • State whether the officers should discontinue the application in case the sponsor does not meet the sponsorship requirements prescribed
  • Complete the undertaking, the Sponsorship Agreement and all the schedules in accordance with the instructions and information specified in the guide
  • Respond to the self-declaration schedules pertaining to sponsorship eligibility, their relationship with sponsored persons, including the length of the relationship in the case of common-law or conjugal partners
  • Include the bank receipt for the payment of all the applicable fees
    • This would typically include the fees for the sponsorship application and the applicable processing fees for all sponsored family members
    • It is worth mentioning that sponsors could defer the payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)
    • Similarly, all dependent children are exempt from payment of the Right of Permanent Residence Fee (RPRF)
      • For more information, sponsors would need to go through the Fees Regulations given in IR 5 for the required fees and,
  • Submit the sponsorship application forms, along with all the other required schedules and all required supporting documents, to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) or the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)

The Roles and Responsibilities of Sponsors in the Applications for Permanent Residence for Spouses, Common-Law Partners, Conjugal Partners and Dependent Children

In the case of applications for permanent residence received from foreign nationals, who are spouses, common-law partners, conjugal partners and dependent children (including children already adopted), the sponsors will need to:

  • Complete the responsibilities pertaining to the sponsorship application and,
  • Ensure that the sponsored family member or, in the case of a dependent child, a person acting on their behalf, receives the application guide, understands the instructions and correctly completes the applications for permanent residence and,
  • Ensure that they provide and include the sponsored family member’s application and all the required supporting documents in the envelope with their sponsorship application to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)

The Roles and Responsibilities of Sponsors in the Applications for Permanent Residence for Children to be Adopted Overseas or in Canada, Orphaned Family Members and Other Members of the Family Class

In the case of applications for permanent residence received from foreign nationals who are children to be adopted overseas or in Canada, orphaned family members and other members of the family class, sponsors will need to:

  • Complete the responsibilities pertaining to the sponsorship application by submitting their application to the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M)
  • Complete the application for permanent residence and submit the application, along with all the required supporting documents, to the appropriate visa office (in the case of a child to be adopted or an orphaned family member)
  • Forward the application for permanent residence, received via Docupost, to the sponsored person residing abroad (for all other members of the family class)
  • Ensure that the sponsored person receives the application guide, understands the instructions and correctly completes and signs the application for permanent residence and,
  • Ensure that the sponsored person submits the application and all required supporting documents to the appropriate visa office overseas

The Roles and Responsibilities of Sponsors in the Applications for Permanent Residence for Members of the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class

In the case of applications for permanent resident status from foreign nationals who are members of the Spouse or common-law partner in Canada class, the sponsors will need to:

  • Complete the responsibilities pertaining to the sponsorship application
  • Ensure that the sponsored person receives the application guide, understands the instructions and correctly completes and signs the application for permanent residence and,
  • Ensure that they provide and include the sponsored family member’s application and all the required supporting documents in the envelope with their sponsorship application to the Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V)

The Overview of the Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to Sponsorship Applications

The Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to Spouses, Common-Law Partners, Conjugal Partners and Dependent Children Overseas

The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will typically assess the sponsorship application. Thereafter, it would need to provide a recommendation on the sponsor’s eligibility and review the applications for permanent residence for completeness.

In some cases, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) might find the sponsors to be eligible. In this scenario, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to transfer the sponsorship information and a positive recommendation electronically to the appropriate visa office through Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS). In addition, it would send the IMM 0008 and the supporting documents in paper format to the visa office for processing.

Similarly, in some cases, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) might find the sponsors to be ineligible. In this scenario, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to transfer the documentation to the visa office along with a negative sponsorship recommendation. Or, in case the sponsor has specified a stated preference for discontinuing the application, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) would need to discontinue the application for a permanent residence visa. In some cases, ineligible sponsors might opt to not continue with the sponsorship. In this scenario, the Case Processing Centre (CPC) would need to close the electronic sponsorship records.

For more details, offices will need to refer to the:

  • Section titled ‘The Guidelines for Assessing a Sponsor’s Eligibility’ that appears subsequently in this document i.e. section 13 of IP 2
  • OP 2 for procedures pertaining to assessing applications for permanent resident visas
  • The section titled ‘The Guidelines Concerning Discontinued Undertakings and the Refund of the Permanent Residence Application Fees’ i.e. section 5.39 of IP 2 and,
  • The section titled ‘The Guidelines for the Withdrawal of the Undertaking and Cases Where No Refund of the Permanent Residence Application Fee Takes Place’ i.e. section 5.40 of IP 2

The Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to Other Members of the Family Class

The Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will need to assess the sponsorship application. Thereafter, it will need to provide a recommendation on the sponsor’s eligibility.

In case the officers find the sponsors eligible, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will need to enter the sponsorship information and a positive recommendation in the processing system. Following this, it will need to transfer this information electronically to the appropriate visa office via Computer Assisted Immigration Processing System (CAIPS). When officers enter the recommendation, the activity will automatically generate instructions to Docupost for sending the family class application to the sponsor for forwarding onwards to the sponsored member of the family class.

In case the officers find the sponsors ineligible, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will need to transfer the documentation to the visa office with a negative sponsorship recommendation. Alternatively, the officers could discontinue the application for a permanent resident visa if this is the sponsor’s stated preference. On occasions, ineligible sponsors might choose not to continue with the sponsorship. In this scenario, the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will need to close the electronic sponsorship record.

Situations could arise where officers need to forward a case to a visa office. In these situations, it is the responsibility of the sponsored person to send their application for permanent residence directly to the appropriate visa office, once they receive and complete it.

It is worth mentioning that other members of the family class have the ability to apply overseas. However, in some cases, there might be valid Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) reasons, which the officers might need to consider in these applications to Canada. For more details, officers would need to go through the provisions specified in IP 5.

The Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to Adoptions, Children to be Adopted and Orphaned Relatives

Situations could arise where certain applications specify children that the sponsor still has to adopt or children still in the process of being adopted. In such cases, the recommendation process of the Case Processing Centre in Mississauga (CPC-M) will be the same as described for other family members. The only change is that the sponsor will need to complete and send the application for permanent residence, on behalf of the child, directly to the appropriate visa office. This will also hold true in the case of orphaned relatives.

Similarly, officers could continue or discontinue the application for a permanent resident visa if this is the sponsor’s stated preference. For more details on this, officers would need to go through the section titled ‘The Guidelines for Assessing a Sponsor’s Eligibility’ that appears subsequently in this document i.e. section 13 of IP 2. In addition, officers would need to go through OP 3 for details on the assessment of the application for permanent residence.

The Case Processing Centre (CPC) Activities Pertaining to the Spouse or Common-Law Partner in Canada Class

The Case Processing Centre in Vegreville (CPC-V) will typically process both the sponsorship application as well as the application for permanent residence. For more details on procedures pertaining to the assessment and recommendation of sponsorship applications, officers would need to go through the section titled ‘The Procedures for Reviewing Sponsorship and Permanent Residence Applications for Spouses, Common-Law Partners, Conjugal Partners and Dependent Children’ that appears subsequently in this document i.e. section 9 of IP 2. In addition, for detailed on the procedures pertaining to the assessment of applications for permanent residence, officers would need to go through the provisions specified in IP 8.

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