Processing Stages for Members of the Family Class

Applications that are processed under the family class have a two stage process when assessing the merits of each unique case.

These two stages even take place in different places around the globe depending on a number of different factors.

First, the application is reviewed in Canada, and the eligibility of the sponsor is assessed. This is where the officer will decide whether or not the sponsor qualifies as such, whether or not additional information is required and whether or not the application will proceed to the second stage.

If the application is approved, the officer will notify the applicant in writing or by email that his or her application has moved to the next stage.

The applicant has the right to have their application processed in their country of citizenship or where they have been currently and legally residing. This means that the applicant may have a choice as to what visa office to request to review their application.

When an application has had first stage approval, it then moves to the appropriate visa office abroad for further assessment. This means that the visa office abroad is responsible for processing the applicant’s portion of the application. Depending on what visa office this happens to be, they will have their own unique processing times.

Processing times and decisions are completely at the discretion of the visa officers making a decision on your matter. Unfortunately, there is no control over processing times, and we all must provide officers with a reasonable amount of time to process applications.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada regularly updates the average processing times per visa office and application. This is the reasonable amount of time one should wait before beginning to follow up on their matter. After this average processing time has passed, without receiving any word from Citizenship and Immigration Canada as to where the application stands or a clear indication of a time frame to expect, it is acceptable to request information at this time.

However, you must keep in mind that when following up with an immigration official, this person is making a final decision on your matter. Following up too much might risk aggravating the officer and perhaps biasing them in their opinion.

This is another reason why having legal representation can work to your advantage. With our insider information, Akrami & Associates understands the complexities of making a decision on a matter and will work with the officer in order to ensure that they are satisfied with all aspects of the case. Should any additional information be required, leading to any delay, our skilled immigration professionals will work quickly to have the issue resolved as efficiently as possible.