As of July 1, 2020, IRCC will resume processing all online applications for visitor visas, transit visas and electronic travel authorization (eTAs). Online application submissions for study, work permit and permanent residence will be continued to processed but paper applications for visitor visas, study and work permits will not be processed until further notice.
The spousal open work permit pilot program that started in December’14 is going to end on July 31, 2020. Spouses and common-law partners of Canadians who are applying for permanent residence have the option to stay in Canada legally, with an open work permit. The foreign spouses of Canadians who are in Canada but do not have a work permit may still be eligible to apply for one before the program ends. But so far IRCC has not announced anything regards to extending the pilot.
In the most recent Express Entry Draw held, 392 ITA’s were issued to candidates who had a provincial nomination. The CRS score for this draw was 696. IRCC used its tie-break rule and all candidates with a CRS score of and above 696, who submitted their profile before April 23, 2020, at 10:39:30 UTC, received an ITA in this round.
IRCC released new guidance regarding non-optional and non-discretionary travels. These instructions will help officers to determine whether the foreign worker meets the exemption rules. IRCC also updated the list of health care NOC codes prioritized by the government. With the new instructions, CBSA will determine if the foreign worker enters Canada for a discretionary purpose.
Ontario Immigration Nominee Program (OINP) held the third invitation round in the French-Speaking Skilled Worker Stream (FSSW) of the OINP Human Capital Category and the province invited 143 candidates. The CRS range of invited candidates who received a Notification Of Interest from the OINP, was between 424 and 436 points and their Express Entry profiles were created between June 18, 2019, and June 18, 2020.
Visitors in Canada who were unable to go back to their country were urged to apply for visa extensions. Due to Covid-19, international travel restrictions are in place. If their visa expires and the extension is not applied for, then their stay will be considered illegal, and they may face challenges if they apply for immigration – whether temporary or permanent in future. Their stay without applying for an extension will be taken as a violation of the Immigration Act.