These changes are a game changer and will make it easier to re-unite you with your family in Canada
On May 26, Canada announced that sponsored spouses and/or dependents who are outside of Canada, can now apply for a Temporary Resident Visa with the promise that it will be processed within 30 days, making the re-unification process faster.
Prior to this announcement, families are being penalized because oftentimes, their Visitor Visa applications get refused because of the fact that they have the intent to live in Canada permanently due to the pending sponsorship application and lack of ties to their home countries. But, this new change is supposed to change that. It really defeats the purpose of the goal of family reunification if their TRV application gets denied and this change makes sense.
Along with this new TRV Process, once your spouse and/or working age dependent are in Canada, they will be able to apply for an Open Work Permit which would allow them to stay and live with you while waiting for the result of your Outland Family Sponsorship, which as of this writing, takes around over 2 years to process. That is why, this policy change is huge to people like you who will be sponsoring or who has already sponsored someone under the Outland Family Sponsorship Program.
Another important change is for Open Work Permit Holders in Canada to be able to extend it for another 18 months. This includes OWP as a spouse of Study Permit Holders, Work Permit Holders, or those awaiting the decision for their Inland Permanent Resident Applications. This will alleviate the worry of losing your status, especially now, that We are experiencing high inflation.
The other very important change that was announced by IRCC on June 6, 2023, is that travelers from 13 more countries (which includes the Philippines) are now eligible for Electronic Travel Authorization instead of a Visa. Now, it is very important for you to note that this does not make everyone automatically qualify for an ETA. You must have held a Canadian Visa in the last 10 years and/or you must have a valid Non-Immigrant US Visa. You have to be careful with the latter condition because when you get to the Border of Canada, you maybe asked to produced a copy of your valid Non-Immigrant US Visa. The Border Officers reserve the right to examine you if they deem necessary.
In conclusion, these are huge win to people who want to come to Canada. Especially, the ones who want to be re-united with their families. If there things that you are not sure of, consult an expert. Because some mistakes in Immigration Matters can be costly.
