Families are crucial in fostering a sense of stability and belonging, mainly through major life transitions like relocating to a new country. Recognising the value of maintaining family ties, Canada has implemented new immigration policies that are intended to speed up family reunions and alleviate the nation's persistent employment deficit.

Policies Introduced to Support Family Reunifications

Recently, new policies to support family reunions were introduced by Hedy Fry, a member of parliament for Vancouver Centre, and Sean Fraser, minister of immigration, refugees, and citizenship. Among these steps are:

• Sped up procedures for spousal applicants seeking temporary residence visas (TRV).
• A dedicated processing system that is intended only for spouse TRV candidates is introduced.
• Granting family and spousal applicants in the family class an open work permit.
• For those whose permit expires between August 1 and the end of the year 2023, an extension of open work permits is required.

Moving forward, the bulk of these applications will be handled within a 30-day window, and applicants will gain access to processing strategies catered to their needs as dependents and spouses. These new methods have already processed a large number of applications, with an outstanding 93% acceptance rate.

Canada also understands the value of giving immigrants a chance to support their families as soon as they arrive. To this purpose, the nation has enacted open work permits for spouse and family class applicants, enabling them to look for employment and make financial contributions to their household.

Open work permits are only granted in conjunction with submitting the complete application for permanent residency through Spouse or Common-law Partner in Canada Class (SPCLC) or other family class programmes.

In addition, Minister Fraser announced that open work permit holders whose permits are supposed to expire between August 1 and December 31, 2023, including spousal applicants, will have the option to prolong their pass for an additional 18 months. People with post-graduation employment permits that are about to expire can now make use of similar arrangements.

These measures support the government's goal of strengthening family reunification by simplifying temporary resident status for partners, spouses, and dependent kids who await permanent residency. These programmes jointly address Canada's labour shortages, which will continue to be significantly helped by immigration.

Conclusion

Canada's new immigration policies show a dedication to effectively reuniting families while addressing labour shortages. These programmes promote inclusive communities and add to the economic and social development of Canada by facilitating family reunions and offering employment opportunities.

FAQS

What job prospects are available to applicants in the spouse and family class?

Open work permits are offered to spouses and family class applicants, enabling them to work in Canada and take care of their families.

What steps does Canada take to solve the labour shortage?

These policies seek to address labour shortages by promoting family reunification and enabling qualified persons to contribute to the workforce in Canada.