Canada has announced faster temporary resident visa processing times for spousal applicants, aimed at reuniting families, the immigration, refugees, and citizenship ministry announced.

“Family reunification through immigration is not only a matter of compassion; it is a fundamental pillar of Canadian society,” said Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser. “Today’s announcement is a mandate commitment to help build inclusive and resilient communities.”

These are the new measures:

• Faster temporary resident visa (TRV) processing times for spousal applicants
• New and dedicated processing tools for spousal TRV applicants
• A new open work permit for spousal and family class applicants
• Open work permit extensions for open work permit holders expiring between August 1 and the end of 2023

The minister added that the new measures were introduced so that families can be together sooner while they wait for their permanent residence to be finalized. Most of the applications would be processed within 30 days, he said and applicants would benefit from processing measures specific to their circumstances as spouses and dependants.

“Many applications have already been processed using these new tools. Within this cohort of applicants, we have seen an approval rate of 93%,” he said.

The country has also made open work permits available for spousal applicants and their dependent children who reside with their sponsor in Canada and have temporary resident status.

Spouses, partners, and dependants are now able to apply for and receive an open work permit as soon as they submit a complete permanent residence application under the spouse or common-law partner in Canada class (SPCLC) or other family class programs

Fraser announced that spousal applicants, along with other open work permit holders, whose open work permits expire between August 1 and the end of 2023, would be able to extend their work permits for an additional 18 months.