Labor Disruption of IRCC provides an update in which the government of Canada and the Public Service Alliance of Canada come to an agreement putting an end to the strike that has affected many public servants. There may be some service disruptions in the next days and weeks as systems recover to full capacity. Over 155,000 public personnel, including those from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), were affected by the strike.
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What services were either partially or completely disrupted?
The majority of IRCC services were interrupted, and delays are to be expected in the following areas:
- Biometrics
- Events of citizenship
- IRCC Contact
- Increasing the length of your stay in Canada
- Appointments related to immigration
- Passport assistance
- Application Processing
1. Biometrics:
Biometrics collecting in Canada has been extended. If you were unable to provide your biometrics within 30 days owing to the strike, you now have 60 days to do so. You will not need to call IRCC for an extension, nor will you require a fresh biometric instruction letter to schedule another appointment.
You will be eligible for the extension if you bring your original biometric instruction letter and proof of payment to your new appointment.
2. Events of citizenship:
Citizenship events that were canceled due to the strike are being rescheduled, and new invitation letters will be sent out as soon as possible.
3. IRCC Contact:
Client Support Centre response times are experiencing service disruptions as a result of the strike, therefore expect longer response times when submitting an IRCC web form.
4. Increasing the length of your stay in Canada:
You can apply for an extension of your stay in Canada online. However, in order to keep your status and remain in Canada until your application is approve, you must meet the following requirements:
- Your extension request must be submitted online.
- The application must be complete, including biometrics, fees, and any other criteria that may apply.
- Your application must be submit before your temporary resident status expires.
5. Appointments related to immigration
Any in-person immigration-related appointments that cancel due to the strike are being rescheduled, and you will be notified of your new appointment as soon as possible if you are in Canada. Unless otherwise specified, overseas interviews are taking place if you are located outside of Canada.
6. Passport assistance
The IRCC has resumed processing domestic passport applications. If you have already submitted a passport application, it will be processed; there is no need to resubmit. The online passport status checker can also provide you with real-time updates on the status of your applications.
7. Application Processing
Finally, due to restricted processing capacity during the strike, application processing timeframes extended. Delays in currently prioritized applications are also expect.
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