The Government of Canada announced today that it has now cleared 80 percent of its spousal sponsorship backlog. Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Ahmed Hussen, made the announcement as part of a special Valentine’s Day update.
Hussen said the achievement delivers on a government promise made in December 2016 to reduce the backlog by 80 percent within a year.
“Just a year ago, in December 2016, there were almost 75,000 people in the spousal sponsorship backlog,” Hussen said. “As of today, more than 80 percent of those spouses in the backlog have received final decisions in their applications.”
The backlog now stands at 15,000 individuals, he said.
“Moving to a new country can be a difficult process, especially when it comes to spouses and partners who are separated by time and distance,” Hussen said. “Canadians with a partner or spouse who is abroad shouldn’t have to wait for years to have them immigrate to Canada.
To those whose applications are still being processed, Hussen said the government “is working diligently to process your files.”
Changes to application process
Hussen also announced a revision to the spouse and common-law partner sponsorship guide and checklist. Under the change, applicants must now submit their background and declaration forms and police certificates as part of their initial paper application package.
“These changes will help us process applications even faster and avoid unnecessary delays,” Hussen said.
