By Alexandra Miekus
MONTREAL, Canada (CIC NEWS) – Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) says it will continue to process visa and electronic travel authorization (eTA) applications for those who are exempt from travel restrictions, with a particular focus on temporary foreign worker applications related to essential medical services and food supply chain services.
In an announcement made on April 10, 2020, IRCC also stated that study permit applications will continue to be processed “to the extent possible” ahead of the fall academic term.
Study permit applicants now have 90 days instead of the usual 30 days to provide biometric data. Many visa application centers that provide this service are temporarily closed, as a special measure, due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Only students with a study permit issued before travel restrictions took effect on March 18, 2020, are currently allowed to come to Canada.
Applications for permanent residence continue to be processed as well. However, only permanent residents who have been approved before March 16, 2020, can come to Canada at the moment.
Current travel restrictions have caused the suspension of processing of non-essential visitor visa applications, which IRCC said will allow resources to be reallocated and concentrated on essential services.
The global spread of COVID-19 has led to the introduction of new immigration measures affecting foreign nationals, particularly temporary foreign workers, their families and international students. Despite these recent developments, IRCC has announced a significant number of exemptions and has repeatedly stated that it will continue to process applications submitted under its various immigration programs.
Workers, students, and visitors, who qualify for an exemption to travel restrictions, are being asked to apply online.
This article originally appeared on CIC NEWS on April 14, 2020.
