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e-4955 (Citizenship and immigration)
E-petition
Initiated by Rydia Lévesque Martinet from Montreal, Quebec
Original language of petition: French
Petition to the Government of Canada
Whereas:
- Processing times for the sponsorship applications for spouses, common-law partners and children destined for Quebec are excessive, often exceeding two years, due to the annual family reunification targets set by Quebec;
- These delays cause the families of Canadian citizens and permanent residents to endure long, forced separations, made even worse when spouses or children cannot visit their sponsor in Canada without a visitor’s visa;
- Despite statements by the Honourable Sean Fraser in May 2023, visitor visa refusal rates remain high, especially for those who already have a sponsorship application in progress. Furthermore, these applications are often not processed on a priority basis, resulting in further delays; and
- Canada allows individuals awaiting sponsorship to apply for an open work permit if they are in Canada with visitor status and an application for permanent residence in progress.
We, the undersigned, Citizens and Residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:
1. Respect the May 2023 commitment to ensure faster family reunification;
2. Ensure fair and priority processing of visitor visas in these cases;
3. Introduce a prioritization process for these visa applications, in accordance with the legislation;
4. Review the operational guide to avoid refusals based on family ties or doubts about visitors’ intentions at the end of their stay; and
5. Relaunch Bill C-291 to avoid refusals based on family ties or doubts about visitors’ intentions at the end of their stay.
- Open for signature
- April 25, 2024, at 1:46 p.m. (EDT)
- Closed for signature
- May 25, 2024, at 1:46 p.m. (EDT)
