Frequently Asked Questions: Impact of Workforce Disruptions at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)

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What IRCC services are affected by the labor disruption?

During the labor disruption, some IRCC services continued to operate normally, including:

• Apply online
• Submit your application by mail.
• Use an online account.
• Access certain emergency services.
• Services provided by non-governmental organizations remain operational, including settlement assistance, healthcare through the Interim Federal Health Program, and visa application centers outside Canada.

However, IRCC customers should be prepared for delays in:

• Processing documents
• In-person appointments or events such as citizenship ceremonies.
• Contact IRCC by email or phone.
• Consular citizenship services

How will labor disruptions affect IRCC's Customer Support Center? How will customers contact the agency?

Customers can still contact IRCC's Customer Support Center. However, they should be prepared for longer wait times.

IRCC also provides online self-service tools to track the status of applications, including citizenship, permanent family settlement, Express Entry, study permits, work permits, and temporary residence visas.

Can customers continue to submit applications online?

Clients can still apply online for permanent and temporary residency applications, as well as online citizenship applications. The electronic application for asylum also remains fully operational.

Customers may continue to submit applications as required by IRCC.

What should customers do if they are submitting documents to IRCC (passport, birth certificate)?

If customers wish to retrieve their documents, they can contact IRCC's Customer Support Center or request them through the IRCC website form. IRCC will endeavor to return the documents to customers as soon as possible.

How will the scheduled interviews and citizenship ceremonies be handled?

Clients with immigration-related appointments in Canada will be contacted if they need to reschedule or cancel their appointment.

Citizenship conferment ceremonies will be rescheduled. Overseas interviews will proceed as scheduled, unless otherwise notified by the IRCC overseas office.

Which consular services related to immigration will continue to operate?

Consular services are typically provided to Canadians and permanent residents, not to foreign nationals.

For foreign nationals who are overseas and require urgent assistance (such as visa replacement), they should contact the nearest IRCC office via the website form. However, please note that reduced capacity may result in longer email response times.

Passport services will be delayed during the labor disruption period.

In Canada: IRCC only processes applications for humanitarian and urgent reasons.

Overseas (including citizens residing in the United States) : IRCC will continue to process applications, but there may be delays.

Citizenship services provided at embassies will continue to be available to Canadian citizens overseas; however, there may be delays in service due to some work being completed in Canada and being affected by labor disruptions.

How will applications that have already been submitted be processed? Will priority be given to applications from crisis areas, including Turkey, Syria, and Iran?

During periods of labor disruption, processing capacity will be limited, therefore delays in processing applications are expected. This includes delays in processing priority applications, including those from clients affected by the earthquakes in Turkey and Syria.

How will people in special circumstances, such as refugees, Ukrainian CUAET customers, and asylum seekers, who need assistance from IRCC receive support?

The Canadian government continues to work closely with settlement support organizations and non-governmental organizations across the country to assist Ukrainians and their family members before, during, and after their arrival in Canada.

Clients requiring temporary accommodation will be referred to IRCC by local settlement service providers or other trusted partners for eligibility verification and monitoring of accommodation use nationwide. An essential and exempt IRCC staff will continue to operate during the labor disruption.

The placement and settlement organizations are federally funded non-governmental organizations that will continue to help connect CUAET clients with other support and services.

Essential and exempt IRCC staff will ensure that government-supported refugees (GARs) continue to receive income support and will ensure that support is provided to refugees arriving during periods of labor disruption. The Department of Immigration works closely with Settlement Assistance Program providers who welcome and provide temporary housing for GARs, and assist in finding permanent housing.

Essential and exempt IRCC staff will ensure that temporary accommodation services for asylum seekers are maintained throughout the strike.

What should clients do if they are about to lose their residency status or their permit expires during a work disruption?

Temporary residents in Canada whose current status is about to expire may apply for an extension to maintain their temporary resident status in Canada. Extension applications must be submitted before the expiration date of the current status and must be complete, including fingerprinting, fees, and other requirements, if any.

If this condition is met, the temporary resident will be entitled to continued status and may remain in Canada until a decision is made on their application.

Does the disruption to employment affect the Temporary Federal Health Care Program?

Eligible customers will continue to access medical services through the Interim Federal Health Program as normal. Registered healthcare providers will also continue to be reimbursed for services provided to eligible customers under the standard service rate.

Will grants and contributions be affected?

IRCC is currently working to ensure that grant recipients and contributors receive their first advance payment for the 2023-2024 funding year. The Bureau will ensure it has the capacity to meet urgent requests from grant recipients.