CANADA – Extension Applications Experiencing Major Delays
Canada’s central processing center in Vegreville, Alberta has been experiencing significant processing delays for extension applications comprising of work, study and residence permits. Applications submitted in November 2014 normally took as little as nine days to process whereas now, they are averaging 115 days. Some of the consequences that foreign nationals, who have pending applications, are facing include difficulty leaving the country and expiration of their social insurance or health cards.
Although it is not uncommon for processing times to slow down during the summer season, the current delays go beyond typical seasonal variations. Citizenship and Immigration Canada are associating lengthy processing times to the amount and complexity of applications.