China News Service, October 8. According to Canada's "Sing Tao Daily", Canada's federal Citizenship and Immigration Department, also known as CIC, has internal data showing that the review and approval time for some Canadian visa applications, which are overseas spouse reunion visa applications, does not meet the standard requirements. In particular, the review and approval time for this type of visa is as long as one and a half years on average. Compared with the original service standard time, it is delayed by half a year. This problem is very serious. Some immigration lawyers have criticized that spouses from Europe and the United States who come to Canada for reunion are often exempted from visas. However, many spouses, including those from China, are often separated because they cannot get visas. This is unfair to applicants from Asia.

Immigration lawyer Li Kelun, who is also the editor-in-chief of the "Immigration Information Compilation", said that internal CIC documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showed that in the second quarter of last year, the approval time of many visa applications did not meet the standards, including federal skilled immigrants, provincial nominations, spouse reunion, Maple Leaf Card renewal, etc., and most of them exceeded the original approval standard time.

Li Kelun said that in recent years, the approval time for applying for spousal reunification from outside Canada has been significantly prolonged, and the overseas approval time is different in each office. Overall, the average approval time for overseas offices is 18 months, which is half a year longer than the original service standard of one year.

He conducted an analysis and analyzed the reason why the approval time for overseas spouse reunification applications was prolonged. Li Kelun held the view that CIC may have an internal quota, but it is not disclosed to the public. It is speculated that the annual quota for spouse and child reunification is about 30,000 people, and the portion exceeding this quota will be delayed in approval. He said: "Many spouses from China, India, the Philippines and other places cannot enjoy visa-free entry and cannot come to Canada to reunite with their spouses in the short term. This is extremely unfair to Asian applicants."

Li Kelun also pointed out that the validity period of the physical examination for spouse reunification is 12 months. If the approval time is extended to 18 months, the applicant will have to repeat the physical examination. This is completely unreasonable and unacceptable.

The reporter sent an email to CIC for inquiries, but received no response by the time of publication. (Zhang Wenci)