Canada expanding processing capacity to expedite family reunion

Canada is expanding the Case Processing Centre in Sydney, Nova Scotia in an effort to process more applications and reunite families faster.

IRCC will get new office space and be able to hire 62 additional employees, according to a media release. These new employees will primarily work on family class overseas applications. With these new resources, IRCC expects to process more applications and shorten the processing times that have been extended during the pandemic.

The Case Processing Centre in Sydney is currently limited to 30 per cent occupancy, due to coronavirus-related restrictions. The new office space will allow IRCC to increase this capacity, and it will allow more employees who are working remotely to return to the office.

The lease on this new office space is for one year, which will allow the immigration department the flexibility to re-evaluate its needs in the years ahead.

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Canada's immigration minister, Marco Mendicino, said the increased capacity will help the department return to the one-year standard for spousal applications. He also tweeted about the new measures, nodding to the expected benefits that the new measures will have for families as well as Cape Breton residents.

I’m proud of the work of our Sydney office, which will continue to play a vital role in our efforts to strengthen Canada through immigration. (Photo pre-covid) pic.twitter.com/JjTPTG2HC8

— Marco Mendicino (@marcomendicino) March 5, 2021

Local Members of Parliament also welcome the news.

"Expanding the Sydney Case Processing Centre will create meaningful employment for 62 people here in Sydney–Victoria, while helping our region continue to grow and prosper through immigration," Jaime Battiste, Member of Parliament for Sydney–Victoria said in the release. "I'm excited to see the difference it will make in our community."

Mike Kelloway, Member of Parliament for Cape Breton–Canso, also expressed support.

"Cape Bretoners play a vital role in our immigration system," Kelloway said in the release. "Public servants at our local Case Processing Centre work hard every day to welcome new Canadians, many of whom now call Cape Breton home. This announcement will help us build on that proud tradition, increasing our capacity so we can welcome even more new Canadians."

The Sydney Case Processing Centre handles a number of different types of immigration applications. Under family class immigration they process applications for outland spousal, common-law, and conjugal sponsorship, dependent children, adopted children, and other relatives.

Check if you're eligible to sponsor your family for Canadian immigration