ARCHIVED – Operational Bulletin 291 (Modified) - December 5, 2011

This section contains policy, procedures and guidance used by IRCC staff. It is posted on the department’s website as a courtesy to stakeholders.

Transfer of Visa Services from Abidjan, Ivory Coast to Dakar, Senegal

This Operational Bulletin has expired.

Summary

This Operational Bulletin (OB) describes the transfer of services for applicants for temporary and permanent residence from the Visa Section in Abidjan, Ivory Coast to the Visa Section in Dakar, Senegal, effective February 24, 2011. Abidjan has become a satellite office of Dakar.

Background

As a result of political unrest in the Ivory Coast, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) announced a temporary suspension of its services in Abidjan as of December 8, 2010. Temporary measures were announced in OB 258 – December 16, 2010, and OB 267 – January 27, 2011.

Effective February 24, 2011, the services of the Visa Section in Abidjan were transferred to the Visa Section in Dakar. CIC will retain a limited presence in the Ivory Coast, with staff being able to receive new temporary resident visa (TRV) applications hand delivered by applicants living in the Ivory Coast and also to provide limited services to these applicants. Responsibilities and authorities previously afforded to authorized personnel in Abidjan were transferred to the Visa Section in Dakar. As a result of this transfer, Dakar is now a Full Service Centre, while Abidjan has become a satellite office of Dakar.

This OB supersedes operational instructions provided in OB 258 – December 16, 2010, and OB 267 – January 27, 2011.

Areas of responsibility

Effective February 24, 2011, the Visa Section in Dakar became responsible for making decisions on applications from the following countries: Burkina-Faso, Cameroon, Cape Verde, Central African Republic, Chad, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Republic of Guinea (Conakry) [except refugees], Guinea-Bissau, Ivory Coast, Mali, Mauritania, Niger and Senegal.

Temporary resident processing

All decisions relating to TRV, temporary study permit (SP) and temporary work permit (WP) applications from the above-listed countries will be made by the delegated Canada-based staff at the Embassy of Canada to Senegal in Dakar.

Delegated personnel in Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, Mali, Niger and the Republic of Guinea (Conakry), will continue to provide information and receive applications for TRV, temporary SP and temporary WP applications from nationals and residents of, as well as persons who have been lawfully admitted to, these countries. All other applications are to be sent to the Visa Section of the Embassy of Canada to Senegal in Dakar either in person or by courier. In the case of the latter, applicants are required to provide a pre-paid, self-addressed return envelope with the appropriate fee payment in the form of a certified cheque in Canadian dollars to the order of the Receiver General for Canada. 

Applicants may direct their questions to the Visa and Immigration Section of the Embassy of Canada to Senegal in Dakar directly at dakar-immigration@international.gc.ca.

Permanent Resident Processing

Effective February 24, 2011, permanent resident applications (with the exception of the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) and Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW) classes) and additional documentation for applications already in process should be submitted to the Visa Section in Dakar.

Applicants who have already sent documents to Abidjan are not required to resubmit their documents to Dakar, as these will be transferred.

Family Class

Effective February 24, 2011, CIC will send new Family Class (FC) priority files directly to the Immigration Section of the Embassy of Canada to Senegal in Dakar.

Other FC applicants should be directed to send their completed applications to Dakar after their sponsorship eligibility has been assessed by the Case Processing Centre (CPC) in Mississauga, Ontario. Any correspondence regarding dependents abroad where the principal applicant will be processed in Canada should be sent to the Visa Section in Dakar.

In addition, effective July 18, 2011, CIC introduced a new sponsorship application form. The Application to Sponsor, Sponsorship Agreement and Undertaking (IMM 1344) replaces the previous versions IMM 1344 A and IMM 1344 B. The form will be available for use in FC applications for permanent residence and is applicable to both in Canada and overseas applications.

All applications to sponsor under the FC must now be accompanied by an IMM 0008, Application for Permanent Residence in Canada. Applications that do not contain the IMM 0008 will be returned to the sponsor for completion.

For more information, please refer to OB 325 – July 11, 2011 and OB 326 – July 18, 2011.

Federal Skilled Worker applications

FSW applications should continue to be submitted to the Centralized Intake Office (CIO) in Sydney, Nova Scotia:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Centralized Intake Office
P.O. Box 7500
Sydney, NS  B1P 0A9
CANADA

Effective February 24, 2011, applicants who have been instructed to submit additional documents in support of their FSW applications should send the documents to the Visa Section in Dakar.

Applicants who have been instructed to submit a completed application within the 120-day deadline set out by the CIO should send the application to the Visa Section in Dakar.

Applicants who have already sent documents to Abidjan are not required to resubmit the documents to the Visa Section in Dakar, as these have been transferred.

Quebec-selected Skilled Worker applications

New QSW applications should continue to be sent to the CIO in Sydney, Nova Scotia, at the following address:

Citizenship and Immigration Canada
Centralized Intake Office
Quebec Skilled Worker (QSW)
P.O. Box 8888
Sydney, NS B1P 0C9
CANADA

File Transfer

All immigration files processed in Abidjan and awaiting a final decision were transferred to the Visa Section in Dakar. In addition, on February 24, 2011, all Computer-Assisted Immigration Processing System data and other information located on servers and databases associated to the Visa Section in Abidjan were merged with servers and databases associated to the Visa Section in Dakar. All Global Case Management System files having Abidjan as the primary or secondary office will be changed to reflect Dakar as the primary or secondary office.

Permanent Resident Travel Documents

Applications for Permanent Resident Travel Documents are to be submitted to Dakar. When submitted by courier, applicants are required to provide a pre-paid, self-addressed return envelope along with the appropriate fee payment in the form of a certified cheque in Canadian dollars to the order of the Receiver General for Canada. Instructions for obtaining of an immigration document (IMM 5545) are available on the CIC website. The completed application and fee should be submitted to the Visa Section in Dakar (or the satellite office, as applicable). The application should include the Verification of Entry form (IMM 5009), wherein Part B of the form will be completed by delegated personnel at the Canadian Embassy in Dakar. The Visa Section in Dakar will forward the completed application to the Query Response Centre, which will process the request and send the certified true copy to Dakar for onward transmission to the client.

Proof of Citizenship

Instructions for obtaining a proof of citizenship are available on the CIC website. Completed applications for proof of citizenship abroad are to be submitted to the nearest Canadian Embassy, High Commission or Consulate. The Embassy of Canada to the Ivory Coast continues to provide consular services to Canadians in the Ivory Coast. As per existing procedures, proof of citizenship certificates sent from CPC-Sydney will be mailed directly to applicants or to the appropriate Embassy of Canada, as required.

Withdrawals and Refunds

The Visa Section in Dakar will process all applications for refunds and similar requests previously managed by our office in Abidjan.

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