Changes to Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations Take Effect

Ottawa, June 12, 2019 – Changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations are now in effect. These changes make the application process smoother for clients. They also reduce the likelihood of errors and incomplete applications by supporting the greater use of technology in the immigration system.

The changes also streamline and clarify processes for international adoptions and permanent resident sponsorship applications. You can find the most up-to-date information on how to apply for various immigration, visa and citizenship programs online.

The changes involve

• ensuring that applicants who are paying fees or applying electronically use only the electronic systems provided by Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC)
• requiring that most temporary residence applications submitted from within Canada be submitted electronically on Canada.ca; exceptions include situations where a disability prevents someone from applying online and systems being unavailable or unreliable
• applications already submitted by paper do not have to be resubmitted online
  • for more instructions on how to apply, please visit
    • Extend your work permit
    • Extend your study permit
    • Extend your stay as a visitor
    • Apply for a post-graduation work permit
    • Apply to work as a co-op student or intern
    • Apply for a work permit from inside Canada
    • Apply for a study permit from inside Canada
• requiring that all IRCC clients pay their immigration fees online, unless
  • a disability prevents them from doing so
  • IRCC provides other payment methods, such as paying in person at a visa application centre
  • fees are paid at a port of entry by other means
• listing situations where the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship or the Minister of Public Safety can provide applicants with alternative ways to apply for immigration services in the event of an unforeseen circumstance, such as a natural disaster or system issue
• outlining a clear process for officers to time-stamp electronic applications or other application-related communications to give both clients and Government of Canada officers a clear and consistent point of reference when calculating processing times
• allowing sponsorship and permanent residence applications for inter-country adoptions to be submitted without some information (that is, before a child has been identified), so the process can start earlier (the information, however, will be required before the application can be approved)
• requiring that clients include their permanent residence application with their family sponsorship application submission to help reduce processing delays
• removing existing requirements that specify where all non-electronic (paper) applications can be submitted to give IRCC more flexibility to maximize processing efficiency and accommodate clients

For additional information, the regulatory text can be found on the Canada Gazette, Part 2 website.