Guide to Reunite Family Members Abroad under the One-Year Window of Opportunity Provision (IMM 5578)

You must submit your application online

Table of contents

• Overview
• Step 1: Make sure you and your family members are eligible
• Step 2: Prepare your application
• Step 3: Submit your application
• What happens next?
  • Completeness check
  • The OYW request decision
  • Updating your contact information and changes in personal circumstances
  • Checking your application status
• Protecting your information
• Need Help?
• Appendix - Checklist

Overview

Use this guide if you want to submit an application under the One Year Window (OYW) of Opportunity program. This is possible based on a provision of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act that assists with the reunification of family members for recently resettled refugees.

Under this program, you (the permanent resident who arrived in Canada as a resettled refugee) can bring to Canada family members who were part of your permanent residence application abroad but could not travel with you to Canada.

In the context of the OYW process, the principal applicant (PA) is the family member abroad you want to bring to Canada.

There is no fee to pay under the OYW program.

Symbols used in this guide

This guide uses these symbols to draw your attention to important information:

What you must do to have your application processed.

Important information that you need to know to avoid delays or other problems.

Where to get more information.

Note: Tips that will help you with this application.

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Quebec residents: Applicants currently residing in the province of Quebec should only use this application after they have been specifically requested to do so by IRCC or the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI). If you reside in the province of Quebec, you must first visit the MIFI website to find out how to bring family members who are still abroad to Quebec. You can also call the MIFI general information line at 514-864-9191 or 1-877-864-9191.

For information regarding the Quebec OYW process, please consult the Quebec operational instructions and guidelines on processing refugee resettlement: Bringing your partner and children who are still abroad to Québec | Gouvernement du Québec

For information regarding the permanent residence application of the refugee abroad, please consult the following guide: Guide for Convention Refugees and Humanitarian-Protected Persons Abroad (IMM 6000).

Step 1: Make sure you and your family members are eligible

Requirements for you (the permanent resident who arrived in Canada as a resettled refugee within the last year):

• You are a permanent resident of Canada;
• You were resettled from abroad to Canada as a refugee; and
• Within one year of your arrival in Canada, you are submitting to IRCC a complete OYW request including the application for permanent residence of your family member(s) you want to bring to Canada.
  • The one year window to apply starts the date you land in Canada as a Permanent Resident.
• If you apply from Quebec, you have contacted the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) and you hold a Certificat de sélection du Québec (CSQ).

 You cannot bring family members to Canada under the OYW program if you arrived in Canada more than one year ago. If you arrived in Canada more than one year ago, you should check if you can sponsor your family members under the Family Class or the resettlement sponsorship programs.

Requirements for your family member(s) abroad:

• They were declared on your own permanent residence application abroad before you departed for Canada;
• They met the definition of a family member (as per the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations - IRPR) at the time your application for permanent residence was submitted; and
• They continue to meet the definition of a family member until a final decision is made on their application for permanent residence.
  • Note: the age of dependent children is locked in when the original permanent resident application was received.

What is a family member?

Under the Canadian immigration system, a family member is only:

• You, the permanent resident in Canada
• Your spouse or common-law partner
• Your dependent child
• A dependent child of your dependent child
• A dependent child of your spouse or common-law partner and
• A dependent child of your spouse or common-law partner’s dependent child

See subsection 1(3) of the IRPR for the legal definition of “family member” and “dependent child”. You may use this tool to determine if your children still qualify as dependent children. You may also consult the Guide for Convention Refugees or as a Humanitarian – Protected Persons Abroad (IMM 6000) section titled "Common questions about eligible family members" for more information.

 You cannot bring other family members under the OYW program.

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Step 2: Prepare your application

See the Help Centre for instructions on downloading and opening PDF forms. Ensure that your browser cache is cleared (Find out how to clear your cache).

 Important reminders:

• All the information you add on PDF forms must be typed.
• Make sure that forms are signed and dated. We accept scanned signatures on forms.
• If you are not able to provide required information in the forms or portal questions, you can enter "not available" and upload an explanation letter to explain why the information is not available.
• You and your family members abroad should only include information about a representative (representative’s contact information, email address, etc.) on a Use of Representative form [IMM 5476] (opens in a new tab).
• It is a serious offence to give false or misleading information to IRCC. We may verify the information you and your family members abroad provided to IRCC.
• To make sure that no IRCC emails are missed, you and your family members abroad should adjust your/their junk mail settings.
• If you or your family members abroad change email address while the application is being processed, notify us immediately.

 You are responsible to ensure that all the information contained in this application is true and accurate at the time you submit the application to IRCC. Failure to do so may result in the refusal of your application. If there are any changes in your or your family member’s situation, notify us immediately.

Common errors applicants make when submitting their application package

For all forms in PDF format:

• Form was not submitted
• Invalid version of form was submitted
• Form was handwritten
• Form was not in French or English
• Form was not signed and dated
• Form is incomplete

Find out how to fill out the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) and the Schedule A (IMM 5669).

 Note: In the IMM0008 digital form, when asked “Do you want us to contact you using the email address used for this account?”, the Permanent Resident in Canada or paid representative who are filling out the forms on behalf of the PA should select no, and provide the personal email address of the PA.

Here is a screenshot of the relevant section of the portal:

Text version: Do you want us to contact you using the email address used for this account?

Do you want us to contact you using the email address used for this account? Choose ‘yes’ or ‘no’. If not, please provide the email address we can use to contact you. Enter your email in the box below.

 Ensure that all the forms the principal applicant sends you are signed and dated.

Step 3: Submit your application

You, the permanent resident in Canada, must submit all the mandatory forms and documents to IRCC within one year of your arrival to Canada.

Once that you have obtained your documents and filled out PDF forms, you can submit them online for processing as well as fill out digital forms.

• If you don’t have an account already, you must first create one in the Permanent Residence portal. Note that once an account is created, the email address of the account cannot be changed.
• After login, click on Create new application:
• Under Program under which you are applying, choose Permanent Residence, including Refugee Resettlement.
• Again under Program under which you are applying, choose Refugee.
• Under Category you’re applying under, choose One-year window of opportunity (OYW)
• You may add a customized application title. This will only serve to distinguish applications in the portal welcome page in case you would ever submit subsequent applications. The title cannot be changed after you create the application.

• Follow instructions in the portal.
• To help make sure the application can be processed as quickly as possible:
  • Answer all questions;
  • Ensure all PDF forms are signed;
  • Ensure all required and supporting documents have been uploaded.
  • Electronically sign your application (type your full name exactly as shown on your passport).
• After you click on Submit your application, you will receive an automatic email notification confirming your submission, which should be retained for your records. This email does not confirm that the application is complete nor does it include the application number. The status of the application in the portal dashboard will show as Submitted.

Send your application only once and only through the PR portal. Duplicate applications may delay processing.

Important:

• Before uploading documents in the portal, use this naming convention to label them: "Last Name - First Name – Document type - #." For example: "Wong - John - Proof of Education -1."
• If applicable, ensure the name of the appropriate person appears in the label. For example, for a picture of your child, you should include the name of that child in the file name.
• Accepted file types are: PDF, JPG, JPEG, PNG, DOC, and DOCX
• Accepted file size: File size should be 4 MB maximum
• Ensure photos meet the requirements and are 420x540 pixels minimum (4 MB maximum file size).
• Accepted characters for file names: File names can only contain the following characters: "A-Z" "a-z" "0-9" "-" "_" "."
• Accented characters are not accepted.
• In the “Additional Supporting Documents” section:
  • When uploading the translation of a document, the description “Translation and Affidavit” should not be selected. Selecting the description of the document that fits best (e.g. Birth certificate, etc.) regardless of whether it is a copy of the original or the translated document. Both the original document and its translation can be combined in one document.
  • Select ‘Police report’ for criminal record checks
  • Select ‘Identity and Civil Status Documents’ for Canadian photo ID, etc.
  • Select ‘Other’ for documents that support information found on the Schedule A form.
  • Select ‘Letter of Explanation’ for any additional narrative information

Once the application is submitted, the permanent resident in Canada, and/or their paid representative will receive an automatic email notification from the portal. This email does not confirm that your application is complete nor does it include the application number (“G number”). The status of the application in the portal dashboard will show as “Submitted”. Consult the section What happens next? below.

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What happens next?

Completeness Check

We review the application you submitted to ensure that it is complete.

If the application is incomplete (missing any of the mandatory forms or documents listed in this checklist) it will be returned to you. If you resubmit an application, it will have a new received by IRCC date. This is important in the One Year Window of Opportunity as the application must be received by IRCC within the permanent resident’s first year in Canada.

If the application is complete, no further notifications about the application will be sent from the PR portal. Consult the sections below for more information regarding case status, updates and correspondence with IRCC after submission.

The OYW Request Decision

Once your file is ready to be processed, an IRCC officer will decide if your application meets the OYW criteria.

If the request meets the OYW criteria, it will be electronically sent to the appropriate IRCC office abroad. You, the principal applicant and your sponsors (if applicable) will receive an email confirming that the OYW request has been approved. An IRCC officer will then review the permanent resident application and make a final decision on your application. Please see the Guide for Convention Refugee or as a Humanitarian – Protected Person Abroad (IMM 6000) section “What happens next” for more information on processing phases abroad.

If the application does not meet the OYW criteria, an IRCC officer will refuse the application and no further processing will be done. You, the principal applicant and your sponsors (if applicable) will receive a letter indicating the reasons for refusal.

Updating your contact information and changes in personal circumstances

During the OYW application process, you must notify us of any change in your contact information (address, phone number, new email, etc.). Notify us at IRCC.INROCO-CORORI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

The principal applicant abroad should also contact us to change their contact information (new email, etc.) and to make any changes to their personal circumstances (change in their marital status, birth of a child, etc.).

Checking your application status

If you would like a case status update, you can contact us at IRCC.INROCO-CORORI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca. Use this email subject line when sending a status inquiry: Pa Family Case, first name, G number, Case Status Request - OYW.

Keep in mind that contacting us always takes us away from processing applications. Receiving a high volume of case status updates delays processing of your application and applications of others.

You should contact us when:

• more than 8 months have passed since you received your acknowledgement of receipt and no decision was made on your application. If less than 8 months have passed since you received your AOR, we will not answer your case status request.
• you believe that your application has been erroneously delayed abroad.

If you decide to contact us, please do not ask sponsors (if applicable) or the principal applicant abroad to send an email for the same question. If we receive multiple email enquiries on the same topic, we will only answer the first email that we receive.

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Protecting your information

For information about the protection of your information, visit the Help Centre.

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Need help?

You can find answers to your questions by visiting the Help Centre.

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Appendix - Checklist

If you do not follow this checklist, your application may be returned to you as incomplete.

Definition of requirement categories for forms or documents

Mandatory

This form or document is required for all situations.

You will not be able to submit the application in the PR portal if it is not completed or uploaded.

Mandatory if applicable

This form or document is required for certain situations. Details are provided under each form or document to help you determine if you need to submit it.

Not uploading it will not prevent you from submitting the application in the PR portal, but the application may later be considered incomplete and would be returned to you.

If applicable

This form or document is required for certain situations, however, not uploading it will not prevent you from submitting the application in the PR portal and the application will not be returned to you as incomplete upon initial assessment.

These forms or documents may be requested later in the process. Providing them upfront can improve processing time.

Section 1 – Digital Forms

Section 2 – PDF Forms For OYW

Section 3 – Additional Application Forms (if applicable)

Section 4 – Required Supporting Documents For OYW

Section 5 – Additional Supporting Documents

Section 6 – Declaration