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

This guide was revised on February 27, 2020. It includes changes regarding the processing of applications and the documents required from sponsors which are effective immediately.

Changes to processing:

  • No initial Acknowledgement of Receipt (AOR) will be sent for mailed applications.

New document requirement when submitting new applications to Resettlement Operations Center in Ottawa (ROC-O):

  • If the principal applicant abroad is a minor (under 18 years of age), the permanent resident in Canada must submit the Terms and Conditions of Loan form (IMM 0502) with the OYW application.

This is not a legal document.

You can ask for this guide in another format.

Use this guide if you want to request processing under the One Year Window (OYW) of Opportunity provision.

Under this provision, you (the permanent resident who arrived in Canada as a 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 for you to pay under the OYW provision.

For more information on who can apply and how, visit the Refugee Sponsorship Training Program (RSTP).

Symbols used in this guide

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

Required step

What you must do to have your application processed.

Important information

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


Important informationQuebec residents: Applicants currently residing in the province of Quebec should not use this application kit unless they have been specifically requested to do so by IRCC. If you reside in the province of Quebec, you must first visit the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI) website to find out how to bring family members who are still abroad to Quebec. You can also call the general information line at 514-864-9191 or 1-877-864-9191.

For information regarding the Quebec OYW process, please review the Quebec operational instructions and guidelines on processing refugee resettlement:

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).

Steps to reunite with your family members who are still abroad

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

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

  • You are a permanent resident of Canada;
  • You reside in a province/territory other than the province of Quebec;
  • You were resettled from abroad to Canada as a refugee; and
  • Within one year of your arrival in Canada, you are submitting to the Resettlement Operations Center in Ottawa (ROC-O) both a complete OYW request and the application for permanent residence of your family member(s) you want to bring to Canada.

Required stepYou cannot bring family members to Canada under the OYW provision if you arrived in Canada more than one year ago. If you arrived in Canada more than one year ago, you should verify if you can sponsor your family members under the Family Class or the resettlement sponsorship programs. Click here for more information on these possibilities.

Requirements for your family member(s) abroad:

  • They were declared on your 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.

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) IRPR for the legal definition of “family member” and 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.

Required stepYou cannot bring other family members under the OYW provision.


Step 2: Use the document checklist

Use the document checklist below to ensure your application is complete.

Part 1 of the checklist includes all the items that you, the permanent resident in Canada, must complete.

Part 2 of the checklist includes all the items your family member(s) abroad must complete.

Assemble all your documents as listed below and submit them in this order. The first page should be the form Request for Processing Family Members under the One-Year Window of Opportunity (OYW) provision (IMM 5571) (PDF, 1.5 MB).

We strongly encourage you to keep a copy of the application submitted to IRCC. If your application is refused, approved or withdrawn, no documents will be returned to you.

Part 1 – OYW Request package

You, the permanent resident in Canada, must include in your application the following:

  1. The Request for Processing Family Members under the One-Year Window of Opportunity Provisions (IMM 5571) (PDF, 1.5 MB)

    Common mistakes:

    • Form was not submitted
    • Form is incomplete
    • Invalid version of form was submitted
    • Form was not in French or English
    • Form was not signed
  2. Proof of your permanent resident status. Submit a copy of your Permanent Resident (PR) card or your Confirmation of Permanent Residence (CoPR) - Do not submit original documents
  3. Terms and Conditions of Loan (IMM 0502) (PDF, 1.2 MB) – if applicable

    If the principal applicant abroad is a minor (i.e. under 18 years of age), you (the Permanent Resident in Canada) must sign and date the form (IMM 0502) (PDF, 1.2 MB) as the loan recipient and include it in your OYW application. Do not fill any of the other boxes in the form.

    For more information on the Immigration Loans Program, click here.

Part 2 – Application for Permanent Residence Package

The following must be completed and sent to you by your family member(s) abroad:

  1. Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) (PDF, 648 KB)principal applicant (PA) only

    Common mistakes:

    • Form was not submitted
    • Invalid version of form was submitted
    • Form was not in French or English
    • Form was not validated with 2D barcodes or barcodes are not legible
    • PA’s email address (Question 6) was not included in the “Contact Information” section and no exceptional reasons were given on a separate sheet of paper
    • Form was not signed
  2. Additional Family Information (IMM 5406) (PDF, 2.3 MB) – PA and each family member who is 18 years old and over

    Common mistakes:

    • Form was not submitted
    • Invalid version of form was submitted
    • Form was not in French or English
    • Form was handwritten
    • Form was not submitted for PA and/or adult family members
    • Name and biodata did not match the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM0008)
    • Form was not signed
  3. Schedule A: Background / Declaration (IMM 5669) (PDF, 1.5 MB) - PA and each family member who is 18 years old and over

    Common mistakes:

    • Form was not submitted
    • Invalid version of form was submitted
    • Form was not in French or English
    • Form was handwritten
    • Question 6 – not all questions from A to K were answered by a yes or a no.
    • Form was not submitted for PA and/or adult family members
    • Name and biodata did not match the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM0008)
    • Form was not signed
  4. One (1) photo for the principal applicant and, if applicable, each of their family members. Names and dates of birth must be written on the back of each photo.

Step 3: Fill in the forms

Forms cannot be completed and saved using only your internet browser. 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).

Required stepImportant reminders:

  • All forms must be typed.
  • Make sure that your request form and the forms of your family members abroad are signed and dated. We accept scanned signatures on forms.
  • 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) (PDF, 1.5 MB).
  • 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 ROC-O immediately.

Required stepYou are responsible to ensure that all the information contained in this application is true and accurate at the time you submit the application to ROC-O. 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 ROC-O immediately.

The OYW Request

You, the permanent resident in Canada, must fill out the Request for Processing Family Members under the One-Year Window of Opportunity Provision (IMM 5571) (PDF, 1.6 MB).

Type the following information:

  • your family name and given names
  • your date of birth
  • your telephone number(s)
  • your Unique Client Identifier (UCI) (eight or ten digits long)
  • your complete mailing address (street number and name, city, province and postal code)
  • your personal email address so that we can communicate with you directly (do not provide an email of a representative in this section)

Type the following information for your family member(s) abroad:

  • their family name, given names and date of birth exactly as shown on their passport or travel document (biographic information on this form and on the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) must match)
  • their current country of residence
  • their relationship to you

Required stepRead, sign and date the declaration.

The permanent residence application

The principal applicant (the family member abroad) and, if applicable, their family members must fill out these forms.

If you are trying to bring more than one family member at the same time:

  • If you are trying to bring your spouse and children, the PA is the spouse and the children are accompanying dependents.
  • If you are trying to bring 2 or more children without your spouse, each child is a PA. You must submit a separate permanent residence application for each child.

For the principal applicant (PA) only:

  • Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) (PDF, 648 KB). It is highly recommended for the principal applicant to provide a personal email address. If the principal applicant has named a representative, the principal applicant should not provide their representative’s email address in this space. If for exceptional reasons, the principal applicant cannot provide a personal email address, they must explain why on a separate page and attach it to the Generic Application form for Canada (IMM 0008).

For the PA and each family member who is 18 years old and over:

For instructions on how to fill out the Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) and the Schedule A (IMM 5669), click here.

For the Additional Family Information form (IMM 5406) (PDF, 2.3 MB), ensure that applicants abroad write all names in English and in their native language. The applicants abroad must answer all the questions on the form. If a section does not apply to them, they must write “not applicable” in the name box.

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


Step 4: Mail or email your application to ROC-O

You, the permanent resident in Canada, must submit all the above mentioned forms and documents to the Resettlement Operations Center in Ottawa (ROC-O) within one year of your arrival to Canada.

Send your application by mail or email, not both. Duplicate applications will delay the processing of your application.

Important informationNote that email applications are processed faster at ROC-O.

If you mail your application, we recommend that you send your application via registered mail to ensure that your package is trackable by Canada Post or a courier service. We strongly suggest that you keep your mailing receipt until ROC-O completes the assessment of your application.

Required stepWe strongly recommend that you send one application per envelope. If you send more than one application per envelope/box, itemize the applications in a list contained in the envelope/box.

Mailing address:
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Resettlement Operations Centre in Ottawa (ROC-O)
One Year Window Unit
365 Laurier Avenue West
Ottawa, ON K1A 1L1

Email: IRCC.INROCO-CORORI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca

If you decide to email your application to ROC-O, prepare the email by following these steps:

  • Check scanner settings:
    • you and the PA abroad should use a high resolution scanner of at least 400 DPI
    • scanned documents can be in color or black and white
    • all forms and supporting documents must be saved and submitted in PDF format. Applicants’ photos can exceptionally be saved in JPEG format. ROC-O does not accept compressed files (such as ZIP or RAR) as we cannot open them
  • Forms from the PA abroad: Generic Application Form for Canada (IMM 0008) and other forms:
    • the principal applicant abroad must complete all mandatory fields on the online IMM 0008 form to “validate” the form and create the 2D barcode (validation does not mean that the form is submitted to ROC-O, it simply means that a 2D barcode will be generated and printed on the IMM 0008)
    • we recommend the following procedure to submit the IMM 0008 and all other mandatory forms electronically:

      The principal applicant abroad must:

      • After validating and creating the 2D barcode, save the IMM 0008 form as “pa family name, First Name - IMM0008”
      • save the IMM 0008 form as “pa family name, First Name - IMM0008”
      • print only the IMM 0008 signature page – sign and date where indicated
      • scan the IMM 0008 signed/dated signature page and save it as “pa family name, First name - IMM0008 signature page”
      • complete all other mandatory forms (pa and if applicable their family members) and save them as “pa family name, First name – *title of the form*” - Examples: “smith, John - Schedule A”, “smith, John - Additional Family Information form”
      • scan and save the applicants’ photo(s) as “pa family name, First name – Photos”. Ensure the photos meet IRCC’s photo specifications (PDF, 506 KB)
      • send all the forms and photos to you via email
  • Preparing your email to ROC-O:
    • each attachment cannot be bigger than 5MB
    • use these following naming conventions to attach the documents to your email to ROC-O:
      • OYW request form (IMM 5571). Name this file “pa family name, First Name – OYW request”
      • proof of permanent resident status. Name this file: “pa family name, First Name – proof of PR status”
      • terms and Conditions of Loan (IMM 0502) - if principal applicant abroad is a minor. Name this file “pa family name, First Name – Loan”
      • IMM 0008 form. Name this file: “pa family name, First Name - IMM0008”
      • IMM 0008 signature page. Name this file “pa family name, First Name – IMM 0008 signature page”
      • all other forms (Additional Family Information form, Schedule A, etc.) for the PA and their family members (if applicable). Name these files: “pa family name, First name – *title of the form*” - Examples: “smith, John - Schedule A”, “smith, John - Additional Family Information form”
      • applicants’ photo(s). Name this file “pa family name, First Name - Photos”
  • Email the application to ROC-O:
    • the subject line of your email must be titled: “OYW Request for pa family name, First name”
    • the email size cannot be bigger than 10MB. If it is, send the attachment in 2 or more emails and number your email subject lines. For example: “part 1 of 2, OYW request for pa family name, First name” and “part 2 of 2, OYW request for pa family name, First name”. If your email is larger than 10MB, it will bounce back and you will not receive an email auto-reply
  • After you sent your email to ROC-O, ensure your application was received:
    • you should receive an auto-reply from ROC-O for each email sent; save this auto-reply (or auto-replies if you sent more than one email to submit your application). If you do not receive an auto-reply within 48 hours, write to ROC-O and ask whether we received your application. Do not re-send your application unless ROC-O asks you to re-send it.

What happens next?

Stage 1: Completeness Check

ROC-O reviews the application you submitted to ensure that it is complete.

If the application is incomplete, ROC-O will send you an email providing you with an opportunity to rectify the situation. Generally, we will provide you with 30 days to answer our email. If you do not answer our email or if you do not submit the required information within 30 days, the OYW request will be returned to you.

If the application is complete, an acknowledgement of receipt (AOR) will be emailed to you, the principal applicant and your sponsors (if applicable). This AOR confirms that the application is complete and that the application was created in our electronic system. You will receive the application number (G number) at this time. This AOR also means that the application has been transferred to a ROC-O officer for decision.

Stage 2: The OYW Request decision

Once your file is ready to be processed, a ROC-O 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 and sent to the appropriate IRCC office abroad. 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, a ROC-O 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.

Stage 3: 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 ROC-O at IRCC.INROCO-CORORI.IRCC@cic.gc.ca.

The principal applicant abroad should also contact ROC-O 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.).

Stage 4: Checking your application status

Once we have created your application in our immigration system, you can check its status on-line.

If you would like a case status update, you can contact ROC-O 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 ROC-O 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 ROC-O when:

  • more than 48 hours have passed since you sent your email application to ROC-O and you have not received an auto-reply or auto-replies. Before contacting ROC-O, review your junk mail folder and verify whether you sent your application to the correct email address (watch for spelling errors in the email address you used).
  • more than 60 days have passed since you submitted your paper application package and you have not heard back from ROC-O.
  • more than 8 months have passed since you received your AOR and no decision was made on your application. If less than 8 months have passed since you received your AOR from ROC-O, we will not answer your case status request.
  • you believe that your application has been erroneously delayed abroad.

If you decide to send us an email, please do not ask your member of parliament (MP), sponsors (if applicable) or the principal applicant abroad to send an email for the same question. If ROC-O receives multiple email enquiries on the same topic, we will only answer the first email that we receive.


Protecting your information

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


Need help?

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


Acronyms

AOR:
Acknowledgement of Receipt
CoPR:
Confirmation of Permanent Residence
IRCC:
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
IRPR:
Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations
MIFI:
Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l'Intégration
MP:
Member of Parliament
OYW:
One-Year Window of Opportunity Provision
PA:
Principal Applicant i.e. family member abroad
PR:
Permanent Resident or Permanent residence
ROC-O:
Resettlement Operations Center in Ottawa
RSTP:
Refugee Sponsorship Training Program
UCI:
Unique Client Identifier

Features

Report a problem or mistake on this page
Please select all that apply:

Thank you for your help!

You will not receive a reply. For enquiries, contact us.

Date modified: