Mastersgrad

Any help would be much appreciated as I am currently in limbo waiting for my work permit to be processed!

I am already in Canada on a visitor record with my husband on a study visa, we came on Feb 1st. My work permit application has been complete since the middle of last year and my husband’s study permit was approved in November.

I think the cause of delay with my work permit is due to a caution on my police record which I got in 2008 at the age of 17. I have submitted numerous webforms and now also included a copy of our permit/visitor record and also uploaded a new up to date police certificate but I have not had any response.

I have now applied for a subject access request from ACRO to try and help but now I’m also wondering should I have applied for rehabilitation?

Thanks in advance for any help or insight!

christmasoompa

I'm hoping you shouldn't have needed to apply for criminal rehab - because if so, that would apply for any entry to Canada, even as a visitor! It doesn't sound as though you should have done though, what was the caution for?

When you say your work permit application 'has been complete since the middle of last year', what do you mean?

Mastersgrad

that’s what I thought to be honest and I obviously declared everything when I initially applied for an ETA early last year. My caution was for Assault occasioning ABH (I know that sounds terrible but the reality is i pushed someone to stop a fight and scratched them in the process), but its 13 years in April that I received it and I was under 18 which I also thought was taken into account?

My application was submitted and biometrics given in July last year! But I have seen of people who applied a couple of months ago and have been approved. I’m just so stressed being in limbo and not getting much response from IRCC

christmasoompa

You've been honest, and I don't think you need rehab anyway from what you've said, so I wouldn't worry. But there's definitely something odd if you applied in July last year and still haven't had it refused or approved, work permits normally only take around 8-10 weeks. What does your application status say when you log in?

Mastersgrad

Yeah it’s just really stressing me out now to be honest, every time I call IRCC they just say to wait it out 🤷🏼‍♀️ and the webform replies arent great either. I even got a new police record as I know they only last 6 months, I uploaded it in January and still nothing!

It just says they are currently processing my application when I log in. I’ve even considered revoking my application and applying from within Canada to see if it will help? Do you think that would be better or just wait it out?

christmasoompa

I don't think that would help tbh. Normally I'd say just head to the border and get your work permit there, but that's not possible at the moment due to restrictions. Have they given you any idea at all what the delay is?

A police cert isn't normally required for a work permit application, was that specifically requested?

Mastersgrad

I know the whole covid situation isn't helping but when we entered the country the border agent said they couldn't issue it as i already had an application being processed. No nothing, I have called a few times and submitted webforms with my visitor record to prove I’m here but it hasnt seemed to help and when I call they say they don’t have access to the information of the office processing my permit.

No but I submitted mine as I knew I had a caution and had declared it for my ETA so thought it would be best to just include it