Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is an organization directly responsible for facilitating the arrival of immigrants to Canada. Furthermore, it helps provide a safe shelter to refugees and offers various settlement programs to people who have come to Canada recently.
It also provides permanent residence and citizenship to deserving immigrants. Last but not least, it issues various travel documents, like passports to travelers coming in and going out of Canada.
IRCC Offices
IRCC has numerous offices inside and outside Canada where you can send in your queries and applications.
Offices Located Outside Canada
IRCC Visa Offices
IRCC’s visa offices are located in many countries, usually inside Canadian embassies, consulates, and high commissions.
The purpose of these offices is to process applications of various requests. These may include.
- Applications for permanent Canadian immigration and residence
- Applications for visit visas, i.e., temporary resident visas
- Applications for study permits in Canada and its various territories
- Applications for work permits, temporary or permanent
- Applications for refugee resettlement, i.e., the transport of refugees from another country to Canada under Canada’s refugee and asylum system
- Applications for obtaining travel documents, like passports, used to travel in and out of Canada
Canadian Embassies, Consulates or High Commissions
If you are a Canadian citizen located outside of Canada or the United States, you might want to appear in Canadian embassies, high commissions, or consulates. These offices provide services to Canadian citizens who want to get assistance while being outside of Canada or the U.S.
You should appear in these offices if:
- You want to get your proof of citizenship, i.e., your Canadian citizenship certificate.
- You want to give up your Canadian citizenship.
- You want the authorities to go through citizenship records to search for something specific.
Offices located Inside Canada
Offices for Application Processing
There are certain offices located inside Canada that receive and process citizenship, as well as immigration applications. These offices include Case Processing Centers (CPCs), the Centralized Intake Office (CIO), and the Operations Support Center (OSC).
However, it should be noted that these offices do not provide assistance with your application processing. Furthermore, they are not open to the public, i.e., you cannot visit these offices in person.
However, you can send your applications and other documents to these offices through the mail. If you want to get specific information about how and where to submit your application and other relevant documents, refer to your instructions guide.
Case Processing Centers are located in Edmonton, Sydney, and Ottawa.
The Centralized Intake Office is located in Sydney.
The Operations Support Center is located in Ottawa.
Appointment Offices
Alongside the three major types of offices mentioned above, IRCC has many offices across Canada where individuals can send their applications. These offices are not open to the public, i.e., you cannot visit them in person — but you can submit your applications through the mail. Furthermore, you can also get an appointment to visit one of the offices.
Alongside permanent appointment offices, IRCC also opens many temporary offices across Canada which are usually closed after a specific period.
Special measures for Hong Kong citizens
If you’re a resident of Hong Kong but want to come to Canada, you may find special treatment by IRCC to facilitate your arrival here.
If you’re a recent college graduate, you may get an open work permit.
If you’re an eligible Hong Kong resident, you may get special pathways to come to Canada and get permanent residence here.
Your applications will be prioritized over other applications, and processing time will be greatly reduced.
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