The past year has not been a year of good news in our blogs. Since at least December of 2024 our messages have been about restrictions, delays, limitations and refusals. However, three cases that we have had in our office in the past few months demonstrate that sometimes Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) does show compassion in times of crisis reuniting family members together in Canada. Let's look at the circumstances of these cases and the steps that applicants took to earn IRCC's trust to bring their family members to Canada.
Anabel
Anabel had a long history with IRCC in trying to sponsor her husband for permanent residence (PR) from the Philippines to come and live in Canada with her and her son. Her initial sponsorship application was refused due to a misrepresentation in her own application. She subsequently submitted two Humanitarian and Compassionate (H and C) applications based upon the best interests of their son. They were also denied. Anabel gave up hope and nearly 20 years passed from her initial application. It was Anabel's wish that her husband be able to come to Canada to share in her son's high school graduation in June 2025. We started preparing this application in January 2025. In the midst of preparing the documentation Anabel became very ill and was repeatedly hospitalized. On June 4, 2025 we submitted the application with all the necessary documentation to support the basis for the request including medical records of the client and letters issued from her doctors and the hospital. On June 11, 2025 a biometrics request letter for her husband was issued, on June 18, 2025 his passport was requested and on June 23, 2025 the visa was stamped in his passport. Anabel's husband arrived in Canada on June 28, 2025 and returned to the Philippines on September 20, 2025 . The family was reunited and enjoyed the summer together. Anabel's husband was issued a 5-year multiple entry visa allowing him to return to Canada in the future to be able to spend time with Anabel and their son.
Time from application date to visa issuance: 19 days.
Lily
Our client Lily is also from the Philippines and has submitted her own PR application as a Caregiver which is still in process. Earlier this year she was diagnosed with uterine cancer. She had surgery which removed the cancer. A few months later she was diagnosed with breast cancer for which she had to undergo both surgery and radiation treatment. She has no family in Canada to support her. Her second surgery was scheduled for September 29, 2025. A visitor visa application for her husband was submitted on September 20, 2025 and a biometrics request letter was issued on September 22, 2025. On September 23, Lily's Member of Parliament (MP) submitted a letter of support on her behalf and on September 25 the MP's office communicated directly with IRCC pressing the urgent nature of the request. On October 1, 2025 the application was approved and the passport request letter was issued with the visa being stamped in his passport on October 6, 2025. Lily's husband has arrived in Canada to support his wife during her radiation treatments and plans to return to the Philippines early in the new year. He was granted a 10-year multiple entry visa to allow him to return to Canada while their PR application is processed.
Time from application date to visa issuance: 16 days.
Amal
Amal is an Indian national who came to Canada as a permanent resident in October 2005 as a young boy at the age of 15 with his sister, age 17. Their parents remained in India and were not granted visas to come to Canada to visit their children. After several refusals, Mother was granted a visitor visa in July, 2025 to visit relatives in Toronto while Father remained in India. On October 10, 2025 Amal had a serious car accident and was admitted to hospital with a brain injury. On October 12, 2025 doctors pronounced Amal to be “brain dead” neurologically but he was kept on life support in order for his Father to come to Canada on an urgent basis. An application for a visitor visa was submitted for Father on October 15 with a biometrics request letter issued on October 16. On this same day their MP's office communicated with IRCC and regularly followed up with both IRCC and with our office. On October 21, the passport request letter was issued, on October 22 the visa was issued and Father arrived in Canada on October 23, 2025. Both Father and Mother were able to attend their son's funeral and say their final goodbyes.
Time from application date to visa issuance: 7 days.
The timelines for the processing of these applications were exceptionally fast and demonstrates a focused and concerted effort on the part of the applicants, our immigration legal team, the MP's office and, of course IRCC. This is not a service standard to be expected on a regular basis!
Over the 35+ years that I have been practicing immigration law, I have seen numerous examples of families being prevented from re-uniting in Canada for births, deaths, marriages, funerals, graduations and a myriad of important milestones in life that people want to share together with their family members. It is important for applicants to demonstrate a high level of credibility with IRCC in order to be granted the prize of being awarded a visa to visit Canada. It is highly recommended that you get professional assistance with such applications. It is also important to show that the trust that has been given is appreciated and respected and that you “do what you say that you are going to do” and return home in a reasonable period of time. Not only does this ensure that you will likely be given another visa in the future, but it maintains faith in the system such that others may be similarly blessed with obtaining a visa to come to Canada.
