Abrams & Krochak’s top priority is to ensure the health and safety of both its staff and its clients while continuing to provide clients and potential clients, alike, with the highest level of service.

Like you, we are continuously monitoring information from all levels of government and official health organizations and have adopted the following steps for business continuity.

With the exception of Mr. Abrams, our office continues to be fully staffed and we have implemented stringent cleaning protocols, including the provision of hand sanitizers throughout our office.  However, for the protection of our staff and our clients, we have temporarily suspended in-person meetings.  You should know, however that, as a firm, we have invested in technology to ensure that our staff can work remotely if the need arises and, as always, we will respond to your e-mail inquiries within one (1) business day.

We have instructed our staff that if anyone feels unwell, he/she is to work from home or rest until he/she is fit to return to the office.  Likewise, we have asked our staff to work from home and follow Health Canada recommendations if he/she experiences symptoms of COVID-19 or has come into contact with someone awaiting test results.  Furthermore, we have instructed staff members to self-isolate if he/she has contracted the virus or come into contact with someone who has tested positive or who has returned from international travel.

As for Mr. Abrams, in support of public health recommendations to reduce the spread of COVID-19, he has chosen not to commute to the office and, instead, to work from home effective Tuesday, March 17, 2020 until further notice even though Abrams & Krochak remains fully operational and will continue to do so.

If you have any questions arising from an Immigration assessment that you received from Mr. Abrams after completing one of our Online Eligibility Assessment Questionnaires:

Express Entry (Federal Skilled Workers Program/Federal Skilled Trades Program/Canadian Experience Class)
Business Immigration
Spousal, Partner or Dependent Child Sponsorship
Parent or Grandparent Sponsorship

OR you wish to contact our office for the first time, please do NOT telephone.  Instead, please send Mr. Abrams an e-mail to either jabrams@akcanada.com or askus@akcanada.com or fill out our Contact Us form. Mr. Abrams will respond to your inquiry by return e-mail within one (1) business day.

If you are an existing client of Abrams & Krochak and have questions related to your file, please send an e-mail to info@akcanada.com.

Even though Mr. Abrams will be working from home, he remains ready and available to assist you. As the COVID-19 situation evolves and the advice of medical authorities is updated, he will review his decision to work remotely from home. Until then, you can expect to receive seamless, uninterrupted, quality service from both him and from Abrams & Krochak in a timely fashion.

On Sunday, March 15, 2020, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) released new instructions for those affected by COVID-19. Like other countries, Canada is working diligently to halt the spread of the virus; however, IRCC is adopting new policies and procedures to minimize any disruption to Immigration processing and to help applicants who are affected in any way by COVID-19. Among the steps being taken by IRCC insofar as Permanent Residence Applications are concerned are the following (reproduced from the IRCC website with minor text modifications):

Application Intake

Intake of new Permanent Residence Applications will continue. Files that are incomplete due to unavailable documents will be retained in the system and reviewed in 90 days.

New, complete Permanent Residence Applications under section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations (IRPR) will be processed as per normal procedures.

If a new Application is missing supporting documentation (associated fees are required), the applicant should include an explanation with his/her Application that he/she is affected by the service disruptions as a result of the novel coronavirus. The Application may then be promoted and reviewed in 90 days. New Applications should be promoted in the order they were received. If the Application is still incomplete in 60 days, officers should request the missing documents with an additional 90-day deadline.

Applications found to be incomplete with no explanation provided, or for reasons unrelated to the disruption of services associated with impacts of the novel coronavirus, may be rejected as per section 10 of IRPR, and all fees associated with the Application should be refunded to the applicant. The reason for rejection should be unrelated to the disruption of services.

Approved Permanent Residence Applications (COPR and PRV)

Permanent residence applicants who are in possession of a Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) and Permanent Resident Visa (PRV) and inform IRCC, by submitting a web form to IRCC, that they are unable to travel within the validity of their documentation should be processed as follows:

Valid COPR and PRV: In an effort to reduce the number of cancelled COPRs and PRVs, a note should be placed in the file explaining that the applicant is unable to travel, and the file should be brought forward to the expiration date of the COPR and PRV. If the applicant informs IRCC that he/she can travel prior to the COPR and PRV expiration, he/she is encouraged to use his/her existing COPR and PRV to land.

Expired COPR and PRV: If the applicant informs IRCC via the web form that he/she was unable to travel after the expiration of his/her COPR and PRV, or if he/she was unable to travel prior to expiration, officers are to re-open the Application, and it should be brought forward for review in 90 days.

Re-opened Applications

Approved Applications can be re-opened by cancelling the COPR and PRV and removing the final decision.

When to Review a Re-opened Application

Once the applicant informs IRCC via the web form that he/she is able to travel, a re-opened Application may be re-approved provided that the applicant and his/her family members, whether accompanying or not, have valid immigration medical examinations, criminal and security checks and passports.

If the 60-day waiting period elapses and the applicant has not informed IRCC that he/she is able to travel, a note should be placed in the Application, and it should be brought forward for review for an additional 60 days.

On Thursday, March 12, 2020, The Honourable Marco E.L. Mendicino, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), tabled the 2020‒2022 Immigration Levels Plan in the Canadian House of Commons. Canada plans on welcoming 341,000 new permanent residents in 2020, 351,000 in 2021, and 361,000 in 2022 while reducing application processing times and improving service delivery and client services at IRCC.

Of those who will become permanent residents of Canada over the next few years, in 2020, 88,500 to 100,000 immigrants will be Express Entry applicants; in 2021, 89,300 to 100,000 immigrants will be Express Entry applicants; and, in 2022, 88,800 to 100,600 immigrants will be Express Entry applicants.

To quote the Minister:  “Our immigration system benefits all Canadians by strengthening the middle class, keeping families together and building strong and inclusive communities. This increase in immigration levels supports a system that will help Canadian business create good middle class jobs and grow the economy while ensuring Canada continues to meet its humanitarian obligations around the world.”

On December 30, 2019, the Government of Canada announced the postponement of the 2020 Parents and Grandparents Sponsorship Program until further notice to allow the Department of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) sufficient time to complete the development of a new intake process for the program.  IRCC wants to develop an intake process which will ensure that all interested sponsors have the same opportunity to submit an interest to sponsor form, and a fair chance to be invited to apply.

As a result of this announcement, as of January 1, 2020, no permanent resident visa applications made by parents or grandparents of a sponsor and no sponsorship applications made in relation to those applications will be accepted for processing until further instructions are issued by IRCC.  IRCC intends to issue further instructions relating to the intake management process for the parents and grandparents program by April 1, 2020, at the latest.

Just as soon as any further instructions are released by IRCC or any announcements made, we will post them on our website.  Affected clients with questions can send an e-mail to info@akcanada.com.