Applying by mail to stay in Canada

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) wants candidates to send their immigration applications electronically for the most part. However, there are exceptions to this rule as well, so you should stay up to date on this information.

Temporary residents in Canada who want to lengthen their stay in the country have to submit their applications electronically, that is, unless they fall in the exception category.

Electronic applications were made mandatory for temporary residence applications back on June 4, 2019. Foreign nationals must send their applications electronically if they want to:

• work or study in Canada
• be a part of youth mobility arrangement in Canada
• restore or extend their immigration status

Who are exempt?

IRCC, the federal immigration department, has specified certain exceptions to this rule. They have said that exceptional circumstances that are beyond the control of foreign nationals, entities, or individuals can be considered grounds for bypassing the online application requirement. If applicants are unable to submit their applications via electronic methods because of incompatible or inadequate electronic infrastructure in their home country, they will be exempt from the rule.

People who cannot submit their applications electronically because of a disability are also exempt from the rule. They can apply using a proper paper application.

Restrictions:

Canadian immigration applications use two online tools:

• Come to Canada tool that assesses eligibility online
• MyAccount, that allows applicants to register and log in with the help of GCKey or a Sign-In Partner

IRCC says that these tools can prove to be inadequate for certain applicants inside Canada.