The following explanation was offered by CIC when the CBA Immigration requested clarification on whether or not CIC is issuing an acknowledgment of receipt letter once an Express Entry application is assessed as complete and processing.
November 13, 2015
The launch of Express Entry has changed the way in which we process certain economic class applications, and in turn, how and when we issue eligibility letters (i.e. Acknowledgment of Receipt). As such, we are changing the way in which we process applications for bridging open work permits (BOWP) to better align with the current processing reality.
Beginning now, if an applicant is eligible to apply for a BOWP (i.e. currently working in Canada on a work permit due to expire within 4 months), he/she may submit an application for an open work permit to CPC-Vegreville upon submission of an electronic application for permanent residence (eAPR) in Express Entry. The Acknowledgment of receipt – Application for permanent residence letter, which is automatically issued to applicants in their MyCIC account, must be submitted along with the BOWP application to support the above claim. The text for this letter is currently being amended to include information on BOWPs, but in the meantime, the current letter may still be used support a BOWP application.
However, before a BOWP can be issued, the applicant’s eAPR must first pass the completeness check in accordance with section 10 of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Regulations. Officers at CPC-Vegreville will check our processing system to ensure that the eAPR is complete before issuing a BOWP. If an eAPR is found to be incomplete, the application will be rejected and the applicant is no longer eligible for a BOWP. In these cases, the application for a BOWP will be refused.
Please be advised that we are currently working on updating our program delivery instructions and website material to reflect these changes.
