Operational Bulletins 2012

In exceptional circumstances, operational bulletins may also be issued for one-time-only instructions or to provide urgent instructions to staff for a brief period while the relevant operational chapters are being updated.

• OB 484 – May 27, 2013 (Modified)
  Processing work permits for Designated Country of Origin and Non-Designated Country of Origin refugee claimants
• OB 486 – December 17, 2012
  Global Launch of Electronic Applications (e-Apps) for Temporary Residents
• OB 440-H – December 17, 2012
  Changes to the Pre-Removal Risk Assessment Program under the new legislation
• OB 485 – December 15, 2012 (Expired)
  Bridging Open Work Permits for Certain Federal Economic Class Applicants
• OB 487 – December 14, 2012
  Replacement of the Protected Person Status Document
• OB 483 – June 19, 2013 (Modified) (Expired)
  In-Canada Itinerant Services – Procedures and Guidelines
• OB 479-B – November 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Permanent Residence for Certain Persons whose Federal Skilled Worker Applicants was terminated: Actions Required of Inland Offices
• OB 479-A – November 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Temporary Public Policy to Facilitate Permanent Residence for Certain Federal Skilled Worker Applicants was terminated: Actions Required of Visa Offices
• OB 481 – November 21, 2012
  Pilot Project to Print Confirmation of Permanent Residence (COPR) Documents and Permanent Resident Visa Counterfoils by the Case Processing Pilot-Ottawa (CPP-O)
• OB 476 – November 16, 2012 (Expired)
  Abandonment of citizenship grant applications where proof of residence has not been provided
• OB 440-F – November 9, 2012
  Removal of 180-Day Time Limit for Protected Persons Applying for Permanent Residence
• OB 470 – November 5, 2012 (Expired)
  Open Work Permit Requests from Provincial Nominees Identified Through the Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) Backlog Reduction Pilot
• OB 471 – October 31, 2012 (Expired)
  Changes to the Immigration Medical Examination Process
• OB 469 – October 31, 2012 (Expired)
  Changes to the Citizenship Regulations: Up-front Language Evidence
• OB 356 – October 19, 2012
  Regulatory Changes to the Refugee Resettlement Program
• OB 442-C – October 12, 2012 (Expired)
  Return of Fees for Certain Federal Skilled Worker Applications: Actions Required of Visa Offices
• OB 279-D – September 27, 2012 (Expired)
  Alberta Pilot for Occupation-Specific Work Permits – Expanded to include 6 (six) additional occupations
• OB 223-C – September 13, 2012 (Expired)
  Transition of the China Transit Trial into the China Transit Program
• OB 464 – September 11, 2012
  New Temporary Resident Visa Requirement for Botswana, Namibia, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines and Swaziland
• OB 468 – August 31, 2012 (Expired)
  Extension of Haiti Special Measures for Work Permits
• OB 440-D – August 30, 2012
  Designated Foreign Nationals – Restrictions on Applications for Permanent Residence
• OB 466 – August 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Validation of the Certification d’acceptation du Québec (CAQ) – Revised Guidelines
• OB 465 – August 24, 2012
  Centralized Processing of Applications for Verification of Status or Replacement of an Immigration Document
• OB 440-E – August 15, 2012 (Expired)
  Processing Existing Pre-Removal Risk Assessment (PRRA) Applications and Subsequent PRRAs that Are Subject to, or Exempted From, the 12-Month Bar
• OB 461 – August 3, 2012
  Requests for Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) Consideration Citing the November 2011 Temporary Pause on Acceptance of New Sponsorship Applications
• OB 450 – July 31, 2012
  New In-Canada 2D Temporary Resident Application Forms
• OB 460 – July 27, 2012 (Expired)
  Acceptance of Handling of Public Money Receipts at Local CIC Offices in Canada for Global Case Management Systems Applications
• OB 458 – July 25, 2012
  Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt Special Events: August, September and October 2012
• OB 449 – July 13, 2012 (Expired)
  Work Permit applications for Temporary Foreign Workers for businesses in sectors where there are reasonable grounds to suspect a risk of sexual exploitation of some workers
• OB 146-A – July 13, 2012 (Expired)
  Alberta Pilot Project for Spouses and Common-Law Partners of Long-Haul Truck Drivers
• OB 434 – July 9, 2012
  Clarifying the responsibilities of Service Canada, Citizenship and Immigration Canada and the Canada Border Services Agency in regard to assessing a Temporary Foreign Worker's eligibility to work in Alberta in a compulsory certification trade position
• OB 123-A – July 9, 2012 (Expired)
  Pilot Project for Working-Age Dependent Children of Skilled Workers Destined to Ontario
• OB 122-A – July 9, 2012 (Expired)
  Pilot Project for Working-Age Dependent Children of Skilled Workers Destined to Alberta
• OB 436 – July 3, 2012 (Expired)
  Assisted Voluntary Return & Reintegration Pilot Program
• OB 442 – June 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Cessation of Processing and Return of Fees for Certain Federal Skilled Worker Applications
• OB 438 – June 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Fifth Set of Ministerial Instructions: Temporary Pause on Certain Federal Skilled Worker and on Federal Immigrant Investor Applications
• OB 441 – June 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Minimum Language Standards and Mandatory Testing for Provincial Nominees in National Occupation Classification Skill Levels C and D
• OB 440-A – June 29, 2012
  The new refugee determination system
• OB 433 – June 13, 2012
  Centralization of Temporary Foreign Worker Units in Toronto, Ontario and Montréal, Québec
• OB 437 – June 13, 2012
  The Importance of the Solicitor–Client Privilege Relationship
• OB 435 – June 11, 2012 (Expired)
  Additional Changes to the North American Processing Network
• OB 262-C – June 5, 2012 (Expired)
  Post Graduation Work Permit Program for International Students Graduating from Designated Private Post-Secondary Institutions in British Colombia – Revised Guidelines
• OB 429 – June 1, 2012 (Expired)
  Consideration of R205a) for NOC OAB Francophones destined outside of Quebec
• OB 420 – June 1, 2012 (Expired)
  LMO-exempt work permit renewals or extensions for some CSQ holders currently in Quebec
• OB 431 – June 1, 2012
  In-Canada Office Closures and the Elimination of Front Counter Service
• OB 430 – May 31, 2012 (Expired)
  Centralized Intake of Federal Self-employed Persons Class and Quebec Business Class Applications
• OB 427 – May 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Restructuring of the North American Processing Network and Closure of the Visa Office at the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo - Temporary Residence Program
• OB 426 – May 29, 2012
  Pilot project for the issuance of temporary resident counterfoils for clients residing in Canada and holding valid study or work permits
• OB 425 – May 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Restructuring of the North American Processing Network and Closure of the Visa Office at the Canadian Consulate General in Buffalo – Permanent Residence Program
• OB 279-C – May 28, 2012 (Expired)
  Alberta Pilot for Occupation Specific Work Permits – Extending the steamfitter/pipefitter pilot
• OB 422 – May 25, 2012
  Requesting Police Certificates from Mexico
• OB 423 – May 24, 2012 (Expired)
  Reassessment of a medical file for the issuance of a new medical certificate
• OB 419 – May 17, 2012 (Expired)
  Designated Medical Practitioner changed to Panel Physician
• OB 414 – May 9, 2012 (Expired)
  Closure of the Visa Office in Belgrade and Transfer of Temporary Resident Services
• OB 295-A – May 7, 2012 (Modified)
  Change in Procedures for Processing Quebec Family Class Applications
• OB 415 – April 30, 2012 (Expired)
  Closure and Transfer of Visa and Immigration Services from the Canadian Embassies in Berlin and Tokyo and Canadian High Commissions in Dhaka and Kuala Lumpur
• OB 416 – April 30, 2012 (Expired)
  Processing International Experience Canada (IEC) applications for applicants from Germany and Japan
• OB 417 – April 29, 2012 (Expired)
  Closure of the visa office in Tehran (Iran) and Transfer of its business lines to the Regional Program Centre in Ankara (Turkey)
• OB 412 – April 27, 2012
  Pilot Project for the Direct Distribution of Permanent Resident Cards to existing Permanent Residents
• OB 413 – April 27, 2012 (Expired)
  Processing for Certain Federal Skilled Worker Backlog Applications: Budget 2012 – amended version
• OB 410 – April 27, 2012
  Special Events – Specific Directives for Processing FMIOA (Foreign Mission and International Organizations Act) Temporary Resident Visa Applications for the Commonwealth Electoral Network Biennial Conference (SE Code 12CENB)
• OB 411 – April 26, 2012
  Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt Special Events: May, June and July 2012
• OB 229-A – April 23, 2012
  Pilot Project for Foreign Spouses and Dependent Children of High-Skilled Canadians or Permanent Residents Returning to Work in Ontario
• OB 406 – April 19, 2012 (Expired)
  Ontario Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) – Open work permits for Master’s or PhD graduates/nominees
• OB 401 – April 10, 2012
  Coming into Force of Information Sharing Regulations (“Authorized Representatives”)
• OB 399 – April 10, 2012 (Expired)
  Guidance for officers assessing the temporary entry to Canada of foreign athletes, coaches and other essential members of foreign-based teams – R186(h)
• OB 403 – April 5, 2012 (Expired)
  MIDI will no longer issue CAQs for unpaid internships in Québec
• OB 400 – April 4, 2012 (Expired)
  Cessation of Processing for Certain Federal Skilled Worker Backlog Applications: Budget 2012
• OB 152-A – March 19, 2012 (Expired)
  Limited Validity Period for Labour Market Opinions
• OB 394 – March 8, 2012 (Expired)
  Validity of Arranged Employment Opinions
• OB 381 – March 8, 2012 (Expired)
  Assessing Who is a Parent for Citizenship Purposes Where Assisted Human Reproduction (AHR) and/or Surrogacy Arrangements are Involved
• OB 396 – March 7, 2012
  Instructions to visa officers on making determinations on membership in the Family Class
• OB 395 – March 6, 2012
  Sanctions against Syria
• OB 393 – March 5, 2012 (Expired)
  Release of the National Occupation Classification (NOC) 2011
• OB 386 – March 2, 2012 (Modified)
  Five-year Sponsorship Bar for persons who were sponsored to come to Canada as a spouse or partner
• OB 392 – March 1, 2012
  Transition Out of CIC Services When Newcomers Obtain Citizenship
• OB 391 – March 1, 2012 (Expired)
  Fee Exemption for Temporary Resident Permits Issued to Foreign Nationals in the Transit without Visa Program, the China Transit Trial and Emergency Landing Situations
• OB 389 – February 27, 2012 (Expired)
  Cost Recovery Fee Exemption for Temporary Resident Permits Issued to Foreign Nationals who are Inadmissible on Criminality Grounds
• OB 390 – February 24, 2012 (Expired)
  New Work Permit Access for Graduates of Recognized Public/Private Secondary Schools and Private Post-Secondary Institutions in Québec
• OB 225-F – February 23, 2012
  End of Simplified Entry Process for Information Technology specialists for Quebec
• OB 387 – February 16, 2012
  Special Events – Visa Fee Exempt Special Events: March, April and May 2012
• OB 385 – February 13, 2012
  Instructions to create a GCMS application for sponsorship of unnamed children to be adopted and sibling adoption applications
• OB 325-B – February 6, 2012
  New 2D bar code Sponsorship Form (IMM 1344)
• OB 223-B – February 1, 2012
  Expansion of the China Transit Trial - Modified
• OB 383 – February 1, 2012 (Expired)
  Introduction of the Downloadable IMM 5455 Supplementary Identification Form
• OB 382 – January 31, 2012
  Special Events – Specific Directives for Processing Foreign Mission and International Organizations Act (FMIOA) Temporary Resident Visa Applications for the Forum Mondial de la Langue Française (SE Code 12FMLF)
• OB 380 – January 31, 2012 (Expired)
  Closure and Transfer of Visa and Immigration Services from the Canadian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, to Neighbouring Visa Offices
• OB 378 – January 20, 2012 (Expired)
  Sanctions against Iran
• OB 376 – January 19, 2012 (Expired)
  Issuing Refunds to MI-1 Applicants in GCMS
• OB 369 – January 17, 2012
  Replacing the Principal Applicant on an Application for Permanent Residence by a Parent or Grandparent sponsored as a member of the Family Class
• OB 219 – January 9, 2012 (Modified) (Expired)
  Ministerial Instructions and Canadian Experience Class applications
• OB 225-E – January 6, 2012
  Modified processing instructions for Information Technology work permit applications (software pilot) for British Columbia and Quebec