Petition to the Government of Canada
  Whereas:
  
    Canadian immigration policy and legislation have a long tradition of supporting family reunification;
    It is one of the primary principles of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act (IRPA);
    The families of protected persons and convention refugees abroad are not excluded from Canadian immigration policies;
    Asylum seekers endure years of separation from their families, often as a result of war, incarceration or instability within their homelands;
    This hardship is further exacerbated by prolonged periods of separation while awaiting asylum decisions;
    They face additional challenges in reuniting with their families resulting from the refusal of temporary resident visas (TRVs) for family members abroad wishing to integrate into Canadian society;
    The processing time for permanent residence (PR) applications for Protected Persons in Canada typically takes two to three years; and
    It can take up to four years for them to be reunited with their dependents.
  
  
    We, the undersigned, citizens and residents of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:1. Enact special measures aimed at rescuing the dependents of the primary applicant upon approval and establishment of the asylum claim, as this approach not only aids in the safe retrieval of the family members but also facilitates their reunion, thereby providing support and stability for the family unit in both situations;
    2. Accelerate processing of Protected Persons’ PR applications in Canada to facilitate family reunification; and
    3. Improve the tracking of application processing and transparency of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s procedures and decision-making.