The Ministerial Instructions (MIs) apply to all Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applications. This includes applications made by foreign nationals in Canada or overseas.
In certain situations, officers would need to consider obtaining information about whether the applicant intends to return to any of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC). They would do this if:
- The applicant is in Canada and applies for a Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) and is a citizen of one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC) or,
- The in-Canada applicant’s last country of permanent residence on their most recent Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) document was one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC)
In these situations, officers would need to send letter C to these applicants. For in-Canada Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applicants, the officers would need to call the applicants and ask them the questions specified in letter C – especially the questions pertaining to the confirmation of where the applicants intend to travel. They would also need to note the responses given in a detailed and precise manner. In case officers do not receive responses from the applicant, they would need to put these applications on hold.
For the Ministerial Instructions (MIs) to describe the in-Canada applicant, the applicant would need to express a definite intention to travel to one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC) on a specific date or for a specific occasion. Officers would need to note that merely hinting at the possibility of travelling at some indeterminate point in the future is not sufficient for establishing that the applicant intends to travel to one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC).
While the Ministerial Instructions (MIs) are in effect, officers would need to consider issuing single-entry visas valid for not more than six months to all the approved:
- Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applicants who are citizens of one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC)
- In-Canada Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applicants whose last country of permanent residence on their most recent Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) document was one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC) and,
- Temporary Resident Visa (TRV) applicants who have travelled to one of the Ebola Affected Countries (EAC) within the last year (but not the three months prior to the application)
Prior to issuing the Temporary Resident Visa (TRV), the office printing the visa would need to assess the applicants against the Ministerial Instructions (MIs) to ascertain that the Ministerial Instructions (MIs) describe the applicant. For this, they would need to examine the sections on intent to travel and actual travel. In particular, officers would need to verify whether the applicant’s travel documents (e.g. passports) have any stamps that indicate whether the Ministerial Instructions (MIs) describe the applicant under the first or second criteria. The authorities have specified this in the document titled Determining if the applicant is described in the Ministerial Instructions (MIs)’. Officers would need to ensure that they do not proactively request passports from applicants who do not need a visa.
Source: Citizenship and Immigration
