We are Provincial Nominee Program (PNP) applicants working in essential sectors construction, healthcare and other sectors who have been waiting over 17 months for a final decision on our permanent residence applications.

While applicants processed through other visa offices (Sydney, Ottawa, Montreal) receive decisions within 8-10 months, our files remain completely untouched at the Rapid Response Operations Centre (RROC).

This is not a delay. This is abandonment.

We are carpenters, welders, nurses, and personal support workers. We were nominated by provinces because our skills are critical to Canada's economy. Our applications are complete. There is no reason for our files to sit for 17+ months while others who applied after us receive their permanent residence.

Visa Office Average Processing Time (PNP Non-EE)

Sydney / Ottawa / Montreal: 8-10 months

RROC 17+ months (and still waiting)

Our files were transferred to RROC and never seen again. No updates. No document requests. No communication. Just silence.

This indefinite waiting is destroying our mental and physical health. The constant uncertainty triggers severe anxiety. Many of us cannot sleep. We check our GCKey accounts every hour, hoping for any sign of movement. Our hearts race every time we get an email notification.

We have developed stress-related health conditions. High blood pressure. Panic attacks. Depression. Some of us have lost weight from lack of appetite. Others have gained weight from stress eating. We cannot focus at work. We cannot be present with our families.

We are suffering. And the silence from IRCC makes it worse.

We are not asking for special treatment. We are asking for fairness.

1. Process our files now. Clear the backlog of RROC applications that have been waiting over 12 months. We have waited long enough.

2. Give us transparency. Tell us why RROC is 7-9 months slower than every other office. Tell us when our files will be touched.

3. Communicate with us. A simple update—"your file is in queue, estimated 2 more months"—would reduce our anxiety. The silence is cruel.

We are the workers building your homes. We are the workers staffing your hospitals. We came to Canada to contribute, to build lives, to pay taxes, and to serve our communities.

We cannot do any of that when our lives are frozen by this backlog.

We are asking for fairness. We are asking for a decision. We are asking to be seen.

· No applicant should wait 17+ months without a single update

· RROC should not be 7-9 months slower than other offices

· IRCC has a responsibility to communicate with the people whose lives depend on their decisions

We need action. Not silence. Not more waiting.