IRCC will re-evaluate application processing times soon for chief programs. The department recently declared the introduction of a new strategy called “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.”
IRCC will re-evaluate application processing times soon
The idea behind this initiative is to normalize the regular standard processing times for applications. According to this latest strategy, realigning the application intake with the existing admission spots will save the applicants from long waiting years. This is especially true if the demand for the programs surpasses the current spaces.
Notably, it states that by minimizing admissions intake wait times, candidates and their support systems will be able to better prepare for their arrival. As a result, it will facilitate their integration and settlement in Canada.
Exceeded application intake for specific programs
With the beginning of the pandemic, the Parents and Grandparents Program underwent its journey of backlogs, and it has been almost three years.
IRCC kept on taking the applications for PGP even during the pandemic phase. This was when the department underwent border closures, travel limitations, and the lack of potential to process applications because of the office closure. The condition prevailed even when only a restricted number of visas were issued under PGP annually.
Reportedly, IRCC is witnessing an inventory of approximately 100,000 individuals for PGP. As of 2023, the department continues to work through the backlog of applications for 2020.
This program enables individuals with Canadian citizenship and PR to sponsor their parents and grandparents so they can reside here.
Overall, IRCC will re-evaluate application processing times soon for critical programs.
Immigration targets for 2024-2026
Typically, IRCC plans to release its immigration targets for three years through its yearly Immigration Levels Plan. The latest immigration levels plan officially released its targets for 2024-2026 on November 1, 2023. The plan sets the goal for immigration admissions of permanent residents in Canada. According to the latest plan, the goal is to welcome 485,000 in 2024, while it will welcome 500,000 PRs each year in 2025 and 2026.
Marc Miller stated that the present plan is all set to solidify Canada’s economy and labor force through sustainable population growth. This is going to be an acknowledgment in the application intake.
A majority of PR programs have a limitation on the number of application admissions. This can be derived through the Immigration Levels Plan. The Provincial Nominee Program and PGP are two examples of such PR programs.
Visitor visas and work or study permits are temporary residence programs without any restriction on the application intake every year. This non-limitation can often lead to slower processing and application backlog.
The immigration minister shared his opinion that he did not favor restricting the application submission for study permits. He didn’t seek to limit the number of international student admissions in Canada.
OAG Report
Re-evaluating and realigning the application intake is one of the chief strategies of IRCC to enhance the processing times. This measure came after Canada’s Auditor General Report confirmed that the processing times were excessively long. Hence, the report concluded by suggesting the department introduce faster processing times for PR programs.
Furthermore, it also suggested that IRCC assess backlogged applications to recognize the processing delays and take action with firmness. This also means that the department must overcome the earlier application backlog soon.
The new strategy confirmed the usage of digital tools, enabling officers to look after requests with increased efficiency.
According to the OAG report, workload improvements in regional offices to account for performance will also be necessary.
Lastly, the IRCC Strategy states that to ensure no bias is ingrained, it will employ advanced analytics more frequently to automate certain decisions for common scenarios.
This portion of the plan is currently in the process of implementation. In September, IRCC declared that it would process work permit extensions and post-graduation work permits (PGWPs) with a greater use of advanced analytics.
Moreover, these tools will take into account clerical and repetitive tasks, leading to prioritizing applications. As a result, it will make it more convenient to deal with applications. In addition, these tools will offer immigration officials an increased amount of time for urgent or complex applications.
The existing application backlogs
IRCC’s primary objective has always been to provide a seamless experience to its clients. It has always worked with the conviction to process at least 80 percent of the applications within the standard processing times. However, the service standard is different based on the type of application. For instance, Express Entry applications consider a processing time of six months. On the other hand, Family Class Sponsorship applications might take as long as a year.
IRCC’s latest data revealed that from September 30, there have been nearly 2,194,900 applications, of which 928,000 fall under the backlog category. This means 928,000 applications could not be processed within the service standards.
However, this indicates a minute decline in the inventory applications (2,198,000) toward the end of August. In addition, around 585,700 applications for temporary residence visas represented backlogged applications in September this year. This includes visitor visas, work permits, and study visas.
This indicates an 18 percent rise from the August data.
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