The task group will assess the service levels provided by IRCC, visa procedures, and Canadian airports, as declared by the Canadian prime minister on 25 June. Due to long delays in these services that he considered “unacceptable,” a task group was formed in response to them. In order to handle 2.4 million applications, the IRCC had a delay at the time.
In a media release, a spokesperson from the Office of the Minister of Crown-Indigenous Relations stated that the working group, which is made up of a significant group of federal ministers, has been meeting weekly since June to identify service gaps and potential opportunities for development.
2.7 million people are currently on the IRCC waitlist
The pandemic caused a considerable increase in the IRCC’s application delay, and processing times have been delayed. The revised IRCC processing time tool displays the average time consumption for each IRCC line of business to provide applicants with a realistic estimate of how long it will take to process their application. IRCC still falls short of the majority of its acuity scheduling.
Although Sean Fraser raised the possibility that most service standards will be met by the end of 2022 with increased people and spending on technology and modernization in June 2022, “In my opinion, by the end of this year, new apps submitted will have some degree of assurance knowing that we’ll be capable of meeting our service standard, as well as individuals will be learning how to deal with 60 days, 6 months, or 12 months, not one-time endless duration.
Opening new passport pickup centers
Due to the easing of travel restrictions caused by the epidemic, Canada is currently experiencing a record-breaking surge in visa applications. Hours-long wait times and unpredictability in task durations have been endured by Canadians. In response, the task committee proposed numerous new policies that are now in effect or soon will be. Among these actions is the opening of additional passport pickup locations. New passport pick-up facilities will soon be available in Quebec, Marie, Ontario, Trois-Rivières, Sault Ste, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island; and Red Deer, Alberta, according to recent government announcements.
The task force suggests in all opening about 20 new application and pick-up locations, the officials claim. According to minister Karina Gould, passport applications would be processed at these sites in nine or ten working days. The majority of Canadians will be able to pick up each new passport within 50 kilometers of the location, which could help to reduce some of the lengthy queues at other locations. Several of these locations will also offer longer service hours. To reduce the delay of registrations and longer waiting periods, the government also contributed $85 million toward the 2021 Economic and Fiscal Update. A large portion of this money was used to hire 319 Citizen Services Officers and 500 new passport officers. The government is retraining current employees from other federal departments to handle passports as well.
Additional steps
A simplified renewal procedure may be available to Canadians who need to renew their passports. Instead of mailing in proof of citizenship or finding a guarantor, this process only requires the submission of two photos, two references, the application form, and fees from eligible individuals whose passports have expired for less than 15 years, which have been lost, stolen, or damaged. Over 300 Service Canada sites will be able to process passport applications, and the task group will eventually look into possibilities that will let applicants submit their applications online. However, no timeline has been given for these initiatives to start working.
