The IRCC highlights its commitment to restore application processing timeframes for important programs in accordance with the recently released plan, “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future,” and highlights the IRCC’s ongoing efforts to realign application intake. The goal of the approach is to improve immigration process efficiency and reduce delays.
IRCC reaffirms its commitment to rebalance the intake of applications with open admission spots in its recently unveiled strategy, “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.” This calculated action aims to reduce the length of time applicants must wait when the program capacity is exceeded.
The emphasis on managing admissions intake should greatly reduce wait times, giving candidates and their support systems more time to prepare ahead of time. Anticipated is that this proactive strategy will improve immigrants’ overall experience of integration and settlement, facilitating a more seamless move to Canada.
Excessive submissions for specific programs
There is a substantial backlog of applications for the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) that dates back three years, to the beginning of the pandemic.
Despite obstacles including border closures, travel restrictions, and temporary office closures that complicated application processing, IRCC kept accepting applications for the PGP throughout the epidemic.
The PGP has an annual cap on the amount of visas it may provide, but the IRCC decided to continue accepting applications. According to a recent IRCC memo, there are currently close to 100,000 people listed in the PGP wait. The IRCC is still examining and processing applications from the 2020 applicant pool as of 2023.
Citizens and permanent residents of Canada may sponsor their parents and grandparents through the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP), which makes it easier for them to move to Canada.
Immigration Levels Plan 2024-2026 – An overview
Through its Immigration Levels Plan, the IRCC sets annual immigration targets for a three-year period.
November 1st saw the release of the most recent plan, which outlines the expected number of permanent residents that Canada hopes to accept. It projects that 485,000 people will live in Canada by 2024 and keeps the goal of 500,000 for 2025 and 2026 same.
Marc Miller, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, has emphasized that the current plan aims to improve the country’s workforce and economy by encouraging healthy population growth. This overriding objective largely influences the acceptance of immigration applications. Usually, there is a maximum number of applications that can be submitted to the IRCC for a given permanent residence program. It includes the Parents and Grandparents Program (PGP) and the Provincial Nominee Program (PNP).
The precise goals outlined in the Immigration Levels Plan closely link to these application limits.
Programs for temporary residents, including work permits, study permits, and visitor visas, do not set a limit on the number of applications accepted each year. This lack of restrictions could cause an accumulation of backlogs in applications, which would slow down processing times. Regarding the topic of placing restrictions on the issuance of study permits, the Minister has made it clear that she opposes calling for a limit on the number of foreign students admitted to Canada.
IRCC’s ongoing efforts to realign application intake – Report from the Auditor General
One element of IRCC’s plan to expedite processing is changing the acceptance of applications. This project is a reaction to the Auditor General of Canada’s (OAG) recent study, which examined IRCC processing times and found a pattern of undue delays. The OAG report suggests that all permanent residency programs should have IRCC set attainable and uniform service criteria. Additionally, the OAG recommends that the IRCC evaluates backlogged applications to pinpoint and resolve processing delays falling under its purview. The report emphasizes the need to give older backlogged applications top priority.
The plan describes how the IRCC plans to use digital tools so that officers may handle requests from different international offices more quickly. The OAG report emphasizes even more how allocating regional offices’ workloads in accordance with their capacity would support the overall goal.
In order to streamline the application process, IRCC has committed to using more Advanced Analytics. The method is noteworthy because it highlights how crucial it is to make sure that this automation doesn’t introduce any bias at all.
This part of the plan has already been implemented. In September, the IRCC officially announced plans to increase the use of advanced analytics, particularly in the processing of work permit extensions and post-graduation work permits (PGWPs).
By automating “clerical and repetitive tasks,” especially in the ranking of applications, the goal of integrating these analytical tools is to streamline the application handling process. Expectations are that this automation will make the management of application intake easier. Furthermore, it is anticipated that these technologies will free up the time of immigration officials. It allowing them to concentrate on applications classified as urgent or more difficult by relieving them of ordinary responsibilities.
Canada’s Existing backlog
After considering the time that the department deems appropriate for processing applications, IRCC has set a target of processing 80% of all applications within the service standards. For example, the department estimates that it takes a little more than six months to process Express Entry applications, while family class sponsorship applications could take up to a year for processing.
Compared to the 2,198,000 applications in inventory recorded at the end of August, this indicates a minor decrease.
Analyzing the backlog, work permits, study visas, and visiting visas accounted for the largest percentage of backlogged applications (585,700) in September. Remarkably, this amount is a rise of 18% from the August figures.
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