IMPORTANT: Minister of Immigration provided update about application backlogs
Today, August 24, 2022, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration highlighted a number of measures that its department is taking to reduce application backlogs. Some of these measures include:
- new processing staff,
- digitized applications, and
- implemented technology-based solutions.
Also, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada published data about the 2.4 million applications in its inventories.
IRCC will have hired up to 1,250 new employees by the end of the fall
As part of its plan to reduce backlogs, the Minister of Immigration announced that IRCC will have hired up to 1,250 new employees to increase its processing capacity, while they take action to improve their system in the long term.
IRCC also said that these hires have allowed them to reduce wait times and return to pre-pandemic service standards for new clients in critical areas. The service standard includes:
- the 6-month service standard for the Express Entry permanent residence pathway, and
- the 12-month service standard for family reunification through spousal sponsorship, and permanent resident cards.
Backlog: 2.4 million total applications in IRCC inventories
At the end of July, about 54% of applications in IRCC’s inventories were considered in the backlog. IRCC is aiming to process 80% of all new applications within pre-pandemic service standards.
“Our focus is on reducing existing backlogs, which are the applications that have been in our inventories longer than our service standards,” said IRCC. However, responding to humanitarian crises and updating aging technology have led to processing delays and longer wait times.
Also, to keep Canadians up to date on reducing the backlogs, IRCC will publish monthly data on its website. In the coming weeks, IRCC will share more information on additional measures.
According to the announcement, the future measures will also help get workers into the economy, reunite families, and ensure that the immigration system works for everyone.
Other measures to address labour shortages in Canada
In the previous months, the Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship announced measures to address labour shortages in Canada, including:
- the resumption of Express Entry draws in July 2022
- a new temporary policy that will give recent international graduates with expiring PGWP the opportunity to stay in Canada longer
- extending a temporary public policy that allows visitors in Canada to apply for an employer-specific work permit until the end of February 2023
- policy changes benefitting those who applied for PR via the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway
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