Canada Reduces Pandemic Backlogs: A Major Leap in Immigration Processing

December 19, 2022 – Ottawa

Immigration is not merely a component of Canada's economic framework; it is a cornerstone of the nation's identity. Newcomers have historically contributed to building the country and have been integral during critical periods, including the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) underscores its commitment to enhancing the immigration system by significantly cutting down application backlogs and modernizing services for improved efficiency.

Record-Breaking Year in Application Processing

In a significant development, the Honourable Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that IRCC has achieved a reduction of nearly half a million applications from its backlog since August. By the end of November, the department had processed approximately 4.8 million applications, almost doubling the 2.5 million processed in the same period the previous year. This progress marks a new high in processing capabilities.

Efforts to strengthen the system have included digitizing applications, employing and training additional staff, streamlining processes, and leveraging automation technologies. These steps are designed to enhance processing efficiency while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians. The department is on track to meet its goal of processing 80% of new applications within service standards for most programs, significantly reducing wait times for clients.

Temporary Residence: A Surge in Visitors, Students, and Workers

IRCC is on course to set a new record in study permit processing. By November 30, over 670,000 study permits had been processed, surpassing the previous year's tally of more than 500,000 during the same timeframe. This improvement means most new study permits are now processed within the 60-day service standard.

Work permit processing has seen substantial advancements, with nearly 700,000 permits handled by November 30, compared to about 223,000 in the same period in 2019, prior to the pandemic. Additionally, IRCC is efficiently managing visitor visa applications, processing over 260,000 in November alone, significantly more than the 2019 monthly average of 180,000.

Permanent Residence: Reuniting Families and Enhancing Services

Canada continues to break records, welcoming 405,000 new permanent residents in 2021, with expectations to exceed 431,000 in 2022. IRCC has modernized services and bolstered support for permanent residence programs, ensuring new spousal sponsorship applications are processed within the pre-pandemic standard of 12 months and Express Entry applications within six months. Furthermore, the backlog for permanent resident card renewals has been reduced by 99%.

Citizenship: Welcoming New Canadians

With one of the highest naturalization rates globally, Canada aims to welcome a record number of Canadian citizens in 2022–2023. From April to November, approximately 251,000 new citizens were sworn in, surpassing the previous fiscal year's total. Over 70% of applications now meet service standards.

Addressing Labour Shortages Through Immigration

Canada is strategically using immigration to address labour shortages in key sectors such as healthcare, skilled trades, and technology. Initiatives include:

• Extending work permits to spouses and working-age dependants of temporary foreign workers.
• Temporarily lifting the 20-hour per week cap on eligible post-secondary students working off-campus.
• Allowing foreign nationals with expiring post-graduation work permits an additional 18 months to work in Canada.
• Developing economic pathways for refugees under the Economic Mobility Pathways Pilot (EMPP).
• Reducing asylum seekers' wait time for work permits from 20 months to 1 month.
• Implementing the National Occupational Classification 2021, adding 16 new eligible occupations under Express Entry.

Additional funding and policy changes are being introduced to bolster foreign credential recognition and integrate skilled newcomers into the workforce, particularly in healthcare. Express Entry's new category-based selection authorities are set