Canada processed a record number of immigration applications this year

In its latest statement, the Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed that it has set a new record for processing the immigration application this year.

The pandemic caused application backlogs reduced by approximately half a million applications in 4 months. Immigration is key to economy and communities of the maple leaf country and a major part of identity as a nation.

Hence, in last few month, the government of Canada has taken some crucial measures to strengthen Canada’s immigration system—decrease wait times, and reform/renew its services to make certain they work better for everyone.

On December 19, 2022 Canadian immigration minister Sean Fraser, highlighted advancement that has been made in 2022, in terms of decreasing backlogs of applications that have been in inventories outside its service standards.

Record-breaking year for application processing

Since August this year, the immigration department has reduced its total inventory by approximately half a million applications. The IRCC has also been setting the standards higher for processing month after month.

• New Record for clearing backlog: Until November end, IRCC had processed nearly 4.8 million applications, i.e. almost twice the 2.5 million processed during the same period last year.
• Modernizing system: To help strengthen the immigration system, IRCC has digitized applications, recruited and trained new employees, updated processes, and connected automation technologies to raise processing efficacy while ensuring the safety and security of Canadians.
• On track to meet its goal: The IRCC remains on track to achieve its target to process 80 percent of new applications within service standards for most immigration programs while continuing to make advances in refining processing, causing shorter wait times for applicants.
• Temporary residence: The IRCC is planning to welcome more visitors, students and workers in Canada. For study permit processing, Canada is on speed to set a new record this year. Until November 30 this year, immigrant department had processed over 670,000 study permits, compared to over 500,000 during the same period previous year. Because of these actions, most new study permits are now being processed within the 60-day service standard.
• Work permit processing: Ensuring vast advances, approximately 700,000 work permits processed by November 30, compared to around 223,000 during the same time in 2019, i.e. prior to the global pandemic.
• Quick Visitor visa processing: The IRCC continues to decrease backlogs and process visitor visas more rapidly to respond to the rising number of people who wish to visit Canada. With every passing month, Canada is now processing more visitor visa applications than it did before the arrival of the global pandemic. In November month only, over 260,000 visitor visas processed by the department.

Permanent residence: Improving service and unifying spouses and families

Canada admitted a record 405,000 newcomers in 2021, exceeding the past record from 1913. After another scintillating effort in 2022, Canada is well on road to reach its target of over 431,000 new permanent residents.

• IRCC has also been streamlining services and adding support for PR programs to better serve our clients.
• Because of these efforts, all new spousal sponsorship applications are now processed within 12 months (i.e. pre-pandemic service standard) and new Express Entry applications within six months.
• PR holders can also expect lesser wait times when renewing their PR cards as IRCC has decreased its pandemic application backlog for card renewals by 99 percent.

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To know latest IRCC updates and apply for PR visa in Canada in 2023, via most appropriate program, you may call our Canada Immigration Advisor and expert on Toll-Free-Number- 78-18-000-777. Alternatively, you send us an e-mail at info@visasavenue.com.

- Rajneesh Kumar