Canada clears record immigration applications, backlogs reduced by nearly half a million
2 min read . Updated: 21 Dec 2022, 07:20 PM IST
Premium- IRCC also reduced its pandemic backlog of applications for card renewals by 99 per cent and remains on track to meet its goal to process 80 per cent of new applications within service standards for most programmes
Canada has processed a record 4.8 million immigration applications till the end of November, the Immigration Department said, nearly twice the 2.5 million processed during the same period last year.
anada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, highlighted progress that has been made this year, in reducing backlogs of applications.
Since August, IRCC has reduced its overall inventory by nearly half a million applications. The department has also been setting the bar higher and higher for processing. At the end of November, IRCC had processed approximately 4.8 million applications—nearly twice the 2.5 million processed during the same period last year.
To help strengthen our immigration system, IRCC has digitized applications, hired and trained new employees, streamlined processes, and harnessed automation technologies to increase processing efficiency while protecting the safety and security of Canadians. The department remains on track to meet its goal to process 80% of new applications within service standards for most programs and continues to make strides in improving processing, resulting in shorter wait times for our clients.
For study permit processing, Canada is on pace to set a new record this year. As of November 30 this year, IRCC had processed over 670,000 study permits, compared to more than 500,000 during the same time period last year. As a result of these efforts, most new study permits are now being processed within the 60-day service standard.
Work permit processing also saw vast improvements, with nearly 700,000 work permits processed by November 30, compared to about 223,000 during the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.
IRCC continues to reduce backlogs and process visitor visas more quickly to respond to the growing number of people who want to visit Canada. On a monthly basis, Canada is now processing more visitor visa applications than it did prior to the pandemic. In November alone, over 260,000 visitor visas were processed. By contrast, the monthly average in 2019 was about 180,000 applications.
Canada allowed 405,000 new permanent residents in 2021, surpassing the previous record from 1913. After another record year in 2022, Canada remains on track to reach its target of more than 431,000 new permanent residents.
"Immigration is critical to Canada’s economy and our communities. Newcomers helped build our country, were on the front lines as we battled the pandemic, and remain key to our success," the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) said in a press release on Monday.
“Our government has reduced its pandemic backlogs by nearly half a million, while also processing a record-breaking number of immigration applications this year," Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, was quoted as saying.
*With inputs from agencies
