Canada intends to significantly speed up the processing of immigration applications
When will it happen?
Immigration and Citizenship Canada has confirmed that most new applications for immigration through the federal Express Entry system will be processed within 6 months.
Canada has sought this deadline before, but because of the pandemic, applicants had to wait much longer. Not long ago, the waiting list exceeded 2 million applicants. Now, participants in federal programs for skilled professionals and workers wait an average of 20 months. Canada intends to go back to the 6-month deadline after long-delayed immigration screenings resume this summer.
If the Department of Immigration manages to get back to a normal timeline, it will be a significant development for Canada. Before the pandemic, the Express Entry system was the main way to get permanent residency in the country. The resumption of selections and faster processing of applications will ensure that hundreds of thousands of applicants will be able to move to Canada. Most importantly, it will once again be one of the fastest routes to immigration.
At the same time, it will also be good news for local employers. According to Statistics Canada, the country now has more than 800,000 open jobs and the lowest unemployment rate ever. Companies need more newcomers to solve the problem of staff shortages.
If you were planning to immigrate to Canada through Express Entry but postponed the idea due to a lack of selections, now is a good time to create a profile in the system. Canada is already conducting some selections now. There is a biweekly draw for provincial immigration programs that work through Express Entry. There are streams like this in every province. If a province is interested in your Express Entry profile, you are almost guaranteed to get a permanent residence in Canada.
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