2022 was the fastest year on record for processing PR and visa applications
Summing up the year. What to expect in 2023?
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) regularly takes steps to improve and modernize the immigration system. Unfortunately, during the pandemic, there were significant delays in processing applications, and the consequences are still visible today.
Still, Minister of Immigration Sean Fraser notes the significant progress made in 2022. Canada has managed to reduce the backlog of applications on record.
Successes in 2022
Since August, the number of applications in the queue has dropped by half a million. By the end of November, 4.8 million applications had been processed, almost twice as many as during the same period in 2021.
To achieve this success, IRCC digitized applications, hired and trained new staff, streamlined processing, and used automation technology. The goal now is to have 80% of applications processed on time.
For example, applications for family sponsorship programs are now processed within 12 months, and applications submitted through the Express Entry system are processed within 6 months. In addition, there has been a 99% reduction in the number of unprocessed applications for permanent resident card renewals.
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