The world loves Canada and IRCC has the numbers to show for it!
From Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
Image credit: News Canada
In response to the large volume of applications, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has been improving its operations, adding resources where they are needed most, and streamlining processes.
Sean Fraser, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that IRCC surpassed its goal to make 147,000 permanent residence final decisions in the first quarter of 2022 – doubling the number of final decisions in the same time period in 2021. Through these efforts, Canada had welcomed over 108,000 new permanent residents by March 31 this year. In addition, Canada has exceeded its citizenship goals for 2021-2022, with over 210,000 new Canadian citizens. IRCC is modernizing and increasing its services for people who want to become Canadians, including offering online testing, virtual citizenship ceremonies, and an online application tracker to stay updated on their files.
IRCC made over half a million decisions and welcomed over 405,000 new permanent residents in 2021 – the greatest number of newcomers in a year in Canadian history. Following a record year for study permits in 2019, IRCC increased its output by 32 per cent in 2021 by finalizing almost 560,000 study permit applications. In the same year, nearly 169,000 applicants – a record number – made the transition from worker status to permanent residence in Canada.
Supported by additional funding of $85 million, IRCC is continuing its efforts to reduce application inventories accumulated during the pandemic. “While navigating unprecedented challenges in Canada’s immigration system, we have kept client experience as our focus, leading to record levels of newcomers in Canada,” said Fraser. “Helping clients come to Canada quickly, with predictable processing times and efficient communication, remains a top priority for me. Canada is proud to be a destination of choice for so many people around the world, and we will continue to work hard to provide the best experience possible for them.”
A few quick facts:
• On January 31, 2022, Fraser announced the goal to make 147,000 permanent residence final decisions in the first quarter of 2022. $85 million in new funding will support additional staff, helping IRCC welcome people who can help address labour shortages and to return to processing service standards in various programs, including for study permits, work permits and permanent resident card renewals. IRCC is also working to reduce processing times for visitor visas and proof of citizenship.
• In February 2022, IRCC launched a new digital case status tracker that allows some applicants, sponsors and their representatives to more easily check their application status online.