Visa application backlogs continue to be reduced

IMPACT – MEDIUM

The Canadian government has announced plans to further reduce its visa application backlogs.

Key Points:

• Canadian authorities plan to hire up to 1,250 new employees by fall 2022 to help reduce backlogs in the short-term.
• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) stated that the expanded workforce will help “reduce wait times and return to pre-pandemic service standards for new clients, including the six-month service standard for the Express Entry permanent residence pathway, the 12-month service standard for family reunification through spousal sponsorship, and permanent resident cards.”
• Applicants will be able to check the status of application backlogs through the IRCC’s monthly data update.
• Information regarding current processing times for specific application types is available here.

BAL Analysis: Canadian authorities are aiming to reduce backlogs to increase their ability to attract top talent from around the world and help solve labor shortages in key industries, including agriculture, health care, skilled trades, tourism and transportation.

This alert has been provided by the BAL Global Practice group. For additional information, please contact berryapplemanleiden@bal.com.

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