CIMM – Backlogs and Client Service – December 05, 2023

Key Facts And Figures

• Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has processed over 6.2M applications across the Permanent Resident, Temporary Resident, and Citizenship lines of business from January 1 to October 31, 2023, which is 52% higher than the output during the same period in 2022 (4.1M).
• Moreover, as a result of our ongoing efforts, as of October 31, 2023, 57% of total applications in our inventories are now within service standards, compared to 50% at the end of January 2023.
• Our target for 2023 is to welcome 465,000 permanent residents. As of October 31, 2023, we have processed approximately 476,000 applications and already welcomed over 405,000 permanent residents to Canada, accounting for 87% of the 2023 Cabinet-approved target.
• Approximately 228,000 new Canadian citizens have been welcomed from April 1 to October 31, 2023. As of the end of October, the Citizenship Program has achieved almost 59% of its target for this fiscal year, which is set at 385,000 new citizens.
• We have also continued to make good progress with temporary resident processing. As of October 2023, the volume of temporary resident applications in the inventory remaining above their respective service standards were reduced compared to the same period last year. Specifically, temporary resident applications overall improved by 13% compared to October 2022.
• These inventories have steadily decreased over the past year and we expect this trend to continue.
• IRCC regularly engages with clients on how to improve their service experience, including through annual client experience surveys. Recent surveys show client satisfaction increases when processing times and application status updates are transparent and accurate.
• IRCC also modernized its approach to supporting Members of Parliament and Senator offices assisting constituents with IRCC related inquiries.

Key Messages

• IRCC continues to strengthen Canada’s immigration system and welcome new citizens, including responding to multiple international crises and increasing levels of application intake.
• IRCC also continues to focus on improving client service and reducing wait times by streamlining processes and leveraging technology to meet demand.
• IRCC is committed to delivering quality client service across its global network as we continue to welcome historic numbers of newcomers. The Department is well positioned to achieve this year’s target of 465,000 admissions for permanent residents.
• Canada continues to remain a destination of choice for immigrants, workers, students and visitors. Intake remains at record highs and the Department continues its efforts to reduce the inventory of applications.
• Canada also continues to meet its ongoing humanitarian commitments, especially those related to crises in Palestine, Israel, Afghanistan, and Ukraine.

Supplementary Information

Status of Operations

• IRCC continues to work to reduce inventories to a healthy level and improve processing times for all lines of business while balancing its response to ongoing international crises and increasing levels of application intake. Some categories of applications are seeing an overall improvement to processing times, such as applications for certain Family Class clients, Canadian Experience Class, Federal Skilled Workers and Citizenship Grants.
• However, improvements have been incremental as inventories of older cases are processed and various innovations and digital improvements have been gradually introduced; all while respecting targets set by Cabinet for immigration levels and other initiatives.
• It should be noted that processing times are historical, meaning they are measured based on how long it took to process 80% of applications in the past. The processing time starts when a client’s complete application is submitted online, or is received in IRCC’s mail room, and ends when a decision is made.

Increased Federal Funding

• The Government of Canada is continuing to invest in processing capacity to ensure that all applications are processed as quickly as possible and to eliminate backlogs. However, additional hiring will only be approved in exceptional circumstances given the current fiscal context and, various processing efficiencies innovations.

Mitigation Strategies

• Through innovations and digital modernization, IRCC is reducing its reliance on hiring additional staff across the organization, particularly in application processing.
• The recent introduction of automation (e.g., advanced analytics models deployed on extensions, Robotic Process Automation to support real-time digital intake of applications, call-centre enhancements and improved client self-serve tools) has allowed IRCC to increase its productivity and redirect staff to value-added processing.
• Over the longer term, the Government’s investment in IRCC’s Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) is expected to result in more comprehensive and sustained service and operational improvements, founded on new digital platforms that will bring more flexibility as well as system stability.

Immigration Processing

Express Entry under Provincial Nominee Program:

• The inventory of just over 18,000 at October 31, 2023 is almost the same as at the end of October 2022. IRCC is on track to maintain the inventory of applications to a healthy level.
• Processing times have decreased from 14 months in October 2022 to 8 months as of October 31, 2023. Since August 2022, the Department has been processing most new applications (80%) received within the six month service standard.

Spouses, Partners and Children (Overseas and Domestic - Destined to Rest of Canada (excluding Quebec)):

• The inventory has increased from almost 53,000 at the end of October 2022 to just over 66,000 as of October 31, 2023. The Department has achieved its target of having 80% of this inventory within service standard. As a result, since July 2022, new applicants in this category are being processed within the 12 month service standard.

Federal High Skilled (FHS):

• As of October 31, 2023, there are almost 42,000 applications in the FHS inventory, an increase compared to the 23,000 in the inventory last year at this time. For several months, intake exceeded output as IRCC built inventory, by design, to support admission objectives. The previous increase in inventory does not affect IRCCs goal of service standard adherence. The Department is still processing within the six month service standard.

Temporary Residents (excluding extensions)

Temporary Resident Visas (TRV) (non-CUAET, Super Visa and eTA):

• The TRV inventory has increased from over 691,000 in October 2022 to approximately 723,000 as of October 31, 2023. Despite the increased demand, the pace at which decisions are rendered have also increased. In fact, they have more than doubled - 2.6M in October 2023, compared to 1.2M decisions in October 2022.
• As of October 31, 2023, processing times for all TRVs (non-CUAET) were at 85 days, down from 109 days for the same time period in 2022.

Study Permits (including Student-Direct Stream):

• The Study Permit (SP) inventory has increased from over 84,000 in October 2022 to over 117,000 as of October 31, 2023. However, the Department has processed 23% more applications as of October 31, 2023 compared to the same nine month period in 2022.
• International students have been impacted by processing delays due to a major increase in the volume of applications. As of October 31, 2023, processing times were at 76 days for SP applications finalized in the past eight weeks. While the service standard is 60 days, at this period last year the processing time was 90 days.

Work Permits (non-CUAET):

• Inventory was 77,000 applications in October 2022 and has increased to 81,000 as of October 31, 2023, in spite of greater processing productivity. This is due in part as a result of the temporary H-1B Visa Program, which was introduced in July 2023.
• Over 367,000 work permits were processed between January 1 and October 31, 2023, an increase of 28% from the same period in 2022.
• Processing times decreased to 77 days as of October 31, 2023, compared to 102 days in October 2022.

Citizenship

• Approximately 228,00 new Canadian citizens have been welcomed from April 1 to October 30, 2023.

Citizenship Grants:

• The Citizenship Grant inventory has decreased from 327,000 on October 31, 2022 to approximately 233,000 as of October 31, 2023. The Department has largely eliminated the backlog accumulated due to processing challenges during the peak of COVID-19 pandemic.
• Processing times have decreased from 24 months on October 31, 2022 to 17 months as of October 31, 2023. Applications currently received are being processed within the 12 month service standard.

Citizenship Proofs:

• The Citizenship Proof inventory as of October 31, 2023 is just over 18,000 applications. This is more than a 57% decrease compared to the same period in 2022.
• Although there is no established service standard for proofs, the Department continues to take steps to increase proof output and further improve processing times which are currently at 10 months (as of October 31, 2023), but this is a significant improvement over the 16 month processing time applicants were experiencing last year at this time.

Note: All inventory numbers include prospective files (applications received but not yet promoted into the system in order to begin processing).

Client Service:

• IRCC continues to improve client services, with strategies informed by client insights gathered through direct client feedback, and to modernize by adapting, modifying, and reinventing how services are delivered to clients.
• IRCC is looking to the future to transform the way we work and find better ways to serve our clients more quickly, to communicate with them clearly and often, and to make sure our processes are efficient and easy to use.
• Over the next few years, IRCC is undergoing business transformation to modernize the Department’s suite of programs and services to significantly improve the client experience. Under the DPM Program, IRCC is working to introduce a new modern online account to provide the tools and capabilities via a single digital ‘front-door’ for a more seamless client experience. Once implemented, it will enable personalized services to clients and replacing outdated and/or standalone client-facing portals and tools.
• To help clients and their representatives easily track the status of their application information online (without needing to call or email to get the information), IRCC has implemented application status trackers for multiple permanent and temporary residence programs. Clients in citizenship, family class, and Express Entry, as well as Temporary Resident Visa, study permit and work permit lines of business can now self-serve to get this information.
• IRCC also modernized its approach to supporting Members of Parliament and Senator offices assisting constituents, for example by:
• implementing a new system for Members of Parliament and Senator offices to speak to an agent or officer by appointment at the Ministerial Centre for Members of Parliament and Senators, ensuring reliable and consistent access to IRCC; and,
• expanding access to the Application Status Tracker for immigration applications to Members of Parliament and Senator offices.
• IRCC has continued to accelerate its modernization efforts and deliver timely client service improvements. This includes:
• transitioning the majority of Permanent Resident lines of business to 100% digital intake;
• implementing the use of automation at the Client Support Centre, ensuring that processing offices receive clients’ documents in a timely manner to support their decision-making processes; and,
• introducing online citizenship testing and virtual citizenship ceremonies.
• IRCC’s Client Support Centre is continuing efforts to improve capacity to support clients by email and telephone:

• In the 2022-2023 fiscal year, IRCC’s Client Support Centre received 10.6M enquiries, up 128% from the 4.66M received in 2018-2019. This has had significant impact on service levels and performance.
• The funding investment from Budget 2022 has allowed IRCC to stabilize resources at the Client Support Centre on a permanent basis, improve tools and technology aimed at ensuring timely client support, and maintain priority operations, such as for the Ministerial Centre for Members of Parliament and Senators and the dedicated crisis lines for Afghanistan and Ukraine.
• From January to October 31, 2023, the Client Support Centre responded to 3.86M enquiries by phone and email, including enquiries received by the Ministerial Centre for Members of Parliament and Senators and the dedicated crisis lines for Afghanistan and Ukraine. This was an increase of 537K (16%) compared to the same period in 2022.
• The Client Support Centre call answer rate increased to 33% from April to October 2023, compared to 13.5% in 2022-2023.
• IRCC is continuing to look for ways to better keep pace with the growing demand for client services, including modernizing tools and increasing client’s options to self-serve.