CIMM – Quebec Processing Times – March 24, 2022

Key Messages

• Canada and Quebec recognize that immigration is key to meeting labour market needs in critical sectors like healthcare and agriculture.
• We are continuing to work on immigration with the Government of Quebec and support their efforts to address labour market needs, particularly as we all seek to recover from the negative economic impact of COVID-19.
• During the pandemic, the Department prioritized applications from candidates who are in Canada, including those under the Quebec Skilled Workers category.
• The Department is working with Quebec on innovative ways to address Quebec’s labour shortages and maintain Quebec’s demographic importance in the country.

Supplementary Messages

Permanent residence – processing times

• The Department achieved approximately 50,200 admissions in Quebec in 2021, surpassing Quebec’s original target of 46,000, and fell only 1,300 short of meeting the additional amount of 7,000 added by Quebec to redress the shortfall from 2020.
• In order to reach this goal, IRCC adapted to the challenges brought by the pandemic by implementing new processes to receive and process permanent residence applications (i.e. digital intake and scanning of applications) and by targeting and processing clients residing in Canada to support levels objectives.
• In light of travel restrictions in 2020 and 2021, IRCC worked with Quebec to prioritize applications for permanent residence from individuals already living in Canada.
• For 2022, IRCC intends to focus on finalizing the old inventory of applicants living outside of Canada. As a result, processing times will appear to be increasing, as applications that are older will be finalized.
• However, IRCC will be able to start 2023 with a reduced age of inventory.
• IRCC hopes to be able to get back to our processing service standard for new Quebec Skilled Workers applicants of 11 months by the end of 2022, provided “Certificats de sélection du Québec” (CSQs) issued throughout the year are aligned with existing inventories and available levels space.

Supporting Facts and Figures

Quebec Skilled Workers

• In-Canada and overseas processing rates for 2020,2021 and January 2022:

Data is operational and subject to change.

• IRCC’s inventory for Quebec Skilled Workers (as of February 1, 2022)

(Data source: COGNOS (MBR) extracted as of February 1, 2022)

Data is operational and subject to change.

• Processing times for Quebec Skilled Workers for the 12-month rolling period ending January 2022:

(Data source: COGNOS (MBR) extracted as of February 1st, 2022)

Data is operational and subject to change.

As Quebec is responsible for the intake and Levels of QSW, which are paper applications, subject to a 11 month processing time, and as IRCC controls the intake and Levels of FSW, which are electronic applications subject to a 6 month processing time, we cannot compare the processing times for these two programs. QSW is more comparable to provincial programs such as PNP base that are subject to similar intake mechanisms (governed by PTs). Both of these programs (QSW and PNP base) are subject to the same service standard (11 months) in comparison to the Federal stream under Express Entry (FSW, FST, CEC) subject to 6 month processing.

COVID affected all processing times. As the application inventories age, processing times increase, i.e. they remain in the inventory for a longer period.

• Admissions for Quebec Skilled Workers since 2018, including a comparison between 2020 and 2021:

(Actuals row data source: COGNOS (MBR) extracted as of February 1, 2022)

Data is operational and subject to change, and may not match official admissions figures posted on the Open Data Portal.

• As requested by Quebec, in response to the pandemic, the Department is prioritizing economic immigrants who are in Canada, including those skilled workers selected by Quebec.
• Every year, IRCC plans and adjusts processing operations so that the number of permanent residents to be admitted aligns as closely as possible with Quebec’s Immigration Plan overall and for each immigration category.
• In many instances where existing inventories and new intake of permanent resident applicants destined to Quebec are not aligned with the levels space allowed under Quebec’s Immigration Plan, IRCC is not able to process all clients in the inventory. This affects the ability to maintain or improve processing times.
• This was the case in 2019 for most lines of business, where IRCC had a significant inventory of cases with added intake and limited levels space to accommodate these clients. Inventories and processing times increased as a result, for which the Department is still seeing the effects.

Quebec’s 2022 levels plan

• On October 28, 2021, Quebec tabled its 2022 immigration levels plan. Quebec’s immigration levels targets are incorporated into the federal levels plan.
• The pandemic had a significant impact on the delivery of Quebec’s immigration plan for 2020 and 2021, similar to the federal plan. Quebec’s 2020 and 2021 shortfalls have been carried over in addition to the 2022 original targets set by the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration (MIFI).
• The maximum in the range in the plan including carry-over is, therefore, 70,500.
• Quebec 2022 immigration levels plan admission ranges in the main immigration categories are as follows:
  • Economic: 32,000 – 33,900 (+12,700 in carry-over from 2021, for a maximum range of 46,600) (37.46% increase over 2021)
  • Family Class: 10,200 – 10,600 (+1,000 in carry-over from 2021, for a maximum range of 11 600) (1.26% decrease over 2021)
  • Refugees: 6,900 – 7,500 (+1500 in carry-over from 2021, for a maximum range of 9,000) (7.78% increase over 2021)
• For 2022, 66% of Quebec’s overall immigration levels plan is economic immigration, in comparison to approximately 59.4% in 2024 at the federal level.

Meeting Quebec’s 2021 level plan

• With 50,200 PR admissions achieved in 2021, IRCC surpassed the original (pre-rééquilibrage) Quebec admissions range (including the one for QSW) and fell only 1,300 short of the low end of the range (with rééquilibrage) of 51,500. Ranges from the Ministère de l’Immigration, de la Francisation et de l’Intégration were met or exceeded in Family Class, Protected Persons and Other Immigrants categories (Humanitarian and Compassionate and Guardian Angels).
• Admission ranges were not met in Economic Class and Resettled Refugees due mainly to the high share of overseas clients prevented from travelling due to pandemic-related restrictions.
• Despite various challenges related to the pandemic and client behavior, the Department was able to achieve similar admissions volumes as pre-pandemic years (51,100 PR status were granted in 2018). In 2019 Quebec lowered its immigration plan to reach a lower number of PRs than the one sought in 2018.
• Every year, IRCC plans and adjusts processing operations so that the number of permanent residents to be admitted aligns as closely as possible with Quebec’s immigration plan overall and for each immigration category.
• In 2021, Quebec increased their plan by 7,000 to account for 2020 admissions shortfall. IRCC ramp up time was required to increase output and maximize 2021 admissions.
• In light of travel restrictions that persisted well into 2021, and as requested by Quebec, the department prioritized the processing of Quebec applicants who are already in Canada, including those skilled workers selected by Quebec. This allowed the Department to maximize admissions in this line of business and meet the initial Quebec Skilled Workers original target without rebalancing (23,550).
• As over 90% of the clients in the Quebec Business processing inventory are residing overseas, the available inventory to work from of applicants residing in Canada was very limited, which had a direct impact on resulting admissions.
• The resettled refugee targets were challenging to meet in 2021 given that Canada’s borders remained closed well into June 2021 and these are all overseas clients. The privately sponsored refugees in particular were affected by the global pandemic across Canada, including Quebec destined refugees. As such, IRCC was not able to meet admissions within this category for 2021.