CIMM – Question Period Note - PR Processing – November 29, 2022

Date: Nov. 16, 2022
Classification:
Department: IRCC

Issue:

IRCC permanent resident processing in 2022

IRCC continues to set the bar higher for immigration processing. In 2021, Canada welcomed over 405,000 permanent residents into the country – the highest number in over a century.
Our target for 2022 is to welcome 431,000 permanent residents, and we are well on our way to achieving it. As of October 31, we have welcomed approximately 388,000 permanent residents to Canada.
To this end, we have ramped up our processing capacity through hiring, streamlining processes, and leveraging technology.
Permanent resident immigration plays an important part in Canada’s economic recovery, positioning Canada as a top destination for talent, while reuniting family members and fulfilling our humanitarian commitments.
Some categories of applications are seeing an improvement to the processing times, such as applications for Family class clients and Express Entry.

In the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, to support the processing and settlement of new permanent residents to Canada as part of the 2023-25 Immigration Levels Plan, the government has committed $1.6 billion over six years and $315 million ongoing in new funding.
To address ongoing application backlogs, speed up processing, and allow for skilled newcomers to fill critical labour gaps faster, the government has committed an additional $50 million in 2022-23 for IRCC.
IRCC has hired approximately 800 new employees in 2022 so far to increase our processing capacity, and will add up to 600 more new employees by the end of this fiscal year.
A Task Force on Services to Canadians has been launched, and a short-term Action Plan is being implemented to improve processing times and client service and reduce inventories.
By implementing technology-based solutions and streamlining processes, improving policy, re-examining our risk tolerance and leveraging provincial/territorial and other partners, we will respond quickly and effectively to client concerns.

Contact:
Marie-Josée Dorion
Director General, Operations Planning and Performance Branch
Cell.: 613-277-4134

Approved By:
Daniel Mills
Senior Assistant Deputy Minister, Operations
Tel.: 613-437-6396

Offices in Canada have resumed in-person services, with the majority of them by appointment, as was the case before the pandemic. IRCC is scheduling appointments for vulnerable clients, conducting interviews when they cannot be done virtually, and having clients come in to pick up their PR cards when they cannot be mailed.
With the exception of Kyiv, currently operated mainly from Warsaw, all overseas IRCC offices and service providers are open.
IRCC continues to work to reduce inventories and improve processing times for all lines of business following delays during the pandemic. Some categories of applications are seeing an improvement to the processing times, such as applications for Family class clients and Express Entry. However, effects of the pandemic are lingering and improvements will be seen incrementally as inventories of older cases are processed; all while respecting Cabinet set targets for immigration levels.
As of September, all Visa Application Centres (VACs) are open to the public offering biometrics collection, among other services, with the exception of Kyiv, which is closed. The VAC in Krakow reopened on September 5. Similarly, most panel physicians’ clinics are open to the public, with 608 out of 613 (99%) currently offering Immigration Medical Exams.

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. In the 2022 Fall Economic Statement, to support the processing and settlement of new permanent residents to Canada as part of the 2023-25 Immigration Levels Plan, the government has committed $1.6 billion over six years and $315 million ongoing in new funding.
To address ongoing application backlogs, speed up processing, and allow for skilled newcomers to fill critical labour gaps faster, the government has committed an additional $50 million in 2022-23 for Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada.
To further support permanent resident applicants, IRCC began transitioning to 100% digital applications for most of our permanent residence programs on September 23, with alternative formats available for people who require accommodations.
IRCC plans to direct this funding toward hiring additional staff and improving information technology capabilities to streamline processing across immigration and citizenship services. As of August 31, 2022, IRCC has hired over 800 full time equivalents (FTEs).

IRCC increased digitization of applications through various means, such as in-house scanning, third-party digitization and the creation of the permanent residence application portal to facilitate digital intake and virtual admissions. This allows for the distribution of files to remote workers in the integrated network for processing.
To further address COVID-19-related challenges and expedite the process, IRCC developed a portal to allow permanent residence applicants in Canada to finalize their process and receive their permanent residency cards without any in-person interaction.

On February 24, 2022, the Prime Minister of Canada announced special measures for persons directly affected by the situation in Ukraine, including:
- Urgent processing of travel documents for Canadians, permanent residents, and their immediate family members;
- Prioritizing the processing of citizenship grants for adoptions, and permanent and temporary residence applications; and,
- Prioritizing the renewal of work and study permits applications from Ukrainians currently in Canada.
The Government of Canada also remains firm in its commitment to welcome at least 40,000 Afghan refugees to Canada.
IRCC is shifted resources to support permanent residence application processing and admissions overall, while continuing to process and land Ukrainian and Afghan nationals.
Canada is also prioritizing the processing of applications from protected persons in Canada and their dependents overseas, as well as spousal, partner, and children category applications for Ukrainian and Afghan applicants.