CIMM – Asylum System Processing and Innovations – October 24, 2023

Key Facts and Figures

Eligibility decisions: Progress has been made in reducing the eligibility inventory. As of August 31, 2023, the eligibility inventory consisted of 13.1K claims pending eligibility at IRCC and 15.2K pending at CBSA for a total of 28.3K claims in the inventory. The overall processing time for eligibility decisions was 136 days.
An Acknowledgement of Claim is typically issued within five days of submitting a claim through the IRCC portal for inland claims, or immediately at a port of entry. This allows claimants to immediately access key benefits, including the IFHP, and provincial social services.
Work permit applications: 80% of work permit applications were approved within less than 10 days, once a positive eligibility decision was recorded in GCMS and medical examination completed.

In response to the high volumes, the Government has adjusted its operational capacity and introduced new processing innovations to ensure that asylum claims are processed faster.
IRCC and the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) are implementing innovative measures to streamline and process claims that are in the inventory awaiting an eligibility decision and referral to the Immigration and Refugee Board (IRB), as quickly as possible. For example, CBSA has piloted a new light touch asylum intake process, referred to as “One-Touch” to expedite eligibility determination for low-risk claimants; allowing for earlier issuance of both the Refugee Protection Claimant Document and work permit.
The Government continues to review the asylum system to ensure it is equipped to handle the high volumes so that it continues to provide protection to those in need, while maintaining public confidence in our asylum and immigration systems.

Since November 2022 temporary public policy, IRCC has issued over 2.5 times as many open work permits per week as it did before; allowing claimants to provide for themselves more quickly.