CIMM – Narrative Priorities and Objectives – October 24, 2023

Immigration is critical to Canada’s long-term success, and we recognize that modernizing and strengthening our immigration system is necessary to meet the evolving needs of our clients. Our priorities are to:

• improve the international students program
• reform the asylum system
• strive to meet service standards and reduce backlogs, and
• modernize our programs and services to improve the client experience

Improving the International Student Program

Canada’s diverse, inclusive society, high-quality educational institutions, and opportunities to work after studying have made Canada a top destination of choice for international students.

A review of the International Student Program is under way to strengthen program integrity and ensure it is supporting Canada’s broader immigration goals for retaining those who can successfully transition to permanent residence, including spreading the benefits of immigration to all parts of the country and meeting targets for Francophone immigration. The review is addressing student vulnerability, unethical recruitment and unreliable consultants.

Reforming the Asylum System

Canada remains firmly committed to upholding a fair and compassionate refugee protection system and to aiding those in need of protection. Asylum claims are on the rise globally in the face of these unprecedented flows, and Canada is not immune to these trends.

We continue to meet our international legal obligations to provide a safe haven to people fleeing persecution, while actively pursuing a variety of measures to improve efficiency and capacity throughout the Canadian Asylum System.

Canada is making targeted and critical investments in response to the higher volumes, and to improve the asylum system’s stability and integrity. We have responded by:

• adjusting the Government’s operational capacity,
• introducing new processing innovations within the asylum system investing in interim housing supports, and
• dedicating new funding to increase the asylum system’s capacity.

Improving Processing Times

Canada continues to receive unprecedented interest from people around the world who want to come here to work, study and build a life with their families. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) continues reduce its backlogs by digitizing applications, hiring and training new staff, and harnessing automation technologies to increase processing capacity and efficiency.

IRCC publishes monthly data on its website to inform the public about ongoing efforts to reduce application backlogs. We continue to work toward our goal of reducing backlogs while processing 80% of new applications within service standards. Despite our progress to date, the Department recognizes more work is needed to reach our goal.

IRCC’s most recent update, published on September 26, 2023, shows 62% of all applications in our inventory are processed within service standards as of August 31, 2023, up from 50% at the end of January.

A New Digital Platform and Better Client Experience

Clients want faster, more personalized services that are easy to navigate. That is why the Government of Canada has invested in Digital Platform Modernization, a program that will modernize the programs and services of IRCC to meet the evolving expectations of clients and stakeholders.

To accelerate the delivery of benefits to clients, IRCC has procured a new client experience platform that will make it easier for clients to apply for programs and services, and improve the overall client and service experience. We expect to begin rolling out some benefits to some clients this fall.