PACP - Recommendation #1: Service Standard Review - December 5, 2023

Key Facts And Figures

Service standards are public commitments to a measurable level of performance that clients can expect under normal circumstances. These are static and do not frequently change.
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) currently reports on 43 separate service standards^{Footnote 1}. Performance is reported on by fiscal year. Of the 43, 42 service standards are based on timeliness, while the last is a metric on access.
As of September 30, 2023, nearly 60% of applications in all IRCC inventories are within service standards.
IRCC also publishes real-time processing information for all key programs. This provides greater transparency and helps clients better manage expectations.
Processing times are available for 58 lines of business; some of which already have corresponding service standards, and some that do not. Processing times are reported based on the actual time it took to finalize 80% of files in the preceding six months (for Citizenship and Permanent Resident) or eight to 16 weeks (for Temporary Resident). These processing times are updated weekly.
In accordance to the Government of Canada’s Policy on Service and Digital, service standards should be regularly reviewed to ensure they remain relevant. The last review of service standards was put on hold in 2020 due to pandemic-related impacts on the processing environment. A new review is currently underway.

IRCC is committed to reviewing and establishing service standards for all immigration programs to ensure that Canada remains globally competitive and continues to attract immigrants. A Service Standard Review is currently underway, with analysis anticipated to be complete by December 2024.
IRCC is prioritizing establishing service standards for programs that currently have none. This includes permanent residence streams and resettled refugee immigration programs.
Service standards will strike a balance between being ambitious but operationally achievable.
IRCC is committed to communicating processing times that are meaningful, relevant, and easy to understand by clients and stakeholders, while also providing an accurate estimation of expected wait times.

Service Standards are different than processing times. While service standards are static commitments, processing times are IRCC’s actual performance.
In the past, IRCC has prioritized establishing service standards for critical programs. The current review is looking at the potential of establishing service standards for all immigration streams.
IRCC is also examining new methodologies for estimating processing times in its real-time processing information tool. While today the tool displays estimates based on historical data, consideration is being given to providing estimates based on future forecasts. The advantages of this methodology are still under consideration.