Question Period Note: Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs)

Timely processing of temporary resident visa applications and applications in the inventory.

• IRCC achieved significant improvements in visa processing times in recent months despite unprecedented intake volumes.
• Canada is now processing more visitor visa applications than it did prior to the pandemic.
• Between January 1 and September 30, 2023, over 2.7 million applications were received, and over 2.5 million applications were processed. During the same period in 2022, just over 1.5 million were received and almost 1.4 million were processed, representing significant increases in intake and resulting output.
• As of September 30, 2023, processing times for all temporary resident visas (including CUAET) were at 80 days, down from 109 days for the same time period in 2022.
• To achieve this, we are using a range of initiatives – adding resources where they make sense, but also leveraging the use of innovative tools, such as advanced analytics, to streamline processing where appropriate.
• IRCC is accelerating processing of thousands of applications while continuing to ensure the health and safety of Canadians.

If pressed:
• From January 1 to September 30, 2023, over 2.5 million temporary resident visa applications were finalized. This includes those issued under the Canada-Ukraine Application for Emergency Travel (CUAET) program, introduced in March 2022.
• The TRV applications processed so far in 2023 have surpassed the approximately 2 million applications that were finalized in all of 2022. Despite record demand, we are making progress in reducing the processing inventory and will continue this work to improve service delivery to applicants.
If pressed on analytics:
• My department is further expanding the use of advanced analytics to help officers process visitor visa applications.
• Advanced analytics helps accelerate service for clients by sorting and triaging applications and by identifying applications suitable for streamlined processing.
• Officers always make the final decision on whether to issue a visa.

If pressed on reducing inventories and improving client service:
• We are exploring a variety of solutions to reduce inventories and improve client service while balancing risks and Canada’s principle of managed migration. These measures include new digital solutions, and further streamlining and automation of the application process.

• These efforts will better position us to focus on serving clients to provide them with the level of service they should expect from Canada.

TRV strategy

• IRCC continues to work to reduce inventories to a healthy level and improve processing times for all lines of business while balancing its response to ongoing international crises and increasing levels of application intake.

• The TRV inventory (including all TRVs and extensions) has dropped from approximately 1 million in July 2022 to 787,100 as of September 2023. The Department has been making efforts to reduce the inventory of TRV applications. As part of these efforts, more than 93% of approximately 240,000 TRV applications received before January 2023 have now been finalized.

Processing Delays

• Clients are experiencing delays with obtaining a temporary resident visa (TRV) to come to Canada due to an unprecedented volume of applications in our processing inventory.

• IRCC experienced a surge of new applications after the pandemic travel restrictions eased. People around the world continue to apply to visit, study and work in Canada in record numbers.

• While many of these initial disruptions have been resolved, IRCC continues to face the long-term impacts of these events on our processing inventories.

• IRCC has been working to reduce this inventory while continuing to process new applications, and is pursuing a number of innovative policy and operational solutions to address the inventory.

• This includes exploring new digital solutions, adding processing resources and further streamlining the application process. All these efforts will ensure that Canada remains a destination of choice for tourists, business visitors and those wishing to visit family.

• As of September 30, 2023, the processing time for all TRV applications (including CUAET) was 80 days, a notable improvement compared to the 169 days as of December 31, 2022. The September data is slightly higher than in the Summer of 2023 due to the continuing exceptional application intake.

• These improvements build on what IRCC has already done to reduce clients’ wait times, such as increasing the number of processing staff, digitizing applications, and using our global processing network to reallocate work and improve operational efficiencies.

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