Question Period Note: Immigration and Citizenship Processing

IRCC Immigration and Citizenship application processing

• IRCC continues to strengthen and modernize Canada’s immigration system, welcome new citizens, and respond to multiple international crises.

• We are on track to meet the 2024 admissions target, having welcomed almost 415,000 new permanent residents as of October 31, 2024, which represents 86% achievement of the 485,000 target.

• The 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan responds to current infrastructure and addresses capacity pressures, while aiming to achieve well-managed, long term sustainable growth. It offers a comprehensive approach to welcoming newcomers that preserves the integrity of our programs and sets newcomers up for success.

• To achieve this, there is a projected decrease in overall permanent resident admissions to 395,000 in 2025, 380,000 in 2026 and 365,000 in 2027. Additionally, for the first time, temporary resident targets are included for certain work and study permits applicants.

• As previously announced, the department is aiming for a reduction of overall temporary residents to 5% of Canada’s population by 2026.

If pressed:

• The Department has processed 5.93 million applications for permanent residence (PR), temporary residence (TR) (excluding electronic travel authorizations (eTAs)) and citizenship between January 1 and October 31, 2024.

• As of October 31, 2024, 56% of all applications (PR, TR and Citizenship, excluding eTAs) in IRCC inventories are within service standards.

• From January 1 to October 31, 2024, IRCC processed 5.13 million temporary resident applications (excluding eTAs), compared to 5.33 million applications over the same time period in 2023.

• Canada welcomed over 329,500 new Canadian citizens from January 1 to October 31, 2024, a 3% increase compared to the same period in 2023.

If pressed on impact to processing times:

• Our goal remains to process at least 80% of complete applications within service standards, where one has been established. However, if there are more people who apply than available spaces, it may not be possible to achieve this goal and processing times may increase in some categories.

• IRCC will continue to focus on processing applications as efficiently as possible, while protecting the health and safety of Canadians and respecting overall levels space.

• We know that Canada remains a destination of choice for many of our clients, and we will continue to provide our clients with the most up to date and accurate information so that they may make informed choices, and plan their lives accordingly.

If pressed on H&C backlog:

• As applications for permanent residence received under the humanitarian and compassionate (H&C) consideration and other categories continue to grow, IRCC is exploring options to relieve pressure in the system, while honouring these commitments.

Status of Operations

• IRCC experienced record intake and processing in 2023, and the Department continues to receive and process a high volume of applications in 2024. The Department continues to work towards effectively managing inventories across all lines of business.

• The Government of Canada is working to stabilize the number of permanent and temporary residents entering the country, while upholding our humanitarian commitments and supporting the priorities of our labour markets. To this end, the 2025-2027 Immigration Levels Plan projects reductions in the number of permanent residents coming to Canada over the next three years.

• As of the end of October, several key categories of applications continue to be processed within the established service standards, such as applications for certain Family Class clients including Spouse and Common-Law (domestic; excluding Quebec), Quebec Skilled Workers, Provincial Nominee Program - Express Entry and citizenship grants. However, some improvements have been incremental as inventories of older cases are processed with varying degrees of complexities and various innovations and digital improvements have been gradually introduced; all while respecting targets set by Cabinet for immigration levels and other initiatives.

• IRCC also continues digitize applications and harness automation technologies (e.g. advanced analytics models, Robotic Process Automation (RPA)) to improve processing efficiency, while protecting and prioritizing the safety and security of Canadians.

• Over the longer term, the Government’s investment in IRCC’s Digital Platform Modernization (DPM) is expected to result in more comprehensive and sustained service and operational improvements, founded on new digital platforms that will bring more flexibility as well as system stability.

Immigration and Citizenship Processing

Permanent Residents (PR)

• IRCC has processed over 477,000 PR applications as of October 31, 2024, which is 2% higher than the overall output during the same time period in 2023.

• As of October 31, 2024 there are 830,300 applications in the PR processing inventory, up from 816,000 as of September 30, 2024. Despite the slight increase, as of October 31, 2024, 63% of the PR inventory is within service standards, where one has been established, consistent with the previous month.

• The increase in processing inventory is mainly due to a high intake of Federal Skilled Worker (FSW) applications as a result of recent Express Entry rounds of invitations (including Francophone specific invitations). In addition, there has been a high volume of application intake for those under the Humanitarian and Compassionate (H&C) category, where limited levels space has been allocated. This will result in prolonged wait times for clients within these programs. Applications in this category includes H&C applications, public policies (such as Hong Kong, Sudan and Ukraine) and permit holder class.

Provincial Nominee Program (Express Entry):
• Processing times are within services standard at 6 months as of October 31, 2024, meeting the 6 month service standard.
Overall Spouses, Partners and Children (Overseas and Domestic - Destined to Rest of Canada (excl. Quebec):
• Processing times are currently 11 months.

Federal High Skilled (FHS):

• As of October 31, 2024, applications are being processed at 5 months, which is within the 6 month service standard.

Temporary Residents (TR)

Temporary Resident Visas (TRVs):

• TRV intake from January 1 to October 31, 2024 (including extensions, excluding eTAs) was almost 2,983,300, representing an increase of 7% over the same time period in 2023.

• Due to consistently high volume of application intake, processing times for all TRVs (including extensions, excluding eTAs) were at 119 days as of October 31, 2024. This consistent with the processing times reported as of September 30, 2024. Most new clients who apply now can expect a processing time of between 95-105 days.

Study Permits:

• Between January 1 and October 31, 2024, IRCC processed over 722,800 study permit applications (including extensions). As of October 31, 2024, 80% of new study permits were processed in 79 days or less (60 day service standard) while study permit extensions were being processed within 146 days (120 day service standard).

Work Permits:
• As of October 31, 2024, 57% of applications in the inventory were within the service standards, representing a increase of 1% compared to September 30, 2024. Most new clients who apply now can expect 65-75 days processing times.
Citizenship

• IRCC processed over 325,000 Citizenship grant applications between January 1 and October 31, 2024, marking an increase of 4% from the same time period in 2023. As of October 31, 83% of the grant application inventory was within the 12-month service standard. Processing times were at 10 months; well within the service standard.

Humanitarian Commitments

• In response to the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Government of Canada has assisted over 2,500 Canadians, permanent residents, and their eligible family members in departing Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza (via Rafah) since October 1, 2023.

• In response to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, as of the end of October, Canada has accepted over 7,300 persons (3,251 applications) for a family-based humanitarian pathway of Sudanese foreign nationals who are directly affected by the conflict in Sudan and who have family in Canada. IRCC also continues to admit permanent and temporary residents from Sudan under its regular processing streams.

As of October 31, 2024, we have welcomed almost 7,000 permanent residents under the Americas humanitarian pathway. This is in addition to the over 4,000 Temporary Foreign Worker arrivals as of March 31, 2024 as part of the Government of Canada’s commitment to welcome up to 15,000 foreign nationals from the Americas.

• Canada achieved its ambitious commitment to resettle 40,000 Afghan refugees in October 2023, and as of the end of October, 2024, over 55,000 Afghans have arrived in Canada.

• Under last year’s Levels Plan, IRCC estimated that it would take between 5 to 7 years to clear the existing inventory of H&C applicants. However, given the reductions in this year’s Levels Plan, H&C processing times will continue to rise and we don't anticipate that the majority of the inventory will be processed within 5-7 years.

None