In four months, nearly half a million applications have been reduced from the pandemic backlog
December 19, 2022 — Today, Canada’s Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser, highlighted the progress made this year, in reducing the backlog in applications in IRCC’s inventories beyond its service standards.
There is, however, a recent report suggesting that IRCC has assigned thousands of applications to inactive immigration officers. Therefore, it is believed that in an attempt to reduce this backlog, IRCC archives a record-breaking year for immigration processing.
Since August, IRCC reports that they have reduced its overall inventory by nearly half a million applications.
“The department remains on track to meet its goal to process 80% of new applications within service standards”. They added it applies “for most programs and continues to make strides in improving processing”. They are hoping this will result in shorter wait times.
As of November 30 this year, IRCC had processed over 670,000 study permits, compared to more than 500,000 during the same time period last year.
Citizenship
Canada is proud to have one of the highest naturalization rates in the world. IRCC encourages all newcomers to complete their journey by becoming Canadian citizens.
“IRCC expects a record number of new Canadian citizens in 2022–2023, with approximately 251,000 new citizens welcomed from April to November—surpassing the total number of new Canadian citizens for the last fiscal year. As a result, more than 70% of applications in the citizenship inventory are now within service standards.”
Using immigration to address labour shortages
Implementing measures to allow foreign nationals whose post-graduation work permits (expiring between September 20, 2021, and December 31, 2022) the opportunity to work in Canada for an additional 18 months, by extending their work permit or applying for a new one.
This change makes it easier for foreign-born physicians to remain in Canada allowing them to practice and bolster the healthcare system.
The Foreign Credential Recognition Program, invests approximately $27.1 million annually. The contribution to provinces and territories, regulatory bodies, and other stakeholders aims to support the labour market integration of skilled newcomers.
Making changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act by selecting immigrants based on key attributes that support identified economic priorities For example educational credentials, work experience, or official language knowledge.
The Government of Canada will continue to provide monthly updates on the progress in reducing backlogs. Additionally, the steps being taken to improve client experience, reunite families and address labour shortages in Canada.
In their press release, IRCC mentions: “We know there is still more work to do”, and that they will focus “on building an immigration system that works well for newcomers, visitors, our businesses, and all Canadians.”
Immigration is critical to our economy and our communities. It’s why we have taken action to strengthen Canada’s immigration system by reducing wait times and modernizing services so they work better for everyone: https://t.co/Bw5qfuKCo5
A GCKey is required for the online submission of Canadian immigration or visa applications and is a secure way to communicate with online Canadian government services by using special electronic credentials.
GCKey is a service offered by the Government of Canada that generates login information (username and password) for use with online federal government services. If you do not have, or prefer not to utilize, a credential with one of the Sign-In Partners you can use the GCKey service.
As a result, having it is convenient and practical because you do not need to keep track of multiple usernames and passwords.
If you’ve already created an account, you can log in here. If you’re a new user, you must select “Sign up” from the Simple Secure Access menu on the right side of the screen.
The Terms and Conditions will appear after you click on the sign-up button. To proceed, click ‘I accept’.
Finally, you need to create your User Name and Password. After deciding on your username, you must select a secure password.
Important:
There must be between eight and sixteen characters in your password. It must not contain three or more consecutive characters from your Username and must at least have one upper case letter, one lower case letter, and one digit. Lastly, remember not to share your password and keep it in a safe place. Now you are all done!
Can I use the same GCKey to access several services?
Yes. You can use the same GCKey credential to access all available online services, with the exception of the CRA services. Using the same credential to access many services is convenient, as you don’t have to remember several username and passwords.
To access the CRA’s login services, you must either use one of the Sign-In Partners or register for a CRA User ID and password.
What services do I need Sign-In Partner or GCKey for?
Employers and temporary workers to benefit from family work permits to address labour shortages
As the Canadian economy recovers, employers, including tourism industry employees, have had difficulty finding workers. However, an announcement stated that temporary workers would now be eligible to obtain work permits for their families
On Friday, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, Sean Fraser announced that family members of temporary foreign workers will be eligible to apply for work permits.
Canada is expanding work permits for family members! Starting in 2023, spouses and children of a principal applicant will be eligible to work in Canada. https://t.co/einP1Op4RC
“Expanding the eligibility for work permits to family members accompanying the principal applicant to Canada will help address labour shortages by assisting employers in finding the workers they need,” he said in a press statement.
Before this announcement, spouses were only eligible for a work permit if the principal applicant worked in a high-skill occupation. However, temporary workers will benefit from family work permits starting in 2023.
Families will be kept together as part of this temporary measure. By that, workers’ emotional well-being, physical health, and financial security will improve. Ultimately, the goal is to provide the worker with a better integration into their work environment and community.
Phase 1 will enable family members of workers coming to Canada through the high-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program or the International Mobility Program to apply for an open work permit.
Phase 2 aims to expand the measure to the family members of workers from the low-wage stream of the Temporary Foreign Worker Program, following consultations.
Phase 3 will include consultation with agricultural partners and stakeholders to assess operational feasibility for expanding the measure to family members of agricultural workers.
Canada has issued over 645,000 work permits between January and October 2022—nearly 4 times more than the 163,000 issued over the same period in 2021.
“Should I apply for a work permit or a student permit? Is there a better option for me? Which path should I follow?”. We receive this type of question all the time and, to be honest, there is not a straight answer as a number of factors go into this decision. However, you can use these three questions to help you decide.
By having realistic expectations, you can work efficiently towards your immigration goals. So let’s dive right into it!
Q1: What is my English proficiency? Is it important to work or study in Canada?
This is key to determining the program you can apply to. On one hand, if you have a beginning level of English, perhaps the best and only option is to start a study program before thinking about working. On the other hand, if your proficiency is higher (certified by a standardized test such as IELTS) you can consider other immigration options, like the Provincial Nominee Program.
The IELTS scale (1)
Q2: How much money can I invest? Studying and working are compatible?
Immigrating always involves a considerable cost. However, determining how much you’re willing to invest can make or break your immigration options.
For example, you must consider the annual cost of living in the city or province you wish to live in, the average salary for your desired job, and how long it will take for you to recoup your investment.
In addition, there are other factors to look at such as working while studying, the number of hours you are allowed to work, the industry you are planning to work in, etc.
Check out the cost of living of the most popular cities ranked from lower to higher cost of living.
Maybe you initially planned on working in Canada, but you do not qualify for any program. Don’t let that discourage you! After all, there are several pathways to immigrating to Canada; each step counts toward achieving your ultimate goal.
The Canada Super Visa is also known as the Parents and Grandparents Super Visa. Under this permit, parents and grandparents of permanent residents and citizens can visit their relatives for up to 2 years at a time. So it is much better than a Standard Visitor Visa!
The general requirements are:
A letter of invitation from your son or grandson.
Proof that your child or grandchild meets the minimum family income requirements.
Proof of payment of Canadian health insurance, valid for at least 1 year from the entry date.
It is important to note that a letter of invitation does not guarantee that a visa will be issued. The visa offices only use this to determine whether the applicant satisfies the terms and requirements of Canadian immigration law.
Additionally, take into account that a number of other factors are taken into consideration by the officers, including the purpose of the visit, the stability of the home country’s economic and political systems, and their ties to that country.
Why is it better than a Standard Visitor Visa?
One of the biggest benefits of the Super Visa is that allows the person to enter Canada multiple times for up to 10 years. It is possible for individuals to stay in Canada for a maximum of two years at a time. In contrast, a 10-year multiple entry visa (Standard Visitor Visa) only has a six-month visit period for each entry into the country.
Canada’s Start-up Visa Program targets immigrant entrepreneurs with the skills and potential to build innovative businesses in Canada that can create jobs for Canadians and compete on a global scale.
There are many reasons why Canada is the best place to build your business as an entrepreneur. Canada’s advantages include:
A strong economy
Low taxes and low business costs
Excellence in research and innovation
High quality of life
In addition, there are more than 50 Canadian venture capital funds, angel investor groups, and business incubators designated to participate in the program.
Last but not least, entrepreneurs who participated in the program in the first 3 years received over $3.7 million in investment capital from designated entities to help them grow their businesses in Canada.
What are the requirements of this visa for entrepreneurs?
There are four requirements you need to meet to be eligible for a Canadian start-up visa:
Prove your business is supported by a designated organization
Meet ownership requirements: You must hold at least 10% of the voting rights attached to all shares of the company. Together with the designated organization, you must hold at least 50% of the voting rights attached to all shares of the company.
Meet the minimum language requirements (CLB 5 in all areas) in English or French; and
Show sufficient funds to settle in Canada.
Not sure if you qualify? Don’t know where to start?
If you are still in doubt that whether the Start-Up Visa Program in Canada is for you, take our free online assessment to determine your eligibility. .is super important
Or contact us today! One of your licensed immigration consultants will be happy to help you.
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