IRCC Reveals Plan to Address Permanent Residence Application Backlog
Immigration Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has unveiled a comprehensive action plan in response to recommendations put forth in a report by the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) last October.
Gurmeet Sharma
The recently obtained details outline how IRCC intends to tackle the backlog of permanent resident applications spanning various immigration categories.
The OAG, responsible for ensuring transparency and efficiency in governmental financial handling, highlighted significant delays in processing permanent residency (PR) applications throughout 2022, particularly exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, with refugees bearing a disproportionate impact.
Key recommendations from the OAG report aimed at enhancing processing times for future permanent resident applications.
Establishment of Timelines and Service Standards: IRCC is urged to provide applicants with clear timelines for decision-making on their applications. This involves reviewing existing service standards, tailored to application volume and age. IRCC aims to process 80% of applications within these standards, varying by application type. Plans include setting new service standards for programs lacking them, with expected implementation by December 31, 2024.
Addressing Differential Wait Times: Disparities in processing times within specific programs were noted, contrary to set immigration targets. IRCC will develop tools to monitor wait times by country of residence and explore methodologies to address disparities, with a pilot set to launch by October 1, 2024.
Tackling Processing Delays: IRCC will address delays within its control by developing a comprehensive monitoring system by April 1, 2024, to track application progress and identify bottlenecks.
Matching Workloads to Resources: Efforts will be made to balance workloads across IRCC offices, addressing disparities like the disproportionate workload seen in offices such as Dar es Salaam compared to Rome. A review of staffing and resource allocation in sub-Saharan Africa is expected by June 30, 2024.
Monitoring AI Implementation: IRCC will examine processing outcomes related to automated decision-making tools and reallocate resources as necessary to reduce disparities. Full implementation of any required actions is targeted by April 2025.
IRCC has increasingly relied on digitization and AI to streamline processing, with notable successes reported. The department remains committed to addressing backlog challenges and improving efficiency in the permanent residency application process.
