Canada Speeds Up Immigration: Backlogs Brought Down by 9000

Canada is highly popular among Indians who seek to study abroad and seek out job opportunities following graduation. NFAP (National Foundation for American Policy) recently conducted a study that revealed a 115% increase in the number of Indians who secured a permanent residency in Canada in 2020-2021 compared to 2016.

Canada receives a large number of applications from students, those seeking permanent residency or citizenship, visitors, and temporary workers. In 2021, Canada had shifted focus from processing Federal Skilled Worker Program applications to converting existing temporary residents to permanent residents. To understand this better, you must note that Express Entry happens through the following immigration programs:

Canadian Experience Class – This immigration program offers permanent residence to those with work experience in Canada.

Federal Skilled Worker Program – This program offers permanent residence to skilled workers who have foreign work experience.

Federal Skilled Trades Program – This immigration program is ideal for qualified in a skilled trade and have the required work experience.

Before the pandemic took over, almost half of the successful Express Entry candidates were part of the FSWP. However, since the beginning of 2021, Canada has achieved the 401K-immigrants target. A quicker route of achieving this was to award PR to current temporary residents through the Canadian Experience Class. Unfortunately, this created a pretty significant immigration backlog that was sustained throughout 2021.

However, since December 15, 2021, things have been looking up for FSWP applicants, and around 24000 visas were processed through Express Entry. IRCC- Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada released information stating that over 9000 FSWP applications have been processed as of February 28, 2022. Canada seems to be working quite fast: this number is more than what it processed during 2021 entirely. IRCC picked up speed towards the latter half of 2021, processing about 600 applications per month.

This did not slow down the CEC numbers either. The waiting list was reduced by 12,000 applications. Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser reassured the public in February, stating that the IRCC is working on improving its work permits processing times. During the Standing Committee on Citizenship and Immigration meeting, he said that the budget of $85 million would be used to accelerate processing times that were previously affected adversely by the pandemic.

For those seeking assistance with immigration procedures, Immilaw Global provides expert immigration services rendered by seasoned experts. As a result, thousands of clients have experienced increased success rates on their visa applications by availing themselves of the services of our immigration consultants.

Connect with Immilaw Global to get help in securing visas from foreign immigration lawyers who take you through the intricacies of the process and protect you from scams. Immigration lawyers can help you handle the extensive immigration paperwork and minimize the chances of rejection.

Take our free eligibility assessment to see whether you qualify for Express Entry to secure PR in Canada. We have offices across Kerala and New Delhi, or you can send us a message here, and we will get back to you.