Source: Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n On August 13, 2018, in Ottawa, IRCC announced significant advancements aimed at enriching the client service experience. A pivotal part of this initiative includes reducing backlogs and improving processing times. Minister Ahmed Hussen shared insights on the progress achieved over the past year.<\/p>\n IRCC has notably decreased application backlogs, prioritizing family reunification through a historic multi-year immigration levels plan. The Live-In Caregiver Program (LCP) saw its backlog reduced from 62,000 in May 2014 to under 12,000 by April 2018. The department aims to process 80% of the remaining LCP backlog by the end of 2018, with new applications being processed within 12 months.<\/p>\n Utilizing a new method to estimate processing times, IRCC has improved timelines for permanent residence applications. Additionally, the spousal sponsorship backlog decreased from 75,000 to 15,000 by December 2017, with new applications processed within 12 months. An extension of the Open Work Permit Pilot and simplified application guides further support spousal sponsorship applicants.<\/p>\n Changes to the Citizenship Act now offer greater flexibility for applicants, encouraging more immigrants to pursue Canadian citizenship. Celebrating the Global Skills Strategy’s first anniversary, Canada supported 10,000 skilled workers and over 100 employers. The Student Direct Stream was launched to expedite study permits for students from China, India, the Philippines, and Vietnam.<\/p>\n IRCC has partnered on initiatives to bolster Francophone immigration, establishing a new Francophone Immigration Policy hub and enhancing services at Toronto\u2019s Pearson International Airport. The medical inadmissibility policy now better reflects the Government’s commitment to inclusion.<\/p>\n IRCC is committed to further enhancements, offering more self-service options online. Upcoming initiatives will expand online applications and improve client account functionalities. Communication on processing times will also become clearer for clients.<\/p>\n “IRCC has made great progress in the past few years with these larger initiatives that will positively impact many of our clients. But what we\u2019ve learned in speaking to our clients is that sometimes even tiny interventions in the journey can have a big impact. We are committed to improving our programs and are rethinking the way we provide services. We know that we can do things better and we are committed to doing that\u201d.<\/p>\n \u2013 The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n Media Contacts<\/strong><\/p>\n Mathieu Genest<\/strong> Media Relations<\/strong> IRCC reduced the backlog from 62,000 to under 12,000, aiming to process 80% of the remaining applications by the end of 2018.<\/p>\n The spousal sponsorship backlog was reduced from 75,000 to 15,000, with new applications processed within 12 months.<\/p>\n This initiative supported 10,000 skilled workers and over 100 employers, enhancing Canada’s economy through targeted immigration strategies.<\/p>\n The policy now aligns with inclusivity values, emphasizing the integration of persons with disabilities.<\/p>\n IRCC plans to expand online applications and improve processing time communications to enhance client experiences.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" August 13, 2018 \u2013 Ottawa, ON \u2013 Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has taken great strides towards improving its clients\u2019 service experience. A reduction in backlogs and processing times is a cornerstone of that work. Today the Honourable Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, highlighted some of the substantial improvements that IRCC has made over the past year. … <\/i>Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[89],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5725","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-immigration"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5725","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5725"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5725\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5725"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5725"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/applytocanada.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5725"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Enhancing Immigration Services in Canada<\/h2>\n
Notable Achievements in Immigration Processing<\/h3>\n
Citizenship and Employment Initiatives<\/h3>\n
Strategic Collaborations and Policy Changes<\/h2>\n
\n
Commitment to Client Feedback<\/h2>\n
\n
Related Resources<\/h2>\n
\n
Contact Information<\/h2>\n
Minister\u2019s Office
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-954-1064<\/p>\n
Communications Branch
Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada
613-952-1650
IRCC.COMMMediaRelations-RelationsmediasCOMM.IRCC@cic.gc.ca<\/a><\/p>\nFAQs About Canada’s Immigration Enhancements<\/h2>\n
What improvements have been made to the Live-In Caregiver Program?<\/h3>\n
How has spousal sponsorship processing changed?<\/h3>\n
What is the Global Skills Strategy?<\/h3>\n
How does the new medical inadmissibility policy impact immigrants?<\/h3>\n
What are the future plans for immigration service improvements?<\/h3>\n