Resolving immigration backlogs to help Canadian businesses thrive.
August 24, 2022 — Ottawa — Canada is the destination of choice for those seeking a new place to work, study, and build a life with their families, and immigration is key to helping employers fill hundreds of thousands of vacant positions across the country and grow our economy.
Minister for Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Sean Fraser today highlighted ongoing work to strengthen Canada's immigration system and reduce the backlog, with a focus on addressing labor shortages, developing work experience, and family reunification. As part of this plan, the Minister announced that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will hire up to 1,250 new staff by the end of the fall to increase processing capacity and address short-term backlogs, while working to make the system more sustainable in the long term.
New staff, along with $85 million in financial support from the 2021 Fiscal and Economic Update, has enabled reduced wait times and a return to pre-pandemic service standards for new clients in key areas, including the six-month service standard for Express Entry, the 12-month service standard for family reunification through spousal sponsorship, and permanent residency.
With unprecedented interest in Canada from applicants worldwide, IRCC continues to set higher standards for immigration processing. In 2021, IRCC set a historic record by welcoming over 405,000 new permanent residents to Canada. IRCC's target for 2022 is to welcome 431,000 permanent residents, and IRCC is well on track to achieve that goal, with approximately 275,000 applications processed between January 1 and July 31 — a faster pace than any previous year.
IRCC issued over 199,000 work permits in 2021. This year, IRCC issued over 349,000 new work permits between January 1 and July 31, compared to approximately 112,000 issued during the same period in 2021. Of these, over 220,000 are open work permits, allowing permit holders to work anywhere in Canada in almost any occupation. These work permits mean that up to 1,700 new people each day can come to work in Canada and help grow our economy.
Canada is also a top destination for international students. In 2021, IRCC processed nearly 560,000 study permit applications, surpassing its previous record from 2019 by 31%. IRCC significantly exceeded that number in 2022, with nearly 360,000 study permits processed between January 1 and July 31, 2022, compared to approximately 306,000 processed during the same period in 2021.
However, responding to humanitarian crises and updating outdated technology to meet demand has led to processing delays and longer wait times. IRCC's focus is on reducing existing backlogs, which are those applications that have been pending longer than the standard service level. At the end of July, approximately 54% of applications were backlog. IRCC is aiming to process 80% of all new applications under these standards, taking into account anticipated delays in complex cases.
Continuing to improve Canada's immigration system will increase its ability to attract top talent from around the world and help address key labor shortages in sectors such as tourism, healthcare, agriculture, transportation, and high-skilled occupations. To keep Canadians updated on progress in reducing the job backlog, IRCC will publish monthly data on its website. IRCC will share more information in the coming weeks and months on additional measures to help attract workers to the economy, reunite families, and ensure that the immigration system is inclusive for everyone.