Good news for some Canadian permanent resident applicants

Finally, the Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will provide more accurate estimates of application processing times.

Immigrating to Canada is a significant life event, and applying for permanent residency can be a stressful process when applications take longer than expected. At long last, on July 31, 2018, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) implemented a higher-efficiency method of estimating processing times for some new permanent residence applications. With this change, applicants will have some peace of mind with a more accurate idea of how long their application processing may take.

Previously, predictions on processing times have been based on the averages of historical processing times, and applicants often felt the need to follow-up on their applications. Now, the Government of Canada can finally give applicants more definitive estimates, basing their calculations on two factors: (1) the number of applications waiting to be processed, and (2) the volume of admissions allowed annually under IRCC’s multi-year immigration levels plan. This improved prediction method provides higher certainty and higher reliability of the system. This update is a part of IRCC’s focus on improving the service experience of IRCC clients, in order to better assist them in preparing to move to Canada if their application is approved.

The new projected processing times applies to applications received on or after July 31, 2018 for family member sponsorship (Parents and Grandparents), economic class (non-Express Entry provincial nominees, skilled workers in Quebec, and start-up visas), and humanitarian and compassionate cases. Applicants must be aware that withdrawing a previous application and re-applying will not result in faster processing times, and for some types of applications (such as Express Entry and Parents and Grandparents), withdrawal of an application may jeopardize a subsequent invitation to apply or invitation to sponsor.