June 17, 2008 – Amendments to the law aim to improve processing times
 

In June 2008, Parliament approved legislation that allows the Immigration Minister to decide which skilled immigration applications should be fast-tracked, and which should be rejected, based on the need to fill labour shortages. This new legislation aims to reduce a backlog of over 900,000 applications from growing any larger and will allow quick entry for those with skills in demand. As it stands, it can take up to six years for an immigration application to be processed, a time the government hopes to reduce to one year.

The purpose is to improve Canada’s competitiveness and more closely align the skills of newcomers with Canada’s labour shortages. The goal is to ensure that immigration targets are met, that the backlog does not increase any more, and that people who apply to come to Canada receive a decision quickly. The Minister has stated that her instructions will be fair and open, and will be developed using input from several sources.

The input that the Minister intends to rely on will be gathered in the upcoming months through consultations held with provinces and territories, as well as regional and national stakeholders across Canada. The Minister will be looking at where Canada is experiencing its labour shortages, what skills are needed to fill the gaps and what barriers exist to foreign credential accreditation. Once this advice is assessed, the government will develop instructions for immigration officers on determining which applications to identify as priorities, particularly in the federal skilled worker category.

The new rules only affect applications submitted after February 26, 2008. With the exception of applications accompanied by arranged employment, which will be processed, applications submitted after that date will be put aside until the government finishes the consultation process and provides instructions to visa officers. The legislation will not affect agreements with the provinces to process provincial nominees or skilled workers in Quebec, nor will it affect issues surrounding refugee protection or family reunification.