Earlier this month, Citizenship, Immigration and Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney launched a series of consultations with stakeholders and the public to discuss the issue of Canadian immigration levels.
The purpose of the consultations is to seek feedback on how many immigrants should be accepted into Canada each year and to determine a reasonable mix between economic, family class and protected persons (refugees). When determining the levels of immigration, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) takes into account input from provinces and territories, the capacity of the economy and communities to welcome newcomers, and current and future economic conditions.
CIC also considers its ability to process applications in a timely manner, which has increasingly become a problem as many Canadian immigration offices are experiencing large backlogs. There is currently a backlog of nearly 165,000 parental and grandparent sponsorship applications alone. The Montreal Gazette recently hinted in an article that the Government of Canada may stop accepting immigration applications altogether in an attempt to clear the massive backlogs.
“There’s an unlimited number of people who want to come to Canada,” said Mr. Kenney in the Gazette article. “We used to have hundreds of thousands of applications more than we could process, and it’s stupid and unfair to make people wait seven, eight, nine years for their application to be even looked at. That’s the rationale for limiting the number of new applications.”
In the last few years, Canada has limited the number of immigration applications being accepted. On June 24, 2011, CIC announced that a total of 10,000 applications would be accepted for the Federal Skilled Worker Program with a limit of 500 applications being accepted per eligible occupation. This is a 50% reduction from the number of applications accepted in the Federal Skilled Worker Program last year. It is important to note that new applications are being processed more quickly than those submitted prior to the first Ministerial changes in 2008. Applicants who submitted their Federal Skilled Worker applications prior to February 2008 may submit a new application if they qualify under the new instructions.
With so many applicants wanting to enter Canada as economic immigrants, CIC has suggested that this would be a good opportunity to set higher standards for their Federal Skilled Worker Program. Earlier this year, CIC also held consultations regarding the Federal Skilled Worker Program and suggested that the selection criteria should be changed, including raising the level of language proficiency needed to qualify for the program and favouring younger applicants.
Attorney David Cohen commented on the recent speculations, “We’re still unsure which immigration programs will be capped and at what levels. For individuals who are qualified now, I would encourage them to submit their immigration applications as soon as possible as they may not be able to do so in the near future.”
The consultation period is expected to last until fall. While CIC has not yet announced when any changes will be made, Canadavisa.com and CICNews.com will report on any changes to immigration programs as soon as they are revealed.
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{ 33 comments… read them below or add one }
Many people are intrested to migrate canada not only because of having a better living standard but also due to unsecure ennimic conditions in pakistan in order to have a better skilled worker it is important to launch specific certification programs for potential immegrants and the training time may be counted as application process time.
let me know too more about canada immigration news
thanking
k.a. habib
i m coming canada my dream is canada
Goodmornining Attorney David Cohen,i am very please to know you are supportive,in my effortsas a prospective immigrat.l much appreciate you more so,for your informations,
partaining to the on going consultation of cic on federal skilled worker program and others,i am thanksfull.l pray you help me with ,which ever favourable program that suits my profestion as an architect.l am so confused about the programs.Please sir,let it please you to help and assist me.l remain for ever greatfull.
Mr David,
Please confirm us what status of backlog & views of Canada Government. I have applied since 10 Sept 2004 & final documents submitted in CIC Nov 2008.
Please confirm us status
Please can you give a green light on what will happen to those whose applications had been on queue for over four years now under the Federal Skilled Worker Program, having paid the application submission fee.
Best Regards.
S. T. OLADUNJOYE
dear sir :
thank you for the updating informations
I hope we can make use of it soon
Thanks for the update information.Sometimes I used to think is there any possibilities for lottery system like U.S.A. .Thanks again
In fact, this issue of ignoring people or applicants who had been in queue for four to five years whilst accepting people who filed just recently was simply untenable. It should have simply been first come first serve. Why should one be punished for for filing before February 2008. Their plight must not be worsened by telling them to reapply again if they qualify per the new rules after waiting for this long while. Oh WHY AT ALL.
thanks for your comment information’s
I am Nora G. Juan, 40 years old, College graduate and finished 6 Months Caregiver. I have 2 Kids, 13 yerars old son & 8 years old Daughter. I leave them to my Parents as soon I can get Job. I want to work in Canada to support my family and the reasons I am eager to find a Job and how I may go or apply to enter in legal way, Am fully be a good worker once I find my Best Employer in Canada and a hard worker.
I hope you find it in your heart to get a Job in Canada and I can pass to your assessment as soon you felt it in your heart. Thank you and have a nice day.
Kindly make your visa soo flexible to get, than being inflexible, after one has gone through all the neccessary process then the embassy decide to refuse the visa, why all this wahala
Dear sir :
thank you for the updating informations
I hope we can make use of it very soon
Many thanks for your efforts to let me know
We has been waiting since 2004 pr delhi Applicants skilled worker(economic) and has beening contineously listening from year that backlog will be cleared soon but invain But The situation has not changed we are still waiting will be kept waited???????????????
Dear Sir,
I am from Bangladesh, I think eligibility point should be below 50 from 67 points. lot qualified peoples are being deprived from immigration permission due to the cause of high point, if it is flexible we will able contribute with Canada development.
thank you sir you update to me.canada is dream for me and my children.i have go there for better fauther for my children.ok take care
This should be done since 2008 when the applications were too much and in thousands or Millions. I am one of the backlogged under skilled worker immigration program. I applied on April 2007. Just last week they asked me to do the medical examination after 51 months processing time for application. I got delayed for around 6 months because I have changed my address and they did not changed in their system and sent letter to old address … etc.
Now they got to know the immigration system used by Australia and New Zealand in much much better and also more systematic. They use the application through the internet without using normal registered mail and through the internet application … etc.
i have wish CIC close FSW program only workpermit issue for two years.
29 occupation has vary low list front Canadian peoples. or PNP open without arrange employer condotion, in the last IELTS must remove in Immgration setup cuz IELTS set enable 3 time in each year.
Why is it so difficult for someone over 50 to get the necessary points for Canada?
Judging by the number of applicants, there is a big rush to come to Canada. But once you land in Canada and try to find a job, you will find many people educated as teachers and managers back home, trying to earn a living working as general labor or taxi drivers. Just feel that the immigration system is generating continued stream of immigrants to do the menial and general labor jobs.
Agreed it may be better than living conditions experienced in third world countries, but reality hits you when you see that your salary if you are lucky to find a job would not cover your basic expenses. Minimum wage helps, but you don’t get to work enough hours to make the money you earn at a hard found job meaningful to survive here.
Though the best thing in Canada is the respect and dignity as everyone is treated equally.
“Though the best thing in Canada is the respect and dignity as everyone is treated equally.”
True, so long as when you land here, you learn the local language, pay taxes and generally contribute to the Canadian economy.
I LOVE AND APPRECIATE THE CHANGE. I HOPE IT WILL FAVOR ME
Thanks for updating the information
in fact i like this programme.
How about 20,000 a year, that is a good number.
I think a total of 250K- 290K per year will be good enough for the next few years as long as the majority are aged 20-40 yrs, have at least finished high school and can speak some English/French.
In 4-5 yrs time, we will be in the midst of the mother of all labour shortages, so, numbers can conceivably rise to ~400K/yr then. Let us not rush it, but move slowly and steadily.
The more I learn about the backlog and how it is being handled, the more disappointed I am with the CIC. I understand that some people are doing their best to move things along, unfortunately in most cases it is the process and the some people that could do a better good at moving things along. I think that the priority should be the older applications, just because people have put their lives on hold long enough and they should not be punished for it. Instead of having people wait so long and keep extending processing times, make a decision for them to still come to Canada and process them as though all was OK, later if something does come back that would affect the status of that immigrate bring them in and go from there. If the immigrant can help clear any discrepancies then let them go, if there is irrefutable evidence that could change things then proceed with actions to remove the person from Canada. I get that delays are caused by reasons such as improperly completed applications, but that should be caught at the beginning of the processing when the file is still in Canada, that way you save both parties (CIC and Applicant) time and money, currently the applications are living Canada with all these discrepancies and the immigration officers are left to deal with the clean up, months down the road and the poor applicants who are waiting for years in the hope that the will be helped are usually denied after years of putting their lives on hold, just to be told to apply again. Sad and this makes the CIC look incompetent. We are Canadians, we are suppose to be more efficient than this.
Thanking You for this kind of infirmation, its very good for next genaration.
Thank you Sir for the information. Hope All of Us Worker here in Canada can give a fortune to be emigrant…
Thank you for this information. You did a great job. More blessings to come
Dear Sir/Madam,
From the last more than 1.5 years CIC delhi has not even requeste documents from old applicants( 2005 – 2006 applications). they are only processing fast trak applications.
I want to know from your good self that WHY OLD APPLICANTS ARE VICTIMS OF DELY ONLY.
WHY THEY HAVE TO WAIT FOR SUCH A LONG PERIOD.
WAITING SUCH A LONG PERIOD ADVERSELY AFFECTS THEIR CHANCES FOR SETTLEMENT IN CANADA.
Why CHC has stopped processing old applicants
is THEY ARE LEFT ON THE MERCY OF GOD ????????????
I think it will be better to relax the condition of IELTS for the highly educated (PhD, Post doctoral fellows etc) applicants.