Blue Bird Blog

IRCC expects India visa processing to return to normal by early 2024

A press conference with Canadian Immigration Minister Marc Miller on October 19th, 2023 has revealed that the ongoing dispute between Canada and India will result in slower processing times for Indian visa applications.
Nonetheless, Miller emphasized that newcomers from India play a vital role in Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will continue to welcome them.

How large is the backlog expected to be and when will visa processing return to normal?

Senior IRCC officials who have briefed Canadian stakeholders say they expect the reduction of staff in India to create a backlog of 17,500 "final decisions" across Canada's global immigration system over the next two months. However, the government hopes to return back to normal processing by "early 2024".

Accordingly, this can be achieved as the 22 immigration staff pulled from India will reestablish themselves and get back to work in Canada and the Philippines.

What has caused the slower visa application processing?

India has formally planned to remove immunities for all but 21 Canadian diplomats and dependents in New Delhi by October 20th, 2023. This means that 41 Canadian diplomats and their 42 dependents are in danger of having immunities stripped.

According to IRCC's statement, revoking diplomatic privileges and immunities is contrary to international law and this action taken by India is unreasonable and escalatory. India had accredited each of the Canadian diplomats they are now expelling, even though they were all carrying out their duties in good faith and to the greater benefit of both countries.

IRCC has said that the mass expulsions are the reason that operations will be impacted and client service will be affected.

What operations will be impacted?

IRCC has stated that they are forced to temporarily pause all in-person services at Consulates until further notice. However, IRCC will continue to accept and process applications from India. Certain application requirements will need to be completed locally or on-site in a secure environment.

As a result, the reduction in the size of the IRCC team in India will affect service standards for residents of India. The team is being reduced from 27 to just five.

The remaining IRCC staff in India will focus on work that requires an in-country presence such as urgent processing, visa printing, risk assessment and overseeing key partners, including visa application centres, panel physicians and clinics that perform immigration medical exams. The rest of the work and staff will be reassigned across IRCC's global processing network.

However, IRCC is hopeful India visa operations will return to normal in the early part of the New Year.

How will this impact Visa Application Centres (VACs)?

IRCC is trying to mitigate the impact by adjusting the work load for Visa Application Centres (VACs) that already process the majority of the applications from India.

VACs are operated by third parties so they will continue to operate as normal. Applicants will still be able to receive administrative support, transmit passports and submit biometrics at one of IRCCs ten centres in India.

Source: cicnews.com

Canada

Visitors no longer allowed to apply for work permits from within Canada

As of August 28, temporary residents in Canada on a visitor visa are no longer permitted to apply for a job-supported work permit from within Canada.
The temporary policy allowing visitors to apply for these work permits was introduced in August 2020 to assist some visitors in Canada who were unable to return home because of border closures related to the COVID-19 pandemic—with the further aim of aiding employers to fill key labour gaps, by allowing some visitors who met certain conditions to apply for an job-supported work permit from inside Canada.

Is it worth applying for Express Entry after you turn 35?

Prospective Canadian immigrants are sometimes discouraged from applying for Express Entry after they turn 35 years of age.
This is largely due to points lost on their Comprehensive Ranking System (CRS) score.
The Express Entry application management system uses the CRS to rank and order eligible Express Entry candidates based on their human capital factors before they can receive an Invitation to Apply (ITA) for Canadian permanent residence from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC).

The average cost of buying a home in Canada’s largest cities

Housing has become a key issue for Canadians in 2024, with much attention given to the impact that changing interest rates, population increases, natural emigration patterns, and other factors have had on housing costs.
After compiling a guide on rental costs across Canada in 2024, CIC News has prepared the following guide on the costs of buying a home in Canada, considering the largest cities and population centers in each of the country’s provinces.

Quebec announces suspension of LMIA processing for some low-wage temporary foreign workers

Starting September 3rd, the processing of Labour Market Impact Assessments (LMIAs) to applicants in Montréal will be suspended for job offers with hourly wages below $27.47 CAD (the Quebec median hourly wage). This measure is expected to be in place for the next six months and has been approved by the federal government of Canada.

Canada implements policies to increase affordability of housing and groceries

A new Leger poll conducted for OMNI news, illustrated the effect of an increasing cost of living on newcomers in Canada. According to the study, 83% of the 1522 newcomers surveyed felt that affordability issues were making settling in Canada more difficult.

Simultaneously, a recent study by Statistics Canada found that more than a third of newcomers who recently arrived in the country were in renting situations where they needed to spend more than a third of their pre-tax income on rent.

On February 6th the federal government announced new policies to help increase affordability for Canadians, and those living in Canada. Similar affordability policies were instituted by the government last year.

5 challenges newcomers face in Canada and how to deal with them

Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) Immigration Levels Plan 2023-2025 aims to welcome over 460,000 new immigrants each year, which is the highest level in Canadian history.
Upon arrival, newcomers must settle into their new homes and may experience some challenges adjusting to Canada and their new lives in the country.