A Quiet Application Backlog Update
IRCC quietly updated its application backlog tracker last month. The trumpets heralding the tracker’s launch in August 2022 have been silent.
Application Backlog Screenshot: 02/15/2023
There is some good news: for example, the Federal High Skilled PR category is back to its service standard. The timing of that accomplishment aligns with IRCC reaching its 2022 target of 431,645 new PRs back in January, many of which come from that PR category. Perhaps IRCC wanted to step away from fanfare after trumpeting an historically high number of new PRs in one year. That announcement sparked a challenging and important conversation: Canada needs to get laser-focused on social and physical infrastructure to continue as a destination of choice. I’m thankful that conversation is happening.
But I also want a conversation about the experience of the 1.95 million temporary residents in this country. Of the 431,645 people who became PRs in 2022, nearly 30% transitioned from temporary resident status in Canada. Most waited in anticipation for an overdue decision on their application. Waiting but unable to speak to a call centre agent or get a human(e) web form response. MPs are reportedly inundated with IRCC-related requests like never before.
Annual data on the number of temporary residents in Canada. Source: The Globe & Mail.
The quiet update is that wait times are still a significant problem, layered on top of a lack of client communications. Despite my grumpiness, I recognize that IRCC is managing historically high volumes of applications and is innovating to create efficiencies. For example, IRCC is releasing new digital tools for PR/citizenship application tracking this month, which is a laudable use of technology to give clarity to PR applicants. But what about the 1.95 million temporary residents whose legal status in Canada can still feel precarious, and who have no reliable way of communicating with IRCC? What about work permit applicants inside Canada waiting 161 days for processing? Let’s have a conversation about IRCC’s service standards for them as well.
