In 2023, Canada accepted 471,550 new permanent residents, surpassing Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada’s (IRCC) immigration targets for the year.
Due to the enormous number of arrivals, Canada’s immigration agency must handle hundreds of thousands of applications for permanent residency (PR) each year, in addition to work and study visa applications.
So, how does the department process these PR applications every year?
The process leading up to applying for PR
Before getting into how IRCC evaluates PR applications, novices should examine the procedure before applying.
The most crucial point here is that most PR programs (such as Express Entry controlled programs, Provincial Nominee Programs (PNPs), and other economic programs) operate on a “candidate—applicant” basis. This implies that immigrants must first submit a candidate profile to the immigration department (for example, through the Express Entry pool), and if they meet the requirements, they will be issued an invitation to apply (ITA) for PR. Once immigrants have submitted their application after getting an ITA, IRCC will begin processing.
For Express Entry-managed programs (for example), this can be broken down into the following steps:
- Submit a candidate profile to the Express Entry pool;
- Receive an ITA; and
- Reply to the ITA with a PR application within the allotted 60-day time frame
How does IRCC process my PR applications?
According to the Auditor General’s report on IRCC’s application processing, the immigration service handles PR applications using the following steps:
Receiving the application.
This is the easy procedure of receiving a newcomer’s application once they have responded to their ITA. A file is established in the department’s Global Case Management System (GCMS).
Verification and preparation of documents
During this step, the department determines if all required papers have been supplied (e.g., police certificate, proof of finances, etc.). In addition, the department produces documentation for the following phase, which is to assess the application’s eligibility. If any papers are missing or incomplete, IRCC promises to return the application to the applicant.
While some PR programs allow candidates to resubmit their applications, Express Entry-managed programs (the Canadian Experience Class (CEC), the Federal Skilled Worker Program (FSWP), and the Federal Skilled Trades Program (FSTP) do not. According to the IRCC website, in certain situations, applicants’ applications will be denied, their payments returned, and the entire procedure would have to be restarted.
Eligibility Assessment
Here, the immigration department compares the application to program standards to ensure that all eligibility requirements and criteria are satisfied. If an application fails here, the IRCC will reject it outright, forcing applicants to repeat the procedure.
Admittance assessment
During this phase, IRCC will determine whether an application fits the admissibility criteria for PR. To be able to come and settle in Canada, applicants must complete additional eligibility conditions, including security and criminal background checks.
Furthermore, applicants must pass an immigration medical check to guarantee that they have no healthcare-related difficulties that might jeopardize Canada’s socialized medical care system.
If applicants are judged medically or criminally ineligible, the IRCC will decline their application, forcing them to restart the entire procedure.
Interview (if necessary).
At this point, an application is assessed once more for basic eligibility and admissibility requirements.
If an interview is necessary, applicants will be requested to visit an IRCC office and talk with an immigration official. According to IRCC, issues covered here might include checking facts in the PR application, confirming an applicant’s (or their family’s) identification, and addressing any additional concerns an officer may have about the application.
The selection standards for the three Express Entry-managed programs are more objective, and interviews are frequently eliminated. Submitting a comprehensive application increases an applicant’s chances of not getting invited to an interview.
Success
If all of the aforementioned stages are completed successfully, the applicant will be granted PR status, allowing them to arrive and live in Canada.
