Plan for 'Aggressive Measures' to Tackle Immigration Backlog

Canada is considering waiving eligibility requirements for nearly half a million visitor visa applications to reduce its backlog of immigration applications.

According to Globe and Mail, the Canadian government is considering waiving eligibility requirements for nearly half a million visitor visa applications to reduce its backlog of immigration applications. This may be the rare chance where applicants with past refusals can apply and get their Canadian visa.

A policy memo from December reveals that Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is trying to significantly reduce or eliminate its inventory of visitor visa applications by February and is willing to use “aggressive measures” to do so.

As of early December, there were more than 700,000 temporary resident visa (TRV) applications in the system, a portion of the overall sum.

The memo also states that IRCC is concerned that the stockpile is “eroding the public’s trust” in the department. The memo also said that the government is considering two options, the first one is to process an estimated 195,000 applications in bulk and the second one is to waive certain eligibility requirements for roughly 450,000 applications.

A statement from the immigration minister did not confirm whether this policy was under consideration but did mention that Canada is now processing visitor visa applications faster than it did even before the pandemic. More than 260,000 visitor visas were processed in November, which is compared with a monthly average of about 180,000 in 2019.

"By waiving eligibility rules, foreign nationals would not need to establish that they will leave Canada when their visa expires." This is one of the common reasons the Canadian government has used to refuse temporary visa applications before.

In addition, the memo said that IRCC would approve eligibility for people with past refusals and “derogatory information.”

Suppose the government decides to waive certain eligibility requirements for visitor visa applications to reduce the immigration backlog. In that case, it could provide an opportunity for individuals who have previously been refused a visa due to ties to their home country or poor background. If the eligibility requirements are waived, it could mean that these individuals would not need to prove that they will leave Canada when their visa expires and may not be required to provide evidence of sufficient funds for their stay in Canada.

If you or you have clients with past refusals for a visitor visa, study permit and work permit related to ties to the home country or poor background, between now and February may be the time to try again.

Was refused for a Canadian visa before? Take this opportunity and start your visa application from here now!

Want to see what visa is right for you? Check your eligibility here.

TeamSuperVisas Scribe