EXPERT INSIGHT WWW.LAWYER-MONTHLY.COM | APR 2022 o you think the proposed measure will go far enough to tackle Canada’s 1.8 million+ immigration backlog? It is uncertain whether the current $85 million budget will have any meaningful positive impact in the short term, on the 1.8+ million immigration backlog. Most of the money was meant to be spent on developing online and electronic processing systems, which in themselves take time to create and meanwhile the backlog only increases. Also, there is a transition period once these new systems come into effect, which requires re-training of officers while many will still be processing applications in the traditional way. The express entry system is a perfect example of the time that it takes for an electronic processing system to become effective. The express entry system was created in 2015, and in my opinion only started to show positive results within the last 2-3 years. This is because most people who are applying under express entry are finally familiarised with the system itself and the officers are now well aware of how the system works, both technically and legally. The pause in the express entry draws have nothing to do with the ineffectiveness of the electronic system itself, but with the significant number of invitations that IRCC issued in February 2021. Most technical difficulties under express entry have been dealt with, but even with an already provento-work system it was insufficient to handle the backlog after the invitations last February. It does not matter how much technology IRCC uses if they continue to expand on the number of applications taken into processing. Another problem with technology in the immigration field is that there are currently several different portals to work with and multiple areas to submit applications, which may make it more difficult for applicants who qualify under different streams to navigate an ever more complicated electronic bureaucracy. Canadian Immigration Processing Times: Will the Improvements Be Enough? By the end of 2022, the Canadian government intends to use an $85 million budget to reduce processing times across all IRCC lines of business. However, it remains to be seen whether or not this will be sufficient to free up the country’s existing immigration backlog. In this feature, Canadian immigration lawyer Maria Campos offers her thoughts on the issue. D
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