Processing times for Canadian immigration applications have now hit record lengths, with wait times of up to 50 years for certain permanent residency programs. This has left applicants and lawyers shocked, expressing concerns about the viability of the system.
Olha Kushko, who arrived in Ottawa in 2023 under the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel program, described her disbelief at the situation. Families applying for permanent residency through various streams are facing significant delays, ranging from 12 to 600 months, as indicated in the immigration minister’s recent report.
For instance, applicants under the caregivers pathway may wait up to 108 months (nine years), while those in the agri-food stream could face delays of up to 228 months (19 years). Entrepreneur applicants under the startup visa stream might encounter staggering waits of up to 420 months (35 years).
Lawyers have raised concerns over these unprecedented processing times published by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). There are worries of potential mass application cancellations if the government enforces new border security bills that grant expanded powers to the minister.
Kushko, who applied for permanent residency under the humanitarian and compassionate program in June, expressed uncertainty about her family’s future. The IRCC’s online processing time checker indicates a wait time of “more than 10 years” for applicants under the humanitarian stream, with thousands ahead in line.
Kushko’s initial expectation of a two-year wait has been overshadowed by the prolonged processing times. Her concerns are compounded by the impending expiration of their work permits next spring, raising fears of returning to conflict-stricken Ukraine.
Other applicants under the humanitarian stream, including a group from Hong Kong, share similar anxieties about the extended processing times. There are worries about the potential departure from Canada’s humanitarian values and the adverse impacts on applicants’ lives.
Immigration lawyers are demanding clarity and transparency from IRCC, expressing disbelief at the decades-long wait times. They speculate on possible application cancellations amid the government’s silence on the issue and the introduction of border security bills.
IRCC has defended the publication of these extended processing times, attributing them to the number of applications and reduced admission targets. The department aims for transparency in sharing this information to restore balance to the immigration system.
While IRCC clarified that decisions on processing times are based on targets and application volumes, concerns remain about the implications of the proposed border security bills and potential mass application cancellations.