Canada has announced plans to expedite the processing of certain visitor visas through its immigration system, as part of its strategic immigration report called “An Immigration System for Canada’s Future.” The initiative aims to ensure priority visa processing for visitors from all over the world attending major conferences and events in Canada registered with IRCC.
The action plan was delivered alongside findings and other content collated by the federal government, following consultations with various Canadian stakeholders. This comes as Canada looks to better adjust the national immigration system to meet the country’s changing economic and demographic needs.
As part of the new immigration strategy, IRCC’s goal is to reduce wait times and improve service standards for newcomers to Canada. The plan also focuses on expediting the processing of certain visitor visas, particularly for applications made by newcomers seeking entry into Canada for tourism, major conferences, and events.
In June, IRCC added 13 additional countries to its “partial visa exempt countries” list, bringing the total number of countries on the list to 67. This means, as of June 6, 2023, travellers from these countries can apply for an electronic travel authorization (eTA) instead of a visitor visa. Most eTA applications are approved much faster than visitor visas, often within minutes according to IRCC.
IRCC also notes that Canada is processing a significantly higher number of visitor visas, with more than 260,000 processed in November 2022 alone. This is notable as the monthly average in 2019 was about 180,000 applications. The move to prioritize visitor visas through this new strategy will benefit many eligible newcomers looking to visit Canada in the future.
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