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Minister Fraser provides an update on immigration backlogs – Canada Immigration News
Published on August 30th, 2022 at 08:19am EDT
Updated on August 30th, 2022 at 09:20am EDT
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On August 29, Immigration Minister Sean Fraser joined other task force members to update Canadians and newcomers on what the government is doing to address the backlog and improve the immigration system.
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Fraser is an ex-officio member of the task force created in June to reduce wait times for immigration documents and passports. At a press conference, the task force discussed developments over recent months, as well as the underlying pandemic-related reasons for the significant surges in demand for travel and for other government services. The task force has been meeting regularly throughout the summer to identify priority areas for action, and outline short- and longer-term solutions.
Fraser highlighted how Canada is working to improve services at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) by:
- Hiring up to 1,250 new employees by the end of the fall to increase processing capacity and tackle the backlogs in the short term;
- Modernizing and streamlining IRCC operations to make Canada’s system more sustainable in the long term;
- Welcoming over 300,000 new permanent residents as of August 22;
- Issuing over 349,000 new work permits from January 1 to July 31 this year, compared to approximately 112,000 issued during the same period in 2021;
- Finalizing almost 360,000 study permits between January 1 and July 31, 2022, compared to about 306,000 finalized in the same period in 2021;
- Approving over 216,000 applications for the Canada-Ukraine Authorization for Emergency Travel from March 17 to August 24, 2022 for Ukrainians and family members looking to find safety in Canada;
- Introducing application status trackers for citizenship and some permanent residence applicants to have timely information on their files, which will be expanded to more clients in the coming year; and
- Publishing monthly data on the IRCC website to keep Canadians up to date on our progress.
“Families, communities, and businesses deserve an immigration system that works for everyone,” Fraser said in a government media release. “Through targeted investments, hiring 1,250 employees to address the backlog, and the improvement of our online systems and processes, we will deliver on our promise to Canadians. We will reduce wait times and work hard to attract and retain skilled workers, as we continue to help communities across the country access the talent they need.”
Canada is a top destination for people around the 🌎
We’ve been taking concrete steps to strengthen our immigration system and reduce the backlog, to help address our labour shortage and reunite families ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/uVimuO7fWw
— Sean Fraser (@SeanFraserMP) August 29, 2022
The release said IRCC manages over 1 million applications from its inventories at any given time, and in 2021, IRCC finalized 1.7 million applications across all lines of business. The IRCC webpage that is currently tracking the backlog reports there are 2.4 million applications waiting in all IRCC inventories, down from 2.7 million in July. Of those currently in the IRCC inventory, 1.1 million are within service standards, while 1.3 million are in the backlog.
Also at the conference, Canada’s minister of families, Karina Gould, spoke about how Canada is improving passport processing. Namely, by increasing the Service Canada workforce; expanding simplified renewals of passports to adults who have had a passport issued in the last 15 years; implementing a new triage system to help manage lineups; expanding passport-pick up service to nine more Service Canada Centres; and expanding passport services to 24 rural and remote sites in Ontario, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada.
Travel Minister Omar Alghabra said Canada is working to reduce traveller wait times and airport congestion by hiring more staff; collaborating with airlines, airports, and related government departments including Canadian Border Services Agency to address bottlenecks; adding more eGates and primary inspection kiosks at Toronto Pearson International Airport; allowing screening officers to work while training to get more officers on the ground at airports; tripling the number of Transportation Security Clearances issued over the last year to quickly on-board new employees; improving pre-board security screening wait times across the country; and reducing the number of aircraft being held on the tarmac at Toronto Pearson International Airport.
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The RCMP say a body that was recovered by authorities in Washington state is believed to be one of two kayakers reported missing off Vancouver Island on Saturday.
Const. Alex Bérubé said the identity of the body found on San Juan Island, just south of the border, is still to be confirmed by the coroner.
A search has been underway in the waters off Sidney, B.C., about 25 kilometres north of Victoria, since the two kayakers were reported missing.
RCMP previously said Daniel MacAlpine, 36, and Nicolas West, 26, went missing while kayaking from D’Arcy Island to View Beach on Saturday afternoon. They were in a teal blue, fibreglass, two-person kayak.
Police said members of the Central Saanich Police Department and Peninsula Emergency Measures Organization search and rescue were involved in the search, and the Joint Rescue Co-ordination Centre and Canadian Coast Guard were also assisting.
Digital WritersThe Weather Network
Updated on Apr. 23, 2024, 1:30 PM
Prepare for multiple rounds of April snowfall this week, as Labrador braces for wintry conditions. This onslaught of snow is expected to blanket the region, potentially leading to hazardous travel conditions and disruptions throughout the week
As we march even deeper into the heart of the spring season, many parts of Canada are finding it tough to find any consistent signs of warming weather. Add to the mix periods of snow and wintry precipitation, and it’s safe to say the winter season is certainly not going out without a strong fight.
This week, parts of the East Coast will bear the brunt of the winter weather, with multiple rounds of April snowfall stacking up in Labrador. The chances for snow flurries will stick around all week long, bringing as much as 25 cm for some.
MUST SEE: Extreme pattern over Arctic produces 50+ degree temperature spread
Although 25+ cm of snow in April may seem extreme, for this part of the country, it’s definitely nothing out of the ordinary. In fact, the month as a whole brings about 40-50 cm of snow to Labrador on average.
Some communities, including Nain, even have snowfall chances stretch all the way into June!
“This week will be a little bit different however, as some regions could reach about half of Labrador’s monthly averages alone,” says Rachel Modestino, a meteorologist at The Weather Network. “The first round on Tuesday will pack quite the punch, with heavy snow and gusty winds stretching from Labrador city to the coast.”
Winds will be gusting between 70-90 km/h at times, and travel conditions will likely deteriorate quickly due to potential whiteouts and reduced visibility.
Witnesses described hearing a loud blast and seeing large plumes of black smoke on Tuesday morning as a building under construction in Halifax’s north end caught fire.
A message on Halifax’s alert system said the fire was at a building in the area of Robie and St Albans streets. About an hour later, the municipality said the fire was out.
The alert warned people who live on the peninsula to close their windows due to smoke from the fire possibly being toxic.
“Residents and businesses near the fire should still keep windows closed and air exchangers turned off until air quality conditions improve in the coming hours as a precaution,” the municipality said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Halifax Regional Police were asking people to avoid the area during what is normally a time of heavy morning traffic.
James Shaw lives nearby. He said he heard a blast around 8:20 a.m. local time.
“It shook the whole house,” Shaw said in an interview at the scene. “So I came outside … and saw this incredible building here on fire. Big black smoke. Lots of sparks and stuff going.”
Mike Clark was working on the building adjacent to the one that caught fire. He said he was on the 30th floor when the roof of the other building caught fire and propane tanks blew up.
He said construction crews were then evacuated from the building.
“The elevator was shut down and everyone went down the stairs and out the door,” he said. “Everybody on each floor has a horn to check if anybody was left in the building. Sounded the horn and walked down. It was very organized.”
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