Trying To Speed Up The Work Permit Process

Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) will use its 85-million-dollar budget to expedite the processing of Canadian work permits.

Work permits, study permits, proof of citizenship, and permanent residence card renewals are expected to return to normal by the end of 2022. However, until then, the IRCC states that they can not process applications as quickly or give accurate processing times for most applications.

IRCC Assistant Deputy Minster Daniel Mills said that the multi-million budget will not improve processing times for permanent residency applicants but allow the IRCC to develop tools such as electronic and online application systems.

Usually, it takes around 60 days for a work permit submitted outside of Canada to process, while work permit extensions submitted in Canada typically takes 120 days. According to the IRCC, these standards were met more than 87% of the time prior to the pandemic,

How Will This Delay Affect International Students?

Currently, the IRCC has a huge backlog of about 1.8 million applications, for which the processing times are unknown.

Currently, the backlog is not expected to affect application acceptance rates for international students. However, it could create issues for graduates that want to stay in Canada and work. People with expiring Post-Graduation Work Permits (PGWP) could lose their right to work unless they obtain a new Canadian work permit or permanent residency.

The Minister of Immigration said that he is focused on addressing the backlog and creating a more efficient system. Still, there are certain work permits that have sped up processes for workers in some sectors. The Global Talent Stream has a processing standard of 10 business days, according to CIC News.

What Is PGWP?

A post-graduation work permit is a document that allows you to stay and work in Canada after graduating from a Designated Learning Institution (DLI). A PGWP can be valid as long as your passport is and will only be extended in certain circumstances.

Along with graduating from an eligible institution, you must also meet all other criteria. For example, if you are in Canada while applying, you have up to 180 days to apply after you get your diploma, transcript, or an official letter from your school. To be eligible, your study permit must have been valid at some point during those 180 days.

Due to the temporary COVID protocol, students may still be eligible to apply for a PGWP, even if 100% of studies are completed online before August 31, 2022.