MASSIVE REVAMP TO APPLICATION PROCESSING SYSTEMS

A complete overhaul of how Canada processes immigration applications is in the works as the government braces for post-pandemic demand for migration to Canada.

Aging computer systems, paper applications and in-person interviews are among the things that must be adapted for the “new normal” after COVID-19, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada said in a tender posted to the government’s procurement website and marked “urgent.” 

“When travel restrictions begin to ease, a significant surge of applications and support requirements is anticipated, putting tremendous demand on our global operations and supporting branches,” 

“IRCC needs to act quickly to develop (i) updated and new strategies, and (ii) processes and digital systems to cope with the rapid change it is undergoing.”

“IMMIGRATION AND IMMIGRANTS WILL NEED TO  CONTINUE TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION FOR CANADA TO THRIVE, GROW AND PROSPER

IRCC expects it will have significantly different policies, procedures, and digital solutions in place to handle applications post-coronavirus spike 

To accommodate higher number of Foreign Nationals and to ensure more efficient and faster application processing ; IRCC is by developing new strategies, to utilize digital processes, and systems which also enables to fulfil its mandate.

Planned modernization efforts: [Not all is listed here]

• Develop tools and technologies to rapidly increase IRCC’s operational capacity so it can handle current manual application processing challenges and the anticipated surge in applications
• Develop digital tools to reduce the need for in-person meetings 
• Automate certain processes so that Immigration Officers can focus more of their time on complex immigration applications
• Incorporate data analytics solutions to provide insights on operational volumes and processing capacities so that IRCC can effectively respond to changes in Canada and abroad
• Develop strategies to strengthen IRCC’s cybersecurity

CANADA REMAINS COMMITTED TO WELCOMING IMMIGRANTS, WORKERS, STUDENTS AND VISITORS 

It is highly likely that Canada will see a major spike in permanent and temporary resident arrivals once the global health and economic situation improves.