CIMM – Quebec Processing Times – November 29, 2022

Key Messages

• Canada and Quebec recognize that immigration is key to meeting labour market needs in critical sectors like healthcare and agriculture.
• Canada has admitted 45,600 people destined to Quebec, as of August 31, 2022. We are on track to attain our Levels Plan targets for Quebec – with approximately 66% of this year’s 69,000 target finalized at 67% of the way through the year.

Supplementary Messages

Asylum Seekers

Processing Times

• High volumes, and delays in processing due to the pandemic, led to backlog of eligibility determinations and processing overall.
• This in turn caused delays in eligibility determination by cases being processed by the Canada Border Services Agency in Quebec – which can take up to 12 months in Quebec to process – impacting the issuance of work permits.
• We recognize that the delays in processing increase pressure on provincial and municipal social services and asylum seekers’ to access long term accommodation.
• On November 16, 2022, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) implemented a temporary public policy that allows asylum seekers to quickly obtain open work permits, allowing them to enter the Canadian labour market sooner and support themselves while awaiting a decision on their asylum application. Giving refugee claimants access to a work permit earlier in the process provides them with employment opportunities, reducing their reliance on provincial and territorial social assistance.
• Asylum seekers in land will need to submit their claim electronically (with some exceptions) and still meet admissibility requirements, including undergoing a security check, medical exam and criminal background check.

Permanent Residents

Processing Times

• The Department surpassed Quebec’s original target by achieving over 50 000 admissions in 2021. This was very close to the additional amount the province added to redress the shortfall from 2020.
• For 2022, IRCC has focused on finalizing the aging inventory of applicants living outside of Canada, as well as newer files in the Quebec Skilled Worker category. As a result, processing times may appear to have increased, as applications that are older were finalized.
• IRCC will be able to start 2023 with more recent applications in its inventory.
• IRCC has made significant improvements in reducing the age of the Quebec Skilled Worker inventory. The department anticipates being able to get back to the processing service standard of 11 months for new Quebec Skilled Workers applicants by the end of 2022.
• When existing inventories and new intake of permanent resident applicants destined to Quebec are not aligned with the levels space allowed under Quebec’s Immigration Plan, IRCC is not able to process all clients in the inventory. This affects the ability to maintain or improve processing times for the Department.
• Spouses, partners and children destined to Quebec are facing longer processing times than those destined to the rest of Canada, due to the limited levels space provided under the Quebec Family Class, which fills quickly and adds to the existing inventory and intake.
• Under the Family Class category, for 2022, the Quebec immigration levels ranges are between 10,200 and 10,600, with an additional 1,000 in carry-over from 2021, for a maximum range of 11, 600. This represents a 1.26% decrease over 2021. In 2021, the department exceeded the range for Family Class for Quebec.

Supporting Facts And Figures

Quebec Skilled Workers

• In-Canada and overseas processing rates for 2020, 2021 and January-August 2022:

Data source: COGNOS (CBR) extracted as of October 17, 2022.

• IRCC’s inventory for Quebec Skilled Workers (as of August 31, 2022):

(Data source: COGNOS (MBR) extracted as of August 31, 2022)
Data is operational and subject to change.

• Processing times for Quebec Skilled Workers for the 6-month rolling period ending August 2022:

(Data source: COGNOS (CBR) extracted as of October 17, 2022)
Data is operational and subject to change.

• Admissions for Quebec Skilled Workers since 2018, including a comparison between 2020 and 2021:

(Actuals row data source: COGNOS (MBR) extracted as of August 31, 2022)
Data is operational and subject to change, and may not match official admissions figures posted on the Open Data Portal.

• In 2021, as requested by Quebec, in response to the pandemic, the Department prioritized economic immigrants who were in Canada, including those skilled workers selected by Quebec.
• Every year, IRCC plans and adjusts processing operations so that the number of permanent residents to be admitted aligns as closely as possible with Quebec’s Immigration Plan overall and for each immigration category.
• Where existing inventories and new intake of permanent resident applicants destined to Quebec are not aligned with the levels space allowed under Quebec’s Immigration Plan, IRCC is not able to process all clients in the inventory. This affects the ability to maintain or improve processing times.

Asylum seekers

• After an eligibility decision and referral to the IRB, the current service standard for work permits is 30 days, provided that a medical examination has been completed.