The Sponsorship process improvements have led to backlog reduction and shorter processing times which had built up under the previous Conservative government which made spousal reunification a lengthy affair.

MISSISSAUGA – Over the past year, the Government of Canada has made significant improvements to the spousal sponsorship process, making it faster and easier for Canadians and permanent residents to reunite with their spouses.

The Sponsorship process improvements have led to backlog reduction and shorter processing times which had built up under the previous Conservative government which made spousal reunification a lengthy affair.

In December 2016, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) announced that it would reduce the backlog of spousal applicants by 80% and shorten processing times to 12 months. It also announced improvements to the spousal sponsorship application process to make it more efficient and easier to navigate.

Ahmed Hussen, Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship, announced that the government has successfully met these commitments.

“The Government of Canada is committed to family reunification. We understand how important it is to reunite couples. It also makes for a stronger Canada. Canadians who marry someone from abroad shouldn’t have to wait for years to have them immigrate or be left with uncertainty in terms of their ability to stay,” Hussen said.

• More than 80% of those who were in the global spousal sponsorship backlog on December 7, 2016, have now received final decisions for their applications. We reduced the spousal inventory from 75,000 applications to 15,000 as of December 31, 2017.
• As of December 31, 2017, we met our commitment to process 80% of spousal applications that were received in December 2016.

In addition, after introducing a new spousal sponsorship application package in December 2016, IRCC continued to respond to client and stakeholder feedback to further improve the application process, and make it simpler and easier for sponsors and applicants to understand and navigate. As a result, we made a number of improvements to the application package in June 2017. And today, we introduced further updates to the application kit and process to improve the client experience and make sure we can process applications as quickly as possible.

• To bring families together, IRCC plans to welcome 66,000 spouses and dependants in 2018, well above the average over the past decade of about 47,000.

Canada’s Citizenship and Immigration Minister Chris Alexander confirmed it’s one month and counting until Express Entry launches a new phase of active immigration recruitment to meet economic and labour market needs. Potential candidates can create their profile on January 1^st, 2015, with the first Invitations to Apply issued within weeks.

Express Entry will help select skilled immigrants based on their skills and experience. Those with valid job offers or provincial/territorial nominations will be picked first. Details published  in the Canada Gazette explain how candidates will be ranked and selected, based on these factors that research shows are linked to success in the Canadian economy. Minister Alexander also highlighted that additional information was published on the CIC website to help potential immigrants and employers understand the new system, and to  promote Canada as a destination of choice based on a strong economy, low taxes and job opportunities.

Express Entry will result in faster processing and will allow the Government of Canada to be more flexible and respond better to Canada’s changing labour market needs.

 Express Entry will manage applications for three federal economic immigration programs: the Federal Skilled Worker Program, Federal Skilled Trades Program and the Canadian Experience Class.

Provinces and Territories will be able to use the Express Entry system to select a portion of candidates for their Provincial Nominee Programs.

Express Entry will launch at 12 noon EST January 1st, 2015. The first draw for an invitation to apply is scheduled for the last week of January.

Once candidates have been selected from the pool they will need to complete the immigration process, which includes health and security checks. Applications will be processed in six months or less.

“With the launch of Express Entry in January, our Government will build on our strong and proven record of helping immigrants succeed, and helping Canada’s economy thrive. Starting January 1^st, we will be able to select the top economic immigrants who will contribute to our economy, labour market and communities.”

The following is a  list of Eligible Occupations under the National Occupational Classification: