On May 12, Canada’s Immigration Minister, Marco Mendicino, gave a keynote speech titled “Modernizing Canada’s Immigration System.” The speech was delivered at a simulated event organized by the Canadian Club of Ottawa. The Canadian Club has invited notable speakers to address the country’s most pressing topics since 1903.
Immigration has been a contentious topic since Canada’s establishment in 1867, and it is becoming even more so before and after the pandemic.
Mendicino introduced Canada’s Immigration Levels Plan 2021-2023 in late October. To aid the country’s post-coronavirus economic growth, the initiative calls for the highest rate of immigration in its history. Canada is already planning to accept at least 401,000 refugees a year, and preliminary data indicates that it will meet this target in 2021.
Despite travel controls, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has pursued an ambitious policy under his leadership during the pandemic.
On February 13, it conducted the biggest Express Entry draw in history, and on May 6, it unveiled six additional permanent resident streams.
IRCC has kept immigration corridors open to enable important travelers to enter the country safely, facing COVID-19 obstacles, Mendicino said at the start of his speech. Furthermore, Canada continues to provide humanitarian aid and is still the world’s top resettlement destination for refugees.
Mendicino emphasized the importance of breaking away from the Global Case Management System, which is outdated (GCMS).
Canada would eliminate paper-based applications in the future, according to Mendicino. Canada is on the verge of implementing a new immigration scheme. Canada’s immigration scheme is now clogged with paper and out of date.
Applicants will soon be able to submit their applications electronically and watch the progress of the IRCC. International students, for example, would only need to fill out one online application. Online oaths will be available to new Canadian residents. Over the last year, about 50,000 new Canadians have taken part in about 9,000 simulated citizenship ceremonies, according to the minister.
The Canadian government announced last month that it would spend almost $430 million to modernize its information technology systems.
IRCC would be able to handle applications even more efficiently as a result of the investment. The cutting-edge platform will serve as the foundation for Canada’s modernized immigration system. One of the main goals of the new forum, according to Mendicino, is to instill trust in Canadian immigration applicants.
Transitioning people already in Canada to permanent status is an important aspect of Canada’s new immigration policy. This helps them to remain in Canada and contribute to the country’s long-term stability.
Mendicino hopes that as Canadians look back on these campaigns, they will recognize the significant sacrifices that important personnel and newcomers, in general, have made in helping the nation fight COVID-19.
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