In a recent announcement, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has revealed the implementation of advanced analytics and automated technology to expedite the processing of spousal and partner applications under the family class immigration program. This new initiative aims to enhance the overall efficiency of the sponsorship application process.
The department has developed two specialized tools, each designed to handle different stages of the sponsorship application. These tools will help accelerate application processing while maintaining the high standards required for immigration decisions.
What Applications Are Affected?
These new tools will be used for all spousal, common-law partner, and conjugal partner sponsorship applications within the family class immigration stream.
How Will These Tools Work?
The sponsorship process involves two main parts: the sponsor’s application (submitted by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident) and the principal applicant’s application (submitted by the spouse or partner). IRCC will deploy a tool for each part of the process.
For the sponsor’s application, a new automation tool will analyze cases to identify those that can be automatically approved, significantly reducing processing times. Any applications that cannot be automatically processed will still be reviewed manually by an IRCC officer.
For the principal applicant’s application, a second tool will conduct a preliminary review to assess eligibility. In routine cases, it will determine eligibility and pass the application to an officer for final review. If the application cannot be automatically approved, it will be flagged for manual review by an IRCC officer.
It’s important to note that while these tools will streamline the process, final approval authority remains with immigration officers. The automated systems are designed to assist in identifying routine cases, not to replace human judgment.
Impact on Processing Times
IRCC remains committed to the responsible use of data-driven technologies. The department conducted an Algorithmic Impact Assessment (AIA) to evaluate the impact of these new tools, categorizing the risk as “moderate” and pledging additional measures to mitigate potential risks.
Although it is still early to determine the full impact of these technologies, past implementations of automation by IRCC, such as the use of AI in processing spousal temporary resident visa (TRV) applications, have shown promising results, significantly reducing processing times to just 30 days in many cases.
These new measures reflect IRCC’s ongoing efforts to leverage technology in delivering efficient, timely immigration services while maintaining rigorous oversight to ensure fairness and transparency.