Delays in work visas negatively impacting Canadian business, survey says

Delays at Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada have a severe impact on Canadian businesses, academic institutions, and government-funded organizations that access immigration (IRCC).

The overall backlog of applications at IRCC increased by 12% from 2.4 million to 2.7 million between June and July. The backlog for temporary foreign workers increased by 21% over that time, from 408,733 to 493,746 applicants. Processing times are increasing due to the backlog, exceeding the IRCC’s service standards.

In the upcoming year, 97% of respondents’ operations will suffer due to the IRCC processing delays. As a result of processing delays, almost 94% of organizations terminated or delayed projects. Revenue losses as a result of delays affect 55% of the firms.