Ottawa: Immigration minister Marc Miller on Monday made an important announcement to improve processing times and reduce the backlog of immigration files.
“To improve the Start-up Visa Program, we will encourage designated venture capital firms, angel investor groups and business incubators to focus on the most promising proposals by capping the number of permanent residence applications we will accept for processing each year to those associated with no more than 10 start-ups per designated organization and providing priority processing for entrepreneurs whose start-up is supported by Canadian capital or by a business incubator that is a member of Canada’s Tech Network, including applications in the inventory and new applications as they are submitted,” Miller said.
Besides, the immigration minister announced full pause on application intake for the Self-Employed Persons Program to focus on processing applications from the inventory, starting April 30.
According to IRCC, The Self-Employed Persons Program provides a pathway to permanent residence for people with notable experience in art, culture, recreation or sports and who will contribute to Canada’s cultural vitality.
Miller said due to the high number of applications submitted for this program, processing times have increased to beyond four years. “While the pause is in place, IRCC will continue finalizing applications from the backlog while assessing options for reforming the program and ensuring its integrity.
By restricting application intake through the end of 2026, and through planned increases in admissions for the federal business category as tabled in the 2024-26 multi-year level plan, IRCC will be able to reduce the backlog and bring down wait times while continuing to welcome the talented, innovative and entrepreneurial newcomers we need to continue to grow Canada’s economy,” the immigration minister said.