In 2023, Canada welcomed over 471,550 new permanent residents, a number that exceeded IRCC’s Immigration Levels Plan for the year. Here’s how IRCC processes permanent resident applications. 

This large number of newcomers implies that Canada’s immigration department has to deal with thousands of PR applications.

How IRCC Processes Permanent Resident Applications? 

Before delving deep into how IRCC processes permanent resident applications, it is best for newcomers to review the process. 

Well, the most important thing is that most PR programs work on a ‘candidate-applicant’ system. This implies that newcomers first submit an applicant profile to IRCC, and if they qualify, they are granted ITAs for PR. Once newcomers submit their application upon obtaining an ITA, IRCC will begin processing. 

For Express Entry-managed programs, this can be broken down into the following steps: 

  • Submit an applicant profile to the Express Entry pool
  • Obtain an ITA
  • Respond to the ITA with a PR application within the allotted 60-day time frame

Note: Other immigration streams might skip the applicant process & move straight into the application processing phase. 

How Does IRCC Process Applications For PR? 

According to the Auditor General’s report on IRCC’s application process, the way that the immigration department processes PR applications can be broken down into the following steps: 

  • Obtaining The Application 

This is a simple process of obtaining a newcomer’s application after they respond to their ITA. Moreover, a file was created on the department’s Global Case Management System. 

  • Verification & Preparation Of Documents 

In this phase, IRCC assesses whether the necessary documents have been provided. Moreover, IRCC prepares documents for the next step, where they will determine the application’s eligibility. IRCC says it will return the application to the applicant if any documents are missing or incomplete. 

While some PR programs allow applicants to resubmit their applications if they are found incomplete, the Express Entry-managed programs do not. According to IRCC’s webpage, in these cases, candidates will have their applications rejected and their fees refunded, and they will need to restart the entire process. 

  • Eligibility Assessment 

Here, IRCC assesses the application against the program standards to ensure that all eligibility requirements and criteria are met. In addition, if an application fails here, IRCC will refuse it outright, requiring applicants to restart the process. 

  • Admissibility Assessment 

Within this phase, IRCC will evaluate whether an application meets admissibility criteria for PR. These are additional eligibility criteria wherein applicants must meet security & criminality checks to be found eligible to come & settle in Canada. 

Moreover, candidates must pass an immigration medical exam to ensure that they do not have any healthcare-related issues that would put a strain on Canada’s socialized medical care system. 

If candidates are found medically/ criminally inadmissible, IRCC says it will refuse their application, requiring the applicant to start the application process again. 

  • Interview, If Required 

At this stage, an application is once again reviewed for basic eligibility & admissibility requirements. 

If an interview is needed, candidates will be asked to come to an IRCC office to speak with an immigration officer. According to IRCC, the topics discussed in the PR application include verifying an applicant’s identity and addressing any other concerns an officer might have about the application. 

Under the three Express Entry-managed programs, selection criteria are more objective, resulting in the need for an interview being waived. Also, submitting a complete application maximizes an applicant’s chances of not being called for an interview. 

  • Success 

If all the steps mentioned above are passed, the application will be found successful & the candidate will obtain PR status, after which they are free to arrive & settle in Canada. 

How Can I Request More Information On How My Application Is Being Processed? 

It is vital to know how IRCC processes permanent resident applications. Either before or after obtaining a decision on the application, candidates to one of IRCC’s programs are free to request notes on how immigration officers are processing their applications. 

These notes are known as CGMS notes & are default records that IRCC keeps when processing an application throughout the system. The information/ data available through these notes includes: 

  • When an immigration officer opened the application 
  • The immigration officer code processing the application
  • Application status at the time of the request