Flagpoling is a nickname given when foreign nationals with temporary status in Canada leave by crossing the border. They enter the United States and further re-enter Canada to get same-day immigration services. People do this to avoid long-distance processing time.
Flagpoling is a legal practice that can be done at any entry point. However, it is generally done at land border crossings, specifically in Ontario’s Niagara region.
The main benefit of visa application through flag poling is bypassing processing times. However, processing times can be lengthy, depending upon the type of visa & where the application is submitted.
On the contrary, during flagpole, your visa application is processed readily, so you don’t have to wait for your application’s result.
In addition, when you flagpole to avoid long-distance processing time, you hand the required documents to the person standing right before you. If there is any discrepancy regarding the application, the immigration officer will update you about the same, thus fixing the errors.
CBSA, i.e., Canada Border Service Agency data shows that over 21,452 people were flagpoled in the year 2022. However, the agency encourages people to apply online via IRCC’s website and avoid flagpoles.
Moreover, it has become ubiquitous for the agency to set up certain dates & times at border crossings. This is done just to accommodate people who intend to flagpole.
As a result, this practice is becoming common as IRCC’s backlog persists.
Service Standards & Backlogs of IRCC
IRCC’s service standards offer an expected timeline for how long the application processing procedure should take. However, the service standard varies from the actual time IRCC takes to process applications.
However, the applications that are not processed within the service standards timeline are considered to be a backlog.
In addition, IRCC claims 80% of its applications across almost all business lines. This is done within a stipulated time frame, depending on the application type.
For instance, family class and spousal sponsorship processing time are 12 months. Whereas an Express Entry application time frame is of six months.
As of March 31, the IRCC application backlog was around 2 million, including immigration, work, study, and sponsorship. Out of these two million applications, almost 1.1 million applications are within the standards of service. On the contrary, over 900,000 are in the backlog.
For temporary resident & permanent inhabitant applications, around 50% of applications are within the service standards. On the contrary, 75% of citizenship applications are within these standards.
Apart from flagpole to avoid long-distance processing time, IRCC has asserted that they are taking actions to reduce backlogs and are trying to process 80% of the applications. Furthermore, as per an article, IRCC stated that it is trying really hard to reduce the backlog by digitizing the applications, recruiting & training new employees, & harnessing the power of automation technologies.