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On March 14, the Government of Canada proposed changes to the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act. These will have far reaching effect on the immigration system and every one who are planning to come to Canada must read. The purpose of this article is to discuss the nature of changes and how they will affect the over all process.

These changes have been proposed to clear backlog of immigration applications which has grown to 900,000 as it’s a long and painful process.

Under the proposed changes, the Ministry would have the authority to issue instructions to immigration officers on the processing of applications, including in relation to the jobs available in Canada, so that people with those skills and experience can be brought to Canada more quickly. However, as is the case now, the decisions on individual applications would still be made by CIC immigration officers. The Ministry cannot reverse these decisions.

The changes mean that those who submitted an application before February 27, 2008, would continue to be processed under the current system. However, Citizenship and Immigration Canada (CIC) would have greater flexibility in processing new applications, especially from skilled workers. Anyone would still be able to apply, but CIC would no longer be required to process all new skilled worker applications.

In this way, newcomers will have more opportunities to find work sooner, to provide a better life for themselves and their families and to benefit more from life in Canada.

These instructions must be consistent with the overall objectives of the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act, which are to support Canada’s economy and competitiveness, reunite families and provide protection to those who need it. They must also be consistent with the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which protects against discrimination on such bases as race, national or ethnic origin, color, religion, sex, age and mental and physical disability.

The instructions would be made public, and would reflect commitments to provinces and territories. They would be published in the Canada Gazette, reported in the Department’s annual report to Parliament and posted on CIC’s website.

Applications not processed in a given year could be held for future consideration or returned to the applicant, who would be welcome to reapply.

It is important to note that commitments to refugees and family reunification will not be affected.