For over more than a year, Canada is facing a huge backlog of visit visas. There will be some relaxation in the eligibility criteria for the visit visa applicants which can help process the applications of nearly half a million candidates. Visit visa application backlogs are to be cleared by Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) by the end of February 2023.
With these two potential strategies, the time required for foreign nationals to visit Canada can be shortened. In the first approach, around 195,000 applicants will be processed by IRCC, and then relax the eligibility criteria for 450,000 candidates.
If candidates meet eligibility criteria, they can even apply to convert a work visa permit to a visit visa without exiting Canada. Canada is about to begin Flag poling again to renew study or work permits that lead to the Canada PR process.
Two strategies developed by IRCC to reduce wait times are tabulated below:
| S.No. | Strategies |
| 1. | To relax eligibility criteria for around 450,000 visit visa applicants |
| 2. | To process around 195,000 applications in bulk |
The wait and delay times of visit visas have adversely effected business visas which in turn, might affect Canadian economy. To improve Canadian economy, more businesses and foreign nationals need to arrive in the country. To attract more foreign skilled workers, Canada needs to reintroduce Flag poling.
Conversion of Visit Visa to Work Permit
If a foreign national who is on a visit visa permit in Canada obtain a job offer from Canadian employer intends to apply for a work visa or a renew study visa, then they don’t need to exit Canada to do this. If they meet specific eligibility criteria, they will be able to apply to stay in Canada.
Canada Flag poling
This helps in getting a new temporary residence status by applying for the renewal of work, study visa or even permanent residency process. Flag poling is utilized when a foreign citizen returns to Canada without entering the USA.
