Canada Is Working On A New Process To Help People Become Permanent Residents Sooner

The federal government is working on a new program that would fast-track the process for newcomers to become permanent residents in Canada.

Canadian Immigration Minister Sean Fraser recently told CBC that officials are "looking right now at the best path forward to create a permanent pathway for temporary residents."

He said the government is preparing to create a program that would allow those in Canada on temporary permits to become permanent residents at a faster rate.

In May of last year, after the COVID-19 pandemic blocked newcomers from entering the country, a program called the temporary resident to permanent resident pathway (TR2PR) came into effect as a tool to "fight the pandemic and accelerate our economic recovery."

It expedited the permanent residency applications for over 84,000 front-line health care workers, other essential workers and recently graduated international students.

The new version is expected to be similar to the TR2PR program, which ended after six months in November 2021.

Fraser says the feds are drafting a more sustainable version of the policy that is not led by an emergency. Instead, it will be a "clear path" for those looking to make Canada their long-term home.

It's unlikely to be long before further details are announced, as the immigration minister is working under a tight deadline of just 120 days to firm up and announce the details of the new program.

The timeframe was established in a motion passed in the House of Commons on May 11. It orders the government to develop "a comprehensive plan" to simplify the existing process for gaining permanent residency in Canada in an attempt to address labour shortages across the country.

"That actually puts me on a clock to come up with a framework to establish this new permanent residency pathway, not just for international students, but also for temporary foreign workers," Fraser told CBC.

He says officials are now in the "depths of planning." Further details can be expected in September.

In April, the government increased the cost of becoming a permanent resident, which means those applying now have to fork out more money for fees associated with their application. These fees are raised every two years to adjust for inflation.

The increase applies to all classes of applications, including economic, permit holder, family and humanitarian classes.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.