Ottawa, October 12, 2022—Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has implemented a temporary public policy that exempts certain low-risk, in-Canada, foreign nationals from submitting an immigration medical examination (IME) as part of their application when their previous IME has expired. This supports faster processing of applications to help eligible foreign nationals quickly obtain temporary or permanent resident status.

T his exemption applies to foreign nationals who have

• a new or pending application for permanent or temporary residence or a permanent resident visa, made from within Canada
• completed an immigration medical exam within the last 5 years and posed no risk to public health or safety, or reported to public health authorities for monitoring, as required

When submitting an application, applicants must provide the unique medical identifier number from their previous medical exam. The temporary public policy will remain in effect until October 6, 2024. Applicants who are not eligible under this temporary public policy are required to undergo an IME as per usual health screening procedures. IRCC will contact individuals who are not eligible for the exemption to discuss next steps.

With unprecedented interest in Canada from applicants all over the world, IRCC continues to set the bar higher for immigration processing. As part of this commitment, this temporary public policy helps streamline processing for low-risk applicants, aims to provide better client service and supports faster processing of applications, while effectively managing public health risks. IRCC implemented 2 similar temporary public policies between May 2021 and March 2022 that eliminated the need for a second IME. The measures simplified the application process resulting in cost savings and expedited processing. The first 2 temporary public policies benefitted approximately 85,000 low-risk applicants, and this latest public policy is estimated to benefit over 180,000 additional clients.

Ottawa, December 16, Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) is processing privately sponsored refugee applications more efficiently by expanding the use of proven automation technologies.

A new automated tool will now be used to help sort and process all privately sponsored refugee applications, using rules, developed with IRCC officers, that have been assessed for potential bias or discrimination.

Automated tools are part of IRCC’s commitment to leveraging technology responsibly to build a stronger immigration system for the benefit of all of our clients. IRCC officers will continue to make the final decision on all privately sponsored refugee applications. Only an IRCC officer can refuse an application; the automated tool never refuses or recommends refusing applications.

An application to resettle a privately sponsored refugee has 2 parts, the sponsorship portion, and the refugee application portion. Both parts must be reviewed before the refugee can be approved for resettlement.

Reviewing the sponsorship part of the application

When reviewing an application, the automated tool first assesses the sponsorship part of the application to identify routine cases that can be automatically approved. This may include, for example, applications submitted by sponsors who have successfully sponsored refugees in the past. All applications for which the sponsorship parts are not automatically approved by the tool go through the existing manual officer review process. Automated approvals for sponsors allow officers to focus more attention on remaining sponsorship cases, so they can be processed more quickly.

Reviewing the refugee applicant file to sort and assign applications to officers

For the second part of the application, which refers to the refugee applicant file, the tool sorts applications to be assigned to officers at migration offices overseas based on office capabilities and officer expertise. This maximizes IRCC’s global network of immigration officers and helps to standardize processing times across immigration offices. Decisions on refugee files are not automated. All decisions on the refugee part of the application are made by an IRCC officer based on their thorough assessment of the application.

IRCC is working to responsibly develop and deploy data-driven technologies in line with privacy requirements and human rights protections. As part of our compliance with Canada’s Treasury Board Directive on Automated Decision Making, an algorithmic impact assessment (AIA) has been completed to assess the tool used for privately sponsored refugee applications. The AIA categorized the impact level of the system as moderate, and numerous measures are in place to mitigate possible risks. These measures include an extensive review process for potential discriminatory impacts, privacy and security elements built into the design of the system, and the ability of officers to overturn the decision of the system.

A permanent resident is someone who has been given permanent resident status by immigrating to Canada, but is not a Canadian citizen. Permanent residents are citizens of other countries.

A person in Canada temporarily, like a student or foreign worker, is not a permanent resident.

Refugees who are resettled from overseas become permanent residents through the Government-Assisted Refugee Program or the Private Sponsorship of Refugees Program.

Someone who makes a refugee claim in Canada does not become a permanent resident at that time. To become one, the Immigration and Refugee Board must first approve their claim. Then, they must apply for and get permanent resident status.